JDCHS Class of 2017
DRAPER — Each seat in the auditorium at Juan Diego Catholic High school was filled, proud parents and friends snapping pictures as the seniors of the Class of 2017 made their way to the front of the crowd as the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” swelled in the auditorium.
The graduation ceremony began with the Juan Diego CHS Choir leading everyone in the auditorium in the national anthem. Holy Cross Sister Catherine Kamphaus, assistant superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, led the invocation that followed.
“God of all, we gather here to give thanks and to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2017,” she prayed. She thanked God for all the students gathered that day, for each one’s unique talents and abilities, and prayed that each would be able to use them to glorify him. “God, our creator, give these students … a full heart and a willingness to be stewards of your earth.”
Next, Salutatorian Katie Whittington took the stage. “Good morning parents, friends, teachers and students of the class of 2017. It is an honor and it is also slightly terrifying to be giving the salutatorian speech,” Whittington began, as the audience laughed.
The honor of giving the speech is obvious, but the reason for her fear was a bit unusual, she said. She had no idea what to say, what words of wisdom or encouragement to give her fellow classmates, she said. After doing some research, she learned how important the salutatorian speech is, setting the stage for the entire commencement ceremony that follows. “No pressure at all, right?” Whittington said, causing the audience to burst into laughter again.
She wasn’t sure she was the best person to be giving motivational advice, much less a speech, she said. “I am still figuring everything out too. I am often unsure of my decisions and question my choices, so I am in no place to take on the role of preacher today,” she said, so she focused her remarks on gratitude. She thanked the Skaggs family for all its help making Juan Diego CHS all that it is; she thanked the administration, faculty and staff of the school for their all they do for the students; and she thanked all the family and friends gathered that day for all that they had done shaping all the graduating seniors into the people they’ve grown into.
Her final expression of gratitude was for her fellow students. “To the Class of 2017, thank you. Thank you for everything,” Whittington said. “Thank you for the laughs, the rolling of eyes, the tears, the intensity, the brightness and the goodness that is in every single one of you. … The next steps ahead may be scary, just like writing this speech, but know that when we reach the end, we will all be thankful to have had each other along the way. Thank you.”
The valedictorian of the Class of 2017, Natallie Rose Herman, then took Whittington’s place at the front of the stage. “Today is our graduation. This year is the year that we, like most of (the adults) here, gained the privilege and responsibility to vote, to serve in the military and I think, to buy cigarettes and lottery tickets in some states,” she said as the audience laughed.
The students gathered on stage had been working hard to get where they are for four long years, Herman said. “We probably didn’t realize it when our teachers, faculty and clergy were teaching, coaching and guiding us, but at its core, Juan Diego is really a ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ prep school.”
Being exposed to the Christian message will be incredibly important for all the students throughout their lives, because “we all have an obligation and duty to love and be compassionate,” Herman said.
All her fellow classmates can be exceptional, and they should never settle for less than their loftiest dreams, she said. “Take a chance, do something different, be brave and bold,” Herman said. She had three messages for the graduating seniors: “Enjoy the moments in between. Be compassionate, not cruel. Control your destiny.”
Mark Longe, superintendent of Utah Catholic schools, gave the closing remarks and prayer of the ceremony. He urged all the students to “always, always remember the Christian foundation” that their school had given them, he said. The students and their faith will be challenged, but that foundation means that they can overcome these challenges, no matter how fierce they may be, Longe said.
“Graduates, on this day of graduation, may God’s love light up your lives,” he said. “May you live long and give your best to the glory of our eternal father.”
Juan Diego CHS Class of 2017 awards
Following is a list of awards given to the Juan Diego Catholic High School seniors of the Class of 2017 and their teachers at the Senior Farewell Mass, Baccalaureate Mass and the Juan Diego CHS graduation ceremony.
St. Joseph Award:
Marley Ixchel Dominguez
Katherine Drexel Award:
Natalie Rose Herrmann
St. Francis of Assisi Award:
Alannah Therese Clay
St. Sebastian Award:
Ryan A. Baker
Rebecca Ann Curran
St. Cecilia Award:
Maureen K. Mullen
St. Thomas Aquinas Award:
Nash J. Elder
St. Theresa of Avila Award:
Anna Schlehuber
St. Juan Diego Boy Award:
Ryan A. Baker
Nash J. Elder
St. Juan Diego Girl Award:
Alannah Therese Clay
Sierra Nicole Sunshine DeHart
Amyntor Award:
Chantz A. Hower
St. Christopher Award:
Nicolas Pino Bianchi
Our Lady of Guadalupe Award:
Larry and Jean Colosimo
Christ the Teacher Award:
Scott Platz
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