The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock
The graduating class of 2020 said goodbye to their Catholic high school education during unprecedented times. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have been physically closed since March, which also meant the cancellation of sports, extracurriculars and notable activities that mark a senior year of high school. In this section, you’ll learn about inspiring honor graduates, valedictorians and salutatorians and a list of all graduates. Congrats to the class of 2020!
Matthew Whittle of North Little Rock remembers his first few weeks as a Subiaco Academy eighth-grader as isolating but also one of the defining periods of his young life.
“When I first started, I was missing my family a lot,” he said. “For the first month or so, I was pretty withdrawn, just focusing on getting good grades. But as I started warming up to the place and a lot of stuff became routine, I could More... 
When Sophie Mammarelli entered Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, she was already an artist in other media with only a recreational interest in video. Four years later, she’s a prize-winning filmmaker headed to the University of Central Arkansas’ film program.
“I’ve grown up doing it for fun; my sister and cousin and I have always made random videos together, ever since we’ve had our mom’s first iPhone. We would make little music videos, we More...
MORRILTON — Ryley Welcher admits once she starts talking, there’s little stopping her.
“I can talk somebody’s ear off. I like to think I’m funny. Some people think I am,” the 18-year-old said.
Welcher has brought her bubbly personality and competitive spirit to everything she’s done at Sacred Heart School in Morrilton, kindergarten through 12th grade.
“I just pray about everything before I decide what I’m actually going to do,” she said. “My favorite (Bible verse) is Jeremiah More...
The quarantine has been a fruitful time for Sam Ray.
The Catholic High senior, who turns 18 on May 31, has been running several miles a day and is teaching himself to play guitar.
These two hobbies are things he plans to keep up with this fall as he enters the seminary, studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Little Rock.
Joining the seminary is usually a big moment for Catholic High School. Like athletes signing letters More...
CONWAY — Will Schichtl is ready to live a life of service and change the world, serving in the U.S. Marine Reserves and working in cancer research, but without his Catholic education at St. Joseph School in Conway, none of this may have happened.
“A couple years ago I had the option to go to a public school and honestly if I did go to a public school, I probably wouldn’t have joined the military or More...
St. Joseph High School held its graduation as planned May 17 at St. Joseph Church. The graduation speakers were valedictorian Elijah Bailey, salutatorian Elizabeth Chandler, senior class secretary Abbie Flake and senior class president Nicholas Brorman.
Chandler, daughter of Jeff and Doralee Chandler, will be attending Oklahoma State University and plans to study biochemistry and molecular biology.
Other graduates are:
Emily Grace Briggler
Nicholas Raymond Brorman
Nicholas Layne Chambers
Timothy Dwayne Coney
Autumn Marie Davis
Ryan Anthony Davis
Abbie Rose Flake
Erika Gonzalez
Caleb Matthew Hiegel
Grace Ellen More...
Graduation will be held July 31 in the school gym. Graduation speakers have not been determined as of press time.
The valedictorian is Joshua Taylor Nguyen. The salutatorian is Anthony Robert Sterba, son of Kenneth and Kristin Sterba. He will attend the University of Arkansas to study pre-law.
Other graduates are:
Joseph Elias Alley
Brian Michael Alsbrook
Hayden Graham Althoff
Carlos Alvarez
Emanuel Alvarez
Trevor Hollowell Anderson
Jakob Jehan Anwar
Armani Jay Atilano
Jackson Aubrey Baker
Carter Hampton Baldwin
Cole Everett Baldwin
William Kyle Baldwin
Ethan James Ball
Isaac Andrew Baltz
Mason More...
Graduation is scheduled for July 12 at 4 p.m. in the Sacred Heart School Ruff Auditorium.
Valedictorians are Madeline Bottoms, Sarah Duvall, Luke Hartman and Madison Harper.
Salutatorian is Joseph Darling, son of Joe and Kimberly Darling. He plans to attend the University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton and study surveying.
Other graduates:
Aaron Campbell
Samuel Cannon
Mackenzie Fresneda
Nicholas Hamling
Alana Hoelzeman
Gregory Hoelzeman
Alison Hood
Qualyn James
Adam Koch
Drayke McCoy
Emily McCoy
Sydney Ruff
Paige Ryan
Aden Swindell
Ryley Welcher
Louis Wright
Correction: An earlier version of this article left off More...
The Class of 2020 is scheduled to graduate Aug. 3 at Robinson Auditorium in downtown Little Rock. Sarah Catherine Phillips Gutierrez of the Class of 1998 and founder/partner/CEO of Aptus Financial will be the graduation speaker.
The valedictorian will be Caroline Potts. The salutatorian will be Elizabeth “Lily” Wewers, daughter of Darin and Julie Wewers. She plans to study biology at the University of Arkansas.
Other graduates are:
America Maria Alejandri
Olivia Grace Alexander
Caroline Grace Althoff
Catherine Diane Althoff
Avery Katherine More...
Subiaco Academy’s graduation ceremony will take place in the Abbey Inner Courtyard July 25. Mark Rust will be the graduation speaker.
Johnny Chien Bui will be the valedictorian. Daniel Patterson Haunert, son of Melaine and Tim Haunert of Batesville and the late Stuart Patterson, will be the salutatorian. He will attend Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and major in electrical engineering.
Other graduates:
Isaac Bar
Jacob Bristol
Brandyn Brooks
Clint Crow
McKeehan Dilley
Xiaofeng Ding
Jason Do
Hayden Frederick
Jacob Friemel
Braeden Hess
Sean Kiefer
Joshua Koch
Joshua Malagon
Seth Martin
Connor More...
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