Rachel Blackburn
St. Louis de Montfort School
Rachel is an enthusiastic student and person in general. She spreads joy in her family as well as in our school community. She balances academics, sports, leadership and community involvement excellently. She is a valuable member of St. Louis de Montfort School volleyball and basketball teams. She has led the school in various charitable drives such as collecting letters to soldiers in the Middle East and filling baby bottles with change to help unwed mothers. Rachel attended the Junior National Leadership Conference in Washington D.C this last summer and received the Girl Scout Experience and Restoration Award, the Girl Scout Silver Career Award and the Cadette Silver Leadership Award. In her spare time she reads, plays drums, and loves her cats. She is a joy to the Blackburn family, and is an inspiration to her St. Louis de Montfort family as well.
Megan Smith
St. Didacus School
It is not often that a teacher has the opportunity to recognize a student for something that isn’t quantifiable within a grade book, but, in life, it is these unquantifiable things that seem to hold the most importance. 8th grader Megan Smith is an amazing student because she excels academically as well as exemplifies Catholic ideals. Great potential walks the halls of St. Didacus School, and there are teachers who have the great opportunity to inspire these students to reach their full potential, but it is a rare occasion when a student inspires the teacher, and the rest of her class, simply by being who they are. Megan is definitely this person. As the President of the Student Council, she leads by example. She has been on the Principal’s Honor Roll, while still being involved in sports after school. But these are only reflections of Catholic ideals; echoes of what a good person who works hard can achieve. As a leader, she inspires her school to become better Catholics. She inspires her fellow students to unselfishly give of themselves. Ultimately, these examples are the core of a Catholic education. She serves as an altar server in the school’s church, and last year she had over twenty hours of community service. These alone could be good enough to nominate a student, but “good enough” isn’t the Catholic way. An ideal must be lived, and Megan devotes herself to this ideal. She goes out of her way to help others, and has, on many occasions, stayed after school to help many of the school’s teachers. She does not do this for community service hours, but out of a genuine want to help others. She does this with a personality that brightens the room, and people can not help but look forward to her presence in the class. As Catholics, there comes a time when the Catholic faith becomes daily practice and a way of life. There comes a time when Catholics take the reins of what they have learned and begin to embody the ideals they were taught. This world is in dire need of these ideals and beliefs, and would benefit from a little compassion, love, and unselfishness. Megan gives great hope for a future with individuals who live by these ideals and are an example through their beliefs and way of life. She will accomplish many great things and become an inspiration and fine example of what it truly means to be Catholic.
Hope Marinkovich
Holy Trinity School
Hope Marinkovich is the Student Body President at Holy Trinity School in San Pedro, but she is so much more than this. Hope is the oldest of five children. She has a brother, Jake, with autism. Jake cannot speak. There are two little ones who are three and one. Hope helps her mother care for the children.
Hope earns straight A’s and has been on the Principal’s Honor Roll, which is straight A’s since 4th grade. She has not missed a day of school since Kindergarten. She is a rare young woman who can do it all. She serves her family, her school, and her community. Hope has been on Student Council for three years. She was the Religious Affairs Commissioner in 7th grade, attended the Association of Catholic Student Council Leadership camp the last two summers, and is the president this year. She has taken the Wise Skills Character Program and divided it into weeks for the entire year, planning to present a character trait to the student body each week.
Hope serves her parish and community as an altar server. She has been a faithful server since 5th grade. Hope’s family attends the 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass at Holy Trinity every Sunday. Hope participates with her family in Christian Care, delivering food baskets to families on Saturdays, at Thanksgiving, and at Christmas.
Hope’s school activities include: cheerleader for the last two years, children’s choir from the second to the fifth grade, bell choir from grade 4 to the present, participating in school plays, having the lead in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She is on the Yearbook Staff, was St. Genevieve in the Saints Alive Pageant, and plays sports. She has played volleyball for four years, receiving the Coach’s Award; she has run cross-country for two years; and she has been on the track team for four years, running on the CYO Championship Track Team last year, and earning the Coach’s Award.
Hope won a $500 scholarship in 7th grade for her essay on how her father is like the Holy Spirit. She wrote a 500-word essay on her school for the San Pedro Today Magazine to celebrate the school’s 60th Anniversary.
Hope accomplishes all of these activities in a quiet, humble manner. Holy Trinity School is a better place because of Hope Marinkovich!
Kayla Robinson
SS. Felicitas and Perpetua School
Certain students shine above their classmates. Kayla Robinson, an 8th grade student at Saints Felicitas and Perpetua School, gives generously of herself to our school and community. Kayla is involved in our girls-scout troop, in which she has received the Marian and Bronze Awards. She currently is working toward the Silver Award. Through her dedicated involvement in the National Charity League, Kayla has given more than 150 hours to such endeavors as volunteering at Villa Esperanza, making blankets for babies, and helping at the Humane Society. Her 8th grade Christian Service Project involves working with the elderly at Arcadia Gardens Retirement Home. Kayla, while doing all this, maintains a strong GPA, is involved in school sports, and is a dedicated altar server. She has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a dedication to success. Kayla is always ready, willing, and able to volunteer for needed service. Kayla’s unwavering devotion to her community exemplifies a strong character.
Araceli Villareal
St. Frances X. Cabrini School
Araceli Villareal, 8th grade student was awarded The Sister Mary Dominic-Sister Mary Thomas Veritas Scholarship Award for Courageous and Compassionate Leadership for the School Year 2010-2011 by the Dominican Sisters’ Vision of Hope. Araceli was nominated because of her ability to utilize opportunities to demonstrate her commitment to gospel values, courageous and compassionate leadership, integrity, social justice, and outreach to the local community. For the two months that I came to know Araceli, she exudes an unassuming leadership. She is the current President of St. Frances X. Cabrini Student Council. Araceli may seem to be shy and introverted but she is strong, determined and motivated to tackle analytical and logical problems efficiently. She is particularly interested in practical applications of her academic disciplines and her perseverance and hard work have enabled her to achieve hers goals in real life situations. In her quiet ways, Araceli would motivate and encourage herself to explore relative concepts and ideas especially in the core of effective leadership. When I looked at her works, they suggested a very disciplined and systematic clear understanding of fundamental concepts. Araceli is keen on updating her knowledge with the latest advances in her field of interest which is Religion and Immigrant’s rights. She focused on inductive and deductive reasoning and understanding the meaning of logical implication. She prides herself in always attempting to improve and strengthen her skill by participating in school Christian service, such as First Communion Program and other clubs which will enhance her growth. Here is an excerpt from the stellar comments by the school’s nominating committee on May 2010. “She never lets what was going on at home deter her from her love for Christ and her ministry. Her leadership has given strength to her siblings, friends, and to the teachers.” Or, “When her older sister was about to be pulled from school due to her father’s condition and finances, Araceli came to me and asked if I would allow her to leave our school so that her parents could provide for her sister in her final year of High School. Araceli’s pureness and innocence gave me great respect for this young girl.” What was especially poignant was her ability to work with and for her school community in a very unassuming manner. Araceli over the past four years has been an active member of the retreat team, First Communion Program, and speaking for immigrants’ rights. She assist parents and students in filling out school forms and (because of this) understanding the school policies are alive within the family and the house. She has spoken at Mass about better education and achieving one’s goals by striving harder. She believes in God who is the source of her strength.” Araceli is well liked by her teachers and respected by her classmates. Her potential and natural abilities combined with her disciplined work habits are a blueprint for success in the years to come.