On Saturday afternoon, May 25, the Class of 2021 gathered to celebrate their Baccalaureate Mass in the Chapel the North American Martyrs. The pews and choir loft were filled as the soon-to-be graduates processed into the chapel.

The solemnity of the Baccalaureate Mass marks a joyful occasion not only for the graduates and their families but also for members of Jesuit’s faculty, many of whom played crucial roles in teaching and inspiring students to be good men and leaders for the world.

The Mass was celebrated by Jesuit president Fr. John Brown, S.J. He was assisted by school chaplain Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., Fr. Stephen Kramer, S.J., and Fr. Sean Salai, S.J.

Fr. Brown began his homily by relating the necessity of being hungry: “We should all be hungry for the Truth, with a capital “T.” We are hungry for Love. We are hungry for Justice. We are hungry for Beauty. We are hungry for something Real.”

He stressed the idea that we are all hungry, even if we do not recognize it. Once we recognize it, we can truly be fed by Christ. “Stay hungry and know that it is Christ that feeds you.”

After the 2:30 p.m. Mass, diplomas were awarded to 252 members of Jesuit High School’s Class of 2021 by Fr. Brown at Commencement Exercises on Tuesday evening, May 25, at the UNO Lakefront Arena.

Maxwell L. Hanemann received the Reverend Father President’s Spiritual Leadership Award, which is presented to the senior who has exerted the greatest spiritual influence on others by living a life exemplifying his Catholic faith.

Garrett J. Derbes received The Julia Ferguson McEnerny Memorial Trophy, Donated by Will Gibbons McEnerny of the Class of 1914, an award established to honor one graduating senior who has a good scholastic record, has actively participated in co-curricular activities, and possesses those qualities which symbolize “the most representative student of Jesuit High School.”

Ethan P. Morgan was the recipient of the Very Reverend Father Pedro Arrupe Award, which recognizes the senior who has exemplified the spirit of being a man for others by his participation and excellence in service.

The Blue Jay Parents’ Club Award for excellence in scholarship is awarded to seniors who graduated with the highest grade point average over four years at Jesuit High School. This year the award was merited by one senior, valedictorian Garrison L. Trahant.

Trahant is son of Richard and Amy Trahant and will attend the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. 

Receiving the Accelerated Program Diploma with the special commendation of summa cum laude were Samuel Roosevelt Adams, Jr., Ahmed Tariq Almoaswes, Benjamin Brownell Bogart, Zackarie Michael Casebonne, Joseph Dickson Bridges Chamberlain, Jackson Jude Cheramie, Christopher Michael Ciaccio, Michael Dardis Daly, Aiden Michael Devine, Quinn Joseph Doskey, Phillip Burke Endom, Adam Yousef Essa, Omar Ehab Essa, David Miller Farnsworth III, Christopher Charles Ferdinand, Samuel George Finicle, Christopher Richard Gillen, Brandon Patrick Griffin, Jason L Ha, Hawes Austin Lawrence Hamm, Harrison Rives Hentze, Hunter Cole Hoffmann, Si Le Holmes, Finbar Harriss Homes, Benjamin Thomas Hunn, Michael Lucius King, Robert Legier Kuhner III, Noah Christian Landry, Gavin Mark Langston II, Daniel Porter Lichtl, Andrew Craig McNeil, Michael Joseph Melancon, David Wesley Millet III, Kohlmann Ryan Moore, Ethan Peyton Morgan, Geoffrey Blaine Morris, Jr., Donovan Norman Musser, Connor James Myers, Jacob Duong Nguyen, Jackson Willis Page, Skyler Ronson Pitisci, Ian Harrington Reily, Dominic Joseph Senentz, Michael Joseph Shore, Kenneth Michael Smith III, Brett Adam Steele, Joel Eastman Terry, Marcelo Octavio Torres, Christopher Marc Valdin, Jackson Todd Wallace, David Claiborne Webster, Bryce Summey Wooderson, and Mason Steven Wulff.

Receiving the Accelerated Program Diploma with the special commendation of magna cum laude were Jackson Sheldon Becker, James Haydel Bostick, William Monroe Cedro, Quincy James Curley, Ryan Michael Decker, Carter Richard DiMaggio, Owen Christopher Ettinger, Alexander Judd Exnicios, Colin Paul Falcon, Thomas Alexander Grady, Jr., Jason Paul Hernandez, Jr., Lawrence Yates Hoffman, Jeremy Francis Howat, Zachary Nathaniel Jaubert, Tyler Matthew Johnson, Jacques Christian Karcher, Patrick Joseph Lavie, Giovanni James Licciardi, Christian Gustavo Lynch, Patrick Kieran Macnamara, Benjamin Archer Mathieu, Patrick Kent May, Dominic Elick Moore, Carter Patrick Morris, Cullen Curtis Mount, Ryan Gregory Mount, Ethan Michael Rini, Charles Goodwin Schibler III, Michael Joseph Yarborough, Jr., and William Joseph Justin Zinsel.

Receiving the Accelerated Program Diploma with the special commendation of cum laude were William Norman Anseman, Elijah Ryan Bartlett, Carston Brandt Betbeze, Connor Edward Caplinger, Jack McGlynn Carmello, Robert Louis Colomb, Jr., Bradley Joseph Deichmann, James William Eckholdt, Jr., William Remy Fransen, Charles George Haddad III, Maxwell Daniel Jubenville, Justin Paul Legrand, Michael Patrick McGovern, Joseph Adrian Pacaccio, Trevor William Reichman, Jr., Noah Ramsey Relan, Brian Ridgley, Jr., John McDowell Saucier, Augustine Tseng, and John Richard Unger.

