Gulf Pine Catholic

18 Gulf Pine Catholic • April 2, 2021 Spotlight on Schools Nativity BVM Kindergarten class created a St. Joseph’s Altar for the entire school to visit. Pictured standing: Ava Viglianco and Charlotte Williams. Seated: Michael Lewis, Conner Lewis, and Haven Strayham. Lehwmon Skrmetti’s Kindergarten students at Nativity BVM celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with Trinity shamrocks and Ireland flags. Pictured top row: Olivia Thames, Landon Rensch, Gary Conway, and Avery Laine Williams. Seated: Haven Strayham, Benjamin Hosey, and Julep Rasmussen. Nativity BVM Parish School, Biloxi Our Lady Academy senior, Cali Reinhart, received a letter of acceptance from the Honors College at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and was awarded the highly-coveted Presidential Scholarship. The most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholarship provides a full tuition scholarship, cam- pus housing, meal plan and a $500 per-semester allowance for four years. Cali is also the recipient of the Lucky Day Scholarship and an Academic Excellence Scholarship from USM, yielding an additional $12,000 in scholarships. “Cali obviously stood out among our hundreds of applicants as someone who will bring something truly extraordinary to the Honors College student body,” quoted Dr. Ellen Weinauer, Dean of Southern Mississippi Honors College. An honors student throughout high school, Cali holds office as the class secre- tary, and is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and the Tri M Choral Honor Society. She is the vice president of Campus Ministry, a member of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Interact Club, Crescent Athletic Club, and an OLAAmbassador. Cali has always been a stand-out in the OLA athletic programs. She held title as captain of the cross-country team, basketball team, and the track and field team in the 2020-2021 seasons. When she was not involved with sports, studying, or participating in other activ- ities, Cali was volunteering. She completed over 600 hours of her time to help others and the community during her years at OLA. She devoted over 170 hours teaching at the local churches’ bible schools; performed over 250 hours helping with church functions; and dedicated over 220 hours to assist in OLA’s fundraisers and school events. “Cali is an exceptional student whose relentless dedication, faith, enthusiasm, and perseverance have paved her way to an undeniable successful future. The teach- ers, staff, and student body will truly miss Cali for she is such a positive and true reflection of a dynamic, Christian young lady,” commented Marilyn Pigott, princi- pal. Cali will major in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English next fall. She is the daughter of Daren and Danny Reinhart of Diamondhead, Mississippi. Reinhart Our Lady Academy Cali Reinhart awarded the USM Presidential Scholarship Our Lady Academy Danielle Dey awarded the Croft International Scholarship Our Lady Academy senior, Danielle Dey, received a letter of acceptance from the Croft Institute at the University of Mississippi and was awarded the Croft Scholarship, which is among the larg- est and most prestigious scholarships available at the University of Mississippi. Each year the Institute awards eight Croft Scholarships to its most competitive incoming freshmen, the Croft Scholars. Danielle is also a recipient of an Academic Excellence Scholarship and plans to study international studies with a concentration on East Asia. Established in 1997 by Joseph C. Bancroft Charitable and Education Fund, the Croft Institute only accepts 70 students into the international studies major each fall. Applicants are required to have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and an ACT score of 29 or above. They also must have demonstrated interest in international affairs and foreign languages. Danielle expressed, “My interest in Korea started three years ago, when I began listening to Korean music. My deep admiration and love of the Korean music initi- ated me to further study their language, which then sparked my interest in exploring their culture and politics. I have become enamored with the region and plan to study abroad to experience, first-hand, the way of life in South Korea.” An honors student throughout high school, Danielle is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society, and holds the office of treasurer of the Spanish Honor Society. She is a four-year letterman in archery, a member of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Interact Club, and a representative of Our Lady Academy Beautification Committee. Danielle‘s future career aspirations include employment for the United States government, Department of International Affairs or the United State Department of Homeland Security. Danielle is the daughter of Daniel and Jamie Dey of Kiln, Mississippi. Dey