Baccalaureate mass and commencement for Saint Joseph Prep Boston’s Class of 2022 were held on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at St. Columbkille Church in Brighton. Watch the live stream of the ceremony here.
The Baccalaureate Mass was said by Father Richard Fitzgerald. Kristen Coleman '22 and Charles Nolan '22 pronounced the first and second readings, respectively. The Prayers of the Faithful were beautifully delivered by Fiona Flynn '22, Lauren Forbes '22, and Annabelle Pappas '22. Erin Lopez '22 and Ciara O' Connor brought the gifts to the altar.
After Mass concluded, Ms. Carol Woolston, Assistant Head of School for Community Life, welcomed families and guests, and invoved Sister Mary Murphy, CSJ, to deliver the Invocation.
Valedictorian Hao (Hank) Yang and Salutatorian Adam Forrest '22 shared reflections about their experiences at SJP that were endearing, and inspiring, and thought-provoking.
“As we become young adults in college, we should also open our eyes to real challenges and issues that are facing us in the world right now. In our Chapel Speeches this year, our class has addressed many challenges across the globe, including the Covid 19 pandemic, global warming, lack of water resources, food waste, and many more. Sometimes it seems overwhelming, and I have to be honest that there are times that I am not sure if my own actions can bring a change. I think most people feel this way. But I am sure of one thing: If we don’t act, there will definitely not be a change.” -Hao Yang '22, Valedictorian
“We have new opportunities ahead of us, and we have the obligation to use what we’re taking away as students to better ourselves and the world around us. At Saint Joseph Prep, we’ve been surrounded by a variety of perspectives and sometimes vastly different lives. We bore witness to our peers’ real experience with what can sometimes seem like abstract ideas, and to stop there would be an injustice to us all. While there is still a long way to go, we’ve already started on our path to action at SJP, as we’ve been compelled to think outside of ourselves.” - Adam Forrest '22, Salutatorian
Guest Commencement Speaker James Morton, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston, shared his personal story and
“I encourage you, the Class of 2022, to measure your success by what you inspire others to accomplish. By that measure, you will create a world where everyone has sufficient food to eat, a loving home, a world-class education, meaningful employment, and every opportunity to reach his, her, or their fullest potential… The world is counting on you for inspiration and looking at you, the class of 2022, I am in this moment inspired by the promise of your tomorrow and the world you will create.” - James Morton, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Boston
Scott Poponyak, Assistant Head of School for Academics, announced special faculty-nominated awards before Eugene Ward, Head of School, presented each student with their diploma and other well-deserved awards.
Congratulations to each and every one of the 55 graduates, listed below along with awards presented at commencement. Award descriptions can be found below the list of graduates.
- Jeann Carlos Barrera
- John E. Bennett III
- Liam Brown
- Sean Kevin Burke - Pursuit of Excellence Award - Virtual High School
- Anna L Carey
- Charles Joseph Cellucci III
- John Joseph Cicconi - Magna Cum Laude, Phoenix Award
- Kristen Maureen Coleman - Magna Cum Laude, Pursuit of Excellence Award - Theology, Engineering Certificate, Head of School Award for Devoted Scholarship and Authentic Spirituality
- Matthew R. Connolly
- Daniel Contreras Hernandez - Magna Cum Laude, Male Scholar Athlete
- Delaney Nathaly Cruz Vasquez - Magna Cum Laude, Pursuit of Excellence Award - Math
- Daniel Lauwer Damasceno - Magna Cum Laude, Pursuit of Excellence Award - STEM
- Ann-Coralie Daniel
- Saidah Soares DaSilva - Iron Phoenix Award
- Samantha Jaelle Desmornes - Magna Cum Laude, Modeling Integrity Through Character and Virtue
- Jake James Dooley
- Brigid Kathleen Duffy - Magna Cum Laude, Pursuit of Excellence Award - Science, Academic Excellence Award - English, Engineering Certificate, The Peter and Carolyn Lynch Award for Creativity and Ingenuity in STEAM
- Anne Elizabeth Feininger - Pursuit of Excellence Award - Virtual High School
- Fiona Mae Flynn - CSJ Award for Promoting Unity and Forming Community
- Lauren Anne Forbes - Magna Cum Laude Pursuit of Excellence Award: Fine Arts
- Adam Martin Forrest - Summa Cum Laude, Salutatorian, Academic Excellence Award - Foreign Language Spanish, Academic Excellence Award - Theology
- Madeline Elizabeth Gilmartin - Engineering Certificate
- Lara-Julia B. Guerra - Phoenix Award
- Richard Ian Gulbankian - Iron Phoenix Award, Faculty Award for Quiet Leadership and Positive Attitude
- Shannon Eileen Kennedy
- Nataijah King Whittle
- Mai Chi Le - Distinguished Scholar with Excellence Award
- Sujin Lee - Magna Cum Laude, Engineering Certificate
- Erin Samantha Lopez
- Jack Abraham Lynch - Award for Fostering Community and Inclusivity
- YueEn Ma - Distinguished Scholar with Excellence Award, Pursuit of Excellence Award - English, Engineering Certificate, The Yawkey Foundation Award for Relentless Commitment to Learning
- Albertos Haralambos Marmanis
- Isabella Katherine Millie - Magna Cum Laude, Engineering Certificate
- Eric Prince Moussignac
- Nicholas Michael Muldowney
- Julia Clare Murphy - Distinguished Scholar Award, Pursuit of Excellence Award - Social Studies
- Charles Thomas Nolan - Iron Phoenix Award, Phoenix Male Athlete of the Year, Phoenix Spirit Award - School Pride
- Ciara Elizabeth O' Connor - Magna Cum Laude, Iron Phoenix Award, Phoenix Female Athlete of the Year, Catholic Schools Foundation Scholar Award
- Samantha O’Meara
- Maddy O’Meara - Academic Excellence Award - Foreign Language Latin
- Annabelle Lee Pappas - Magna Cum Laude, Engineering Certificate, Advancing Tradition Through Faith and Service
- Jacob Luis Peck Palermo
- Tory Pepi - Magna Cum Laude. Pursuit of Excellence Award - Foreign Language Spanish, Embracing Excellence Through Courage and Passion
- Darius Walter Peterson
