Gulf Pine Catholic
•
June 3, 2016
7
HATTIESBURG -- Members of Sacred
Heart’s Class of 2016 are Valedictorian Mat-
thew August Gallardo; Salutatorian Sarah Steward;
Special Honors: Emily Alexis, Lauren Brown, Gabri-
elle Craig, Hannah Flathau, Harrison Hicks, Brook-
lyn Mooney, Monica Moreno, Avery Poirrier, Ceili
Rassier, Helen Schwartz, Meghan Sullivan, and Jack-
son Wilkins; Honors: John Andy, Lorenzo Catlett,
Allyn Evans, Molly Hasselbring, Peyton Morris, and
Lillian Thomas; and Graduates: Andrew Bellipanni,
Taylor Bordelon, Jessica Bradford, Tami Bradford,
Hannah Burks, Sarah Comino, Joel Daniels, Lauren
Gaudet, Anisah Heathcock, Haydn Johnson, Charles
McSwain, Kyle Mistich, Madison Moore, Anna
Painter, Fiona Palensky, Ceili Rassier, Carlos Rogge,
Spencer Schurb, Parker Schurb, Matthew Smith, and
Christopher Wilkins.
Valedictorian Matthew Gallardo
is a National
Merit Finalist, and a U. S. Presidential Scholar Can-
didate. He is Sacred Heart’s 2016 Star Student. He
served as captain of the Math Team, and was named
to the All-League Team and selected as Most Out-
standing Player in the JCJC Bobcat Math League ear-
lier this year. Gallardo is president of MuAlpha Theta
and Future Business Leaders of America and a mem-
ber of the Beta Club, National Honor Society, CYO
and Social Justice League. As a junior, he received
Sacred Heart’s Outstanding Undergraduate Award.
He was an American Legion Boys State Representa-
tive and received a 1st place award for the Veterans of
Foreign Wars Essay Competition.
As a multi-sport, scholar athlete at Sacred Heart,
Gallardo played baseball and basketball for six years
each and participated in Cross Country in 8th and
9th grades. In baseball, he has received All-District
recognition, numerous performance awards and was
selected to All-Area Teams by several local and state
newspapers. In 2015, he was named to the All-State
Baseball Team by the Mississippi Association of
Coaches, and later this year he will play in the Missis-
sippi All-Star Baseball Game. As a basketball player,
Gallardo has been named to several All-Area Teams
and received All-District recognition his junior and
senior years. In 2015, he was honored as a Forrest
General Hospital/Coca-Cola Scholar Athlete and was
Sacred Heart’s Lindy Callahan Award Nominee as a
senior.
Gallardo has volunteered at Abbie Rogers Civitan
Camp and Mississippi Special Olympics, and com-
pleted more than 300 community service hours with
TRIAD AmeriCorps during the summer of 2015. He
has served as a counselor and tutor for Surehouse
Learning Center’s afterschool program and served
as a council member for Step-Up. Earlier this year,
Gallardo received recognition for volunteer service
at the state level by earning Volunteer Mississippi’s
GIVE Award for Outstanding Disabilities Service by
a Youth. Additionally, he has received a Presidential
Volunteer Service Award.
Gallardo is the son of Cindy and Mark Gallardo
and attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He plans
to attend Duke University and major in Pre-Medicine.
SEE SACRED HEART, PAGE 17
Sacred Heart High School
BAY ST. LOUIS -- Our Lady Academy Graduates
for the 2015-2016 School Year are Katherine Allen,
Katelyn Barnes, Diana Baroudi, Isabel Benjamin,
Kelyn Bosley, Krista Boudin, Gabrielle Bourgeois,
Alyssa Carlson, Emily Carter, Avery Cerniglia, Cath-
erine Colbert, Quinn Cottone, Josie Favre, Kourt-
ney Green, Sarah Haggerty, Hannah Hancock, Laina
Harb, Shelby Hoskins, Paris Jean, Margaret Koenig.
Margaret Kowalski, Michaela Lapniewski, Konye
Maldonado, Rachel Muse, Lobar Niolet, Raegan
Oberlies, Victoria Power, Anna Purcell, Rebecca St.
Martin, Sarah Vancourt, Madison Wawrek.
Our Lady Academy hosted Graduation ceremo-
nies on Friday, May 27, at 6 pm in the Our Lady of
the Gulf Church. The graduation Mass was celebrat-
ed by Bishop Roger Morin. Music for the celebration
was provided by Emily Gruzinskas, vocalist, and Joy
Mehrtens, pianist. Eighth grade student, Olivia Alar-
con, sang
Ave Maria
and was accompanied by Pianist
Guy Bowering. Seniors Rachel Muse and Sarah Van-
court also sang the duet
Need to Breathe
following
the Valedictorian Speech. Sue Goggins, OLA math-
ematics instructor and former OLA principal, read
graduate names as Most Reverend Bishop Morin, Dr.
Michael Ladner, and Principal Darnell Cuevas pre-
sented diplomas to the OLA seniors.
This year’s class of thirty-one graduating seniors
has received offers of over $2.1 million in scholar-
ships. The graduating class will be attending ten dif-
ferent universities. Class members are majoring in
architecture, bioengineering, business, communica-
tions, education, pathology, science, and speech.
Valedictorian Quinn Cottone
is the daughter of
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Cottone, Jr. of Pass Christian.
Quinn is a member of Holy Family Parish. During her
time at Our Lady Academy, Quinn has been a mem-
ber of Junior National Honor Society, National Honor
Society, OLAAmbassadors, National Spanish Honor
Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. In her junior year she
served as vice president of the National Spanish Hon-
or Society. She currently serves as the president of the
National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Quinn
competed in the Mississippi Math and Science Com-
petition at Mississippi College both her junior and se-
nior years. During her senior year she was recognized
for placing in the top ten percent in Biology. In 2015
Quinn received the Woodmen of the World American
History Award. She was also chosen to participate in
the Palazzo Youth Leadership Summit at the Univer-
sity of Southern Mississippi.
Quinn was named as the STAR (Student-Teacher-
Achieving-Recognition) Student for the 2015-2016
school year. She was honored with the STAR rec-
ognition by achieving the highest ACT score in her
class, a 31. Academically Quinn has earned Princi-
pal’s Honor Roll for all 8 semesters of her high school
career. She has received recognition for Academic
Achievement in Science, Math, History and English.
Quinn was a member of the OLA Varsity Basket-
ball team for three years having received a letter each
of those years. Quinn received the Coach’s award and
was a team captain her senior year.
Quinn plans to attend Louisiana State University
in the fall, where she received the Louisiana State
University Academic Scholars Nonresident Award.
She will major in Biological Engineering and plans to
attend medical school. Quinn received the Principal’s
Cup award during the graduation ceremony.
SEE OUR LADYACADEMY, PAGE 17
Our Lady Academy
Matthew Gallardo
Valedictorian
Sarah Stewart
Salutatorian
Quinn Cottone
Valedictorian
Diana Baroudi
Salutatorian
