181 Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduates awarded $7,836,000 in aid

Intermountain Catholic

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Judge Memorial co-valedictorian Thomas Curtin shares a few last candid moments with his class in his valedictory address. Curtin is enrolled at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., for the fall semester.

SALT LAKE CITY — To 181 Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduates, May 25 was a day when the future was waiting patiently as they gathered one last time, ready to "Get involved," as co-valedictorian Kaitlyn Kelley reminded them in her salutatory address.

"We can join a karate club. Study quantum mechanics. Study in another part of the world. And learn to do our own laundry," she told 2008 graduating class.

Getting involved will be nothing new for the 87th graduating class of Judge Memorial Catholic High School; according to principal Rick Bartman, the students completed over 20 thousand hours of service in their communities.

Of the graduates, 98% are set to attend college in the fall, having overall achieved a grade point average of 3.36. Teams comprised of the 2008 graduates won 16 state awards, in such diverse areas as mock trial, basketball, baseball, and track.

Giving the graduates one final lesson, Bartman devised new ABCs for the students. "A is for appreciation. Always appreciate life and don’t let it just pass by. B is for Boldness. C is for Compassion. Do well, always. May God bless each and every one of you always, until we meet again."

Reminding the graduates that as alumni they are potential donors to the school, co-valedictorian Thomas Curtin suggested collecting money right away to prepare for the needs of the future. "We must bring about fundamental change, giving a better tomorrow while living in a better today," he said.

Having distributed diplomas to the graduates, Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, Vicar General of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, shared his own reminiscences of being a student and later an administrator of Judge Memorial Catholic High School. "My mother graduated 80 years ago; I graduated some years later. Many things change, but many things stay the same: namely, the Heart of Judge.

"There are four parts to the Heart of Judge. First, standards have always been set by the Catholic faith. Second, students learn from Christian Wisdom, learning what matters, and to breathe in the atmosphere where things of matter are real. Third, the faculty and staff. Fourth, to not be selfish and to feel the need to give back and contribute to the community. Dedicate yourselves to something that matters, and stick with it," he said.