PAGE 8 | THE VILLAGER • May 21, 2020
May 21, 2020 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 9
SMA Class of 2020 Highlights
Jen and James Urbonas
The academic year has officially come to an end for the Class of 2020 at St. Mary’s Academy. While the last few months were certainly not what this Senior class had envisioned, their continued grace, courage, leadership and spirit are just a few of the many things to celebrate about this outstanding class. Comprised of 65 Seniors, SMA’s 145th Class, has been accepted to a wide range of Universities and Colleges including: Colorado College, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California and Wake Forest University just to name a few. Collectively, they have been awarded 232 scholarship and honors program offers totaling over 12 million dollars with 82% of the Senior Class receiving at least one scholarship offer. Included in this very impressive list is a Daniels Scholar (Lydia Fisseha), Boettcher Scholar (Brynn McCall) and a recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Memorial Scholarship (Hannah Chung). Six student athletes from the SMA Class of 2020 have committed to play a collegiate sport, including at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Florida. This Senior class is incredibly giving and generous of their time and talents as well. They have successfully completed 9,200 hours of community service over their four years, 2,700 more hours than required, with 3,250 hours completed just this year at 40 different organizations (locally and globally). Four very special awards are given to select graduating seniors as a tradition every year. Chloi Clark, Lydia Fisseha, Adeline Harrington, Alexis Ihaia, Chloe Knitt, Clara Schroepfer and Alexis Tiryakioglu were given the Shepherdess Award for attending SMA for the longest consecutive period of time. The Sanders Citation was presented to Darian Smith in memory of Helen Sanders SL, a beloved visionary, for exemplifying courage, initiative, and the generous gift of self. Brynn McCall and Haylee Vasquez received the Jessie Forshee Award for outstanding academic achievement and a general interest in all school activities. Finally, Chloe Knitt and Lydia Fisseha received the Marian Award, recognizing them as the most outstanding Seniors in leadership, loyalty, and academic achievement. High School Principal, Iswari Natarajan, says of the class of 2020: “The Class of 2020 is an exceptional class of women leaders. Filled with passion, purpose, and perseverance, they are ready for their next adventure. Their grit to work hard,
their resilience to face setbacks, and their tenacity to keep moving forward in these challenging times have been remarkable. As they get ready to take on the world, I feel like a mama bird with 65 nestlings, each of them prepared to spread their wings and take flight. All I want to say to them is a line from my favorite poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Soar, eat ether, see what has never been seen; depart, be lost, but climb.”
Virtual “That ‘70s” Gala The end of April brought with it a very fun, groovy and socially distanced tradition at St. Mary’s Academy. The community was able to “gather” together to host its first ever virtual Gala, this year with fun a “That ‘70’s” theme. The Advancement team, led by Charlie Arbogast who will be retiring after over two decades at SMA, put in a tremendous amount of work to quickly pivot and plan a fully online event. The evening was hosted by former Broncos player Reggie Rivers, and featured many of the special touches that make this annual celebration one that is highly anticipated by the community. Historically, 95% of the funds raised at the St. Mary’s Academy Gala benefits tuition assistance. In light of the current worldwide situation, and the uncertainty and difficulties that many are facing, the Paddle Raise portion was changed to benefit the same. The ‘70’s costumes were plentiful, the love and accolades for those who helped put on the event were great, and the giving and generosity from the SMA community was overwhelming. This year’s Gala broke all previous school records, raising over $400,000! It was also a wonderful opportunity to gather together and celebrate the special school and community that St. Mary’s Academy is. To all who supported and attended the event, SMA is incredibly grateful! The That ‘70s Gala Title Sponsor was Pulsar 360/ Bob Harrison #254. Other sponsors included Bob Flynn and Kathy Walsh Flynn, LaFawn Biddle, daughter Barbara Biddle Galoob ‘78 and Bruce Galoob, Vanessa Kieling, Victor and Amy Mitchell, and Jim and Stacy Rechtin. Other people in “virtual” attendance that evening included Bill Barrett, St. Mary’s Academy President, Dave and Anne Grant, Brian Brieske and Robin Ricketts, Zack and Melissa Holland, and Jim and Alice Burton.
www.stmarys.academy
Chris and Sarah Riopelle John and Annie Hoogerwerf (Class of 19)
Join the SMA Community
Our school community is at home staying safe and engaging in our comprehensive distance learning curriculum. We are still actively accepting all inquiries as well as applications for the 2020/2021 school year, Pre-K through 12th grade. Anne & Dave Grant
admissions@smanet.org 303-762-8300
Some of our award-winning Seniors