- Francesca Mia Reardon
- Samuel Michael Reisfeld - Magna Cum Laude
- Abigail Elizabeth Ryan - Magna Cum Laude, Female Scholar Athlete
- Jarrell Saget
- Olivia Sledge
- Monifer Vaca Solares
- Andrea Alejandra Villalba Simon - Embracing Excellence through Persistence and Determination
- Michael Francis Walsh
- McKenna Bray Wech - Iron Phoenix Award, Phoenix Female Athlete of the Year
- Hao Yang - Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian, Academic Excellence Award - Science, Academic Excellence Award - Social Studies, Academic Excellence Award - Math
- Zhuoyang (Mark) Zhang - Magna Cum Laude
Award descriptions:
- Valedictorian - The Valedictorian has distinguished himself/herself by showcasing the highest level of commitment and dedication to academic scholarship. This student has attained the highest cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in the graduating class.
- Salutatorian - The Salutatorian has distinguished himself/herself by showcasing a remarkable level of commitment and dedication to academic scholarship. This student has attained the second highest cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in the graduating class.
- Summa Cum Laude - Students who earned the recognition of Summa Cum Laude are scholars that have shown an incredible commitment to pursuing academic excellence. These students have truly distinguished themselves by earning no grade below an A-, in all of their courses, over their entire four years at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Magna Cum Laude - Students who earned the recognition of Magna Cum Laude are scholars that have shown a commitment to pursuing academic excellence. These students have truly distinguished themselves by earning no grade below a B, in all of their courses, over their entire four years at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Distinguished Scholar with Excellence Award - Students who have earned the recognition of Distinguished Scholar with Excellence Award are scholars who have been enrolled at Saint Joseph Prep for 2-3 years that have shown remarkable level of commitment to academic excellence. These students have truly distinguished themselves by earning no grade below a A-, in all of their courses, for the duration of their time at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Distinguished Scholar Award - Students who have earned the recognition of Distinguished Scholar Award are scholars who have been enrolled at Saint Joseph Prep for 2-3 years that have shown a commitment to pursuing academic excellence. These students have truly distinguished themselves by earning no grade below a B, in all of their courses, for the duration of their time at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Academic Excellence Award (Each Department) - Each academic department awards an Academic Excellence Award to the scholar whose academic record demonstrates high academic achievement over the students' entire four years at Saint Joseph Prep. Students who have earned the recognition of an Academic Excellence Award in one of the core disciplines have earned the highest grade point average in the respective discipline over the course of their high school career.
- Pursuit of Excellence Award (Each Department) - Students who have earned the recognition of a Pursuit of Excellence Award are scholars who may, or may not, have earned the highest grades in an academic department, but their accomplishments, work ethic, attitude, participation and commitment over the course of their entire senior year demonstrates their willingness to pursue excellence to the best of their ability.
- Engineering Certificate - Students who have earned the Engineering Certificate are scholars who represent the highest level of achievement in STEAM. Students who earn the Engineering Certificate demonstrate critical and collaborative strategizing, creative and collegial problem solving, and a relentless commitment to improving our world through cooperative and cutting-edge innovation.
- The Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) Scholar Award - The Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) Scholar Award honors one graduate who has showcased a dedication to the mission and values of the Catholic Schools Foundation over the course of their entire four year career at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Award for Fostering Community and Inclusivity - This special recognition honors one graduate who has embraced the mission and vision of the Sisters of St. Joseph by fostering community and inclusivity over the course of their time at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Award for Embracing Excellence through Persistence and Determination - This special recognition honors one graduate who has embraced excellence by showing persistence and determination to reach academic goals and better the community around them through personal fortitude.
- Iron Phoenix Award - Students who have earned the recognition of the Iron Phoenix Award are student athletes that have competed on a Saint Joseph Prep athletic team for all three seasons (Fall, Winter, and Spring) for all four years of their high school career.
- Senior Athlete of the Year Award - The Senior Athlete of the Year award honors one female and one male graduate who best represents the values and virtues of our athletic program.
- Scholar-Athlete Awards - The Catholic Central League (CCL) Scholar-Athlete Award honors one female and one male graduate who are nominated by the Saint Joseph Prep ??? for both their athletic prowess and scholarly achievement.
- The Phoenix Award - The Phoenix Award honors one student athlete who has exhibited enthusiasm, leadership, commitment, and team spirit over the course of their career at Saint Joseph Prep.
- Faculty Awards - The faculty awards are special recognition glass awards that are voted on by faculty, staff and administration to highlight the specific achievements and gifts that a very select group of students have demonstrated over the course of their four years at Saint Joseph Prep.
Additional photos to be added shortly. Families can purchase portraits from Lifetouch here.
