Juan Diego Class of 2012
DRAPER — The 187 graduates of the Juan Diego Catholic High School Class of 2012 gathered in the campus Grotto to offer a prayer and place a rose at the foot of Our Lady of Guadalupe statue before processing into the school auditorium for the commencement exercises May 26.
This tradition, which began with the first graduating class in 2002, is a symbol of the life and hope associated with graduating and moving on to new challenges. The rose pedals will be gathered and made into a candle that will be used on the occasions when the Class of 2012 returns to the campus as alumni.
This year the four top students couldn’t be separated by any fair academic measure, so Katherine McIntire and Megan Stephanz were named co-valedictorians and Courtney May and Adrian Shimpi were the co-salutatorians.
In her valedictorian address, McIntire said she was given the responsibility to inspire her class and send them off feeling good about the future, but she admitted to being scared of the unknown. She arrived at two conclusions for coping with this fear. First, her class has faced this problem before when graduating from the 8th grade.
"And look how far we’ve come," she said. "Second, remember who you are and where you came from; the parents that raised and guided you, the teachers that educated you and the friends that stood by you. Remember the characteristics that define your mission to achieve and your capacity for love."
In Stephanz’ valedictorian address, she shared the gratitude she has developed as a member of her class by thanking the coaches who became role models, the teachers who taught them to reach their potential and the counselors who did their best to guide them.
"Secondly, thank you to our parents and families, who have always been there for us when we needed you," said Stephanz. "You’ve nagged at us and gave us the motivation that we both hated and needed. Lastly, I want to thank my classmates…. I’ve never been happier than the years I have spent here with you."
More than 95 percent of the Class of 2012 will attend a variety of colleges and universities; 10 are National Merit nominees and two are National Merit scholars. The graduates averaged $6.8 million in student merit scholarships and $3.5 million in financial aid, 684 college credit hours and 18,390 service hours.
The Soaring Eagle 2012 class was region champions in speech and debate, volleyball, football, girls’ soccer, baseball, softball, boys’ lacrosse, boys’ tennis, and girls’ basketball. They earned state championships in speech and debate and boys’ lacrosse, and second in state in boys’ soccer and baseball. So far, 35 graduates are Academic All-Region champions, 11 All-State champions, and seven Academic All-State champions.
Kelsey Leeson was the most decorated swimmer winning nine individual state championships in four years and two relay state championships, which have become state records. Richard Idriss earned a national ranking of 14th in the United States in the vault. He also was named best individual speaker by the University of California, Berkeley.
In his congratulatory remarks, the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, told the graduates they have had four years of being nourished through a Catholic education second to none, academically, spiritually, physically, morally and psychologically. They have served the local Church and the wider community, forged new friendships, many of which will last a lifetime, and sowed memories that will sustain them throughout their lives, he said.
"Now it is time to go and make a difference in our Church and in our world as you follow God’s call in your lives," he said.
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