Receiving the Accelerated Program Diploma were Parker Richard Anderson, Ashton Charles Estorge, and Jacob Tyler Merritt.

Completing the College Preparatory Course with the special commendation of summa cum laude were Cristoffer Jaime Garcia, Joseph Maximilien Gibson, Maxwell Louis Hanemann, Allan Joseph Jeandron, Jr., Ryder Douglas Naquin, Brandon Tu-Nam Pham, Austin Talmadge Pottinger, Jr., Kyle Anthony Raterman, Jacob Duggan Reinhardt, Hunter Micheal Rousselle, DonDiego Cassanova Torres, and Henry Quoc Huy Vo.

Completing the College Preparatory Course with the special commendation of magna cum laude were Albert Joseph Alvarez , Momin Khalil Asif, Kian Paul Badie, Dominick Philip Baldi, Presten Anthony Berggren, Luke Samuel Besh, Connor Michael Bruno, Luke Michael Carlton, Evan Michael Centola, Carson Davis Cruse, Gabriel Alexander Cruz, Garrett James Derbes, Ethan Michael Devlin, Daniel Martin Douglass, Jr., Logan Patrick Dupre, Mason Joseph Freese, William Winchester Gagnet, Joshua Fernando Guzman, Ramzi Mohamed Halum, Blake Nicholas Johnson, Ralph William Junius IV, Reed Matthew Kronlage, Luke George LaForge, Ferdinand Walker Mannino, Matthew Louis McConnell, Jonathan Erkin Morse, Hunter Michael Pearce, Nathan Minh-Tam Pham-Le, William James Quinlan III, Benjamin Luke Romaine, Marshall August Ruckman, Christopher Richard Schmidt, Sebastian Raleigh Upshaw, Willie Martin Verret IV, Dan Ha Vu, Caleb Nathan Walsh, Thomas Landers Watson III, Tyler Matthew Westfall, and Benjamin James Wombacher.

Completing the College Preparatory Course with the special commendation of cum laude were Reed Martin Belou, Colin Alexander Bruzdzinski, Jackson Demoret Buhrer, Peyton Daniel Burkhalter, Sean Patrick Louis Cashman, Grayson Andrew Chanove, Frank Jacob D’Amico III,Christopher Andry DeHart, Ashton Jansen Edwards, Adam Christopher Haag, William Levi Hawkins, Stefan Armando Hernandez-San Martin, Michael Copeland Kettenring, Matthew Michael Lacour, Henry Keating Landry, Noah Reid Leingang, Mason Cooper Mahfouz, David Wallace Martinez IV,Hayden Beall McFadden, Austin Callen McKay, Carson John Miller, Hayden Garrett Morris, Daniel Patrick Murphy, Jake Michael Murphy, Stephen Frederick Peterman, Jr., Harrison Renfroe Prince, Galen Wade Raymond, Blair Gervais Rittiner IV,Thomas Garrett Roche, Anthony Joseph Rosevally, Jr., Raymond Anthony Sauerwin, Jr., Loren Jordan Sholes, Christopher Alexander Sneed-Haynes, Alexander Joseph Wink, and Maxwell Barrois Younger.

Completing the College Preparatory Course were Matthew Scott Abadie, Malcolm Fitzgerald Baldwin, Jr., Luke Joseph Battaglia, Daniel Norman Bent, Jr., John Floyd Boudreaux, Andrew Charles Brown, Trevor Lawrence Chase, Jr., Nathaniel David Collins II, Nicholas Jeff Crockens, William Carlos Daley, Noah Jacques D’Aunoy, Samuel Stephens Derbes, Cameron Miller DesRoches, Myles Makofsky Douglas, Colin Thomas Doyle, John Joseph Elms IV,Joaquin Alejandro Enamorado, Dylan Wallace Faust, Brian Christopher Fitzpatrick, Jr., Gavin Blake Fitzpatrick, Thomas Jackson Fransen, Isaac Samuel Galaforo, Julian Allen Gonzalez, Jack Thomas Theo Gordon, Ethan Siragusa Hamilton, Julian Kershenstine Hays, Jordan Charles Hughes, Devin Elijah Knott, Pierce Francis Laborde, Rocky Dang Lai, Anthony Hoang Lam, Ethan Joseph LaNasa, Jonathan Michael Leach, Nathan Michael LeCompte, Collin Craig Loupe, Baldassare Frank Mannino II, Ethan David Marks, Liam O’Neal Mathis, Sean Garin Mayfield, Jr., Maximilian Jude Milano, Dane Anthony Moisant, Lucas Matthew Morse, Joseph Dominic Nolfe III, Diego Estafano Palomo, Cameron Michael Peck, Nehemiah Solomon-Luke Prater, Salvador Philip Puleo III, Ferris Isador Sabatier, Harrison Tobe Schell, Joshua Michael Schmidt, Malcolm Paul Schwarzenbach IV, Guerrero Ian Tablan, Jacob Orrin Tracy, Avery Winter Trapolin, Nathan Michael Vicknair, Ethan Khoa Vu, David Michael Welsh, Jalen Dominic Williams, and Eric Elijah Wolf.