October 25, 2020
n i s o c n o Br ! g n i w s full Ben Snukst ‘21
Scholars Set the Bar High
30
way Broncos Ace to go!
their Exams!
This year we recognized thirty outstanding students honored as AP Scholars. The AP Program offers several AP Scholar Awards to recognize high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams. Montini Catholic’s academic program, which includes an offering of 15 AP Courses, paves the way for higher academic achievement resulting in graduates accumulating close to 56 million in academic scholarship offers in the past three years alone. Advanced Placement courses are high school courses presenting college level curriculum and include the opportunity to take a test at the end of the year to earn college credit. Students can earn scores between one and five, and students must score at least a three to earn college credit. Currently, Montini offers AP courses in a variety of subjects including English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology and World Language. 2019-20 AP Scholars in photo above in alphabetical order: Gabriel Abbas (St. Mary of Gostyn), David Batka (Glenn Westlake), Julianne Billote (St. Pius X), Kylie Boyer (St. Joseph School), Cody Collier (St. Dominic School), Donaven Craddock (Hillside School), Mary Crotty (St. Pius X), Nicole Dallas (Glenn Westlake), Ayaan Dhir (Glenn Westlake), Nicolas Fisch, (St. Scholastica), Matt Hejny (St. Dominic School), Maria Hemmersmeier (Visitation School), Devin Hoovel (Hadley Jr. High), Maxwell Kramer (St. Scholastica), Myles Marciniak (St. Joseph School), Garrick Nielsen, Jr. (Sacred Heart), Therese Noonan (Westview Middle School), Joseph O’Brien (St. Pius X), Patrick Peters (Everest Academy), Abigail Petersen (St. Mary of Gostyn), Cooper Petersen (St. Mary of Gostyn), Alexis Ream (St. Pius X), Paul Scott (Jane Addams Middle School), Jack Sebben (St. Mary of Gostyn), Angel Silveyra (St. Isidore), Heather Sledzinski (Holy Trinity School), Ben Snukst (Butler Junior High School), Nora Sypkens (Hillside School), Zekai Yao and Sarah Zimmerman (MacArthur Middle School);
Welcome, Freshmen!
Montini Catholic was proud to launch our Freshmen Mentorship Program this fall. The program is run by our Peer Ministry Team - a faith-based ministry group whose mission is to inspire and motivate student to take part in faith-based activities at Montini and in their own communities. The goal is to provide freshmen with encouragement and support as they transition from grade school to high school. "We want to welcome them and provide them with a mentor to help navigate through the numerous difficulties that come with beginning a new school, especially when it's high school," said Campus Minister Michael Blanchette.
Student Spotlight
Nora Sypkens
We sat down with senior Nora Sypkens (Hillside School) to find out her take on what it means to ‘Be an involved Bronco!’ Nora is a model student - and ‘involvement’ is her middle name! She’s a member of over a dozen clubs and obviously finds time to study too! Nora is the Vice President of Montini's Student Government - a role she takes quite seriously, dedicating numerous hours to assure her fellow classmates are engaged in the Bronco experience. It’s a wonder she even had time to answer a few questions! But she did! How do you juggle your academics and extracurriculars? I would not survive without my planner! At the beginning of each week, I mark my calendar with everything coming up, whether it be school work, sports, meetings, or even time with friends and family. It is a really great way for me to visualize what the week is going to look like and manage my time effectively. Sometimes I can have really long days where I am at school from zero hour Chamber Choir to Math Team practices that don’t end until 7:30, and when I see those days on my planner, I make sure to prepare as much as possible the night before so I can have a successful day. What's your favorite part about being Student Government VP? I love being behind the scenes and seeing how the latest fundraiser, theme week, or event gets put together. We have a really awesome executive board this year, stacked with people prepared with creative ideas of how to make this year as fun as possible. I am so glad I get to piece things together with such a great group. What’s your favorite Montini Memory? One of my favorite memories would definitely be last year’s spring Kairos Retreat. It will always have a special meaning to me because it was the last Montini event I was able to do in my junior year before Covid hit. I can’t say too much about it, since what happens at Kairos stays at Kairos, but I will say it was one of the most fun and spiritually fulfilling experiences of my life.
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I love being behind the scenes & seeing how the latest fundraiser, theme week, or event gets put together.
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What advice would you give to students about getting involved in high school? Go in with an open mind! High school is pretty different from middle school, and there are probably several classes, sports, or activities that you have never had available to you before. My biggest advice would be to try as much as possible! You don’t want to wait until your senior year before you find your favorite club and wish you had joined it sooner, so keep an open mind and give everything a shot!
On our cover:
Athlete discovers hidden talent during Covid. This fall, Montini Catholic senior, Ben Snukst (Butler JHS) has truly embraced the proverbial phrase 'when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.' Upon learning that his s occer season had been postponed, Ben decided to try out for Golf, after picking up his first clubs over the summer. Seven short weeks later, Ben is on his way to Sectionals! "Ben managed to shoot an 86 tieing for the 4th spot and advancing . He finished tied for 10th overall," said Coach Scott. "That's a huge accomplishment for anyone who's played golf - let alone someone who just picked up clubs for the first time this summer!" "I learned a lot about golf from playing with my family and friends," said Ben. "I began practicing with Coach Scott and the team and I learned even more!" Ben's enthusiasm for golf remains high - and there's no doubt his positive attitude will bode well for him at Sectionals. "I don’t know what to expect, but I’m looking forward to playing.”
be dedicated be prepared be inspired be an artist
be a champion be a servant be a Bronco Placement Exam December 5, 2020 @ 8AM
Visit us this fall! Virtual Events Activities Information Night – Wednesday, November 4 • 6:30-8PM
IN PERSON Events
(Limited space is available.)
Open House #2 – Sunday, October 25 • 1-6PM Open House #3 – Sunday, November 15 • 1-6PM
schedule a personal tour Contact us directly for a time that is convenient for you! Director of Admissions - Jennifer Kavanagh ‘97 Michael Bukovsky ‘83 • admissions@montini.org
Register at: www.montini.org/admissionevents
we are
BE A BRONCO
&engaged! BE AN artist, a SERVANT&a champion!
BE dedicated, prepared
Mike Bukovsky’83 mbukovsky@montini.org 630-627-6930 x183 Jennifer Long Kavanagh ‘97 jkavanagh@montini.org 630-627-6930 x182 Contact us!
Got questions? ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 19W070 16th Street Lombard, IL 60148
MONTINI CATHOLIC