Judge Memorial Catholic HS celebrates 90th graduation

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduates toss their caps into the air at the end of the commencement exercises at Abravanel Hall.

SALT LAKE CITY — Judge Memorial Catholic High School Principal Rick Bartman neatly summed up the Class of 2011 in his remarks during the May 29 graduation ceremony this way: "In these seats are two National Merit Scholars and a commended scholar; this class has produced a nationally-recognized literary magazine and yearbook, a top finisher in the state in Poetry Out Loud, and for the third straight year, the best high school newspaper in the state of Utah; there are teams who have won UHSAA 3-A state championships, teams who have appeared in the Final Four, and teams who have earned region championships; there are individual state and region champions. Our college-bound seniors have made some outstanding choices: stretching from Washington State to Washington, D.C, from Minnesota to Texas, from Hawaii to South Carolina, and in America’s heartland, they have been accepted by over 140 colleges and will attend 57 colleges in 21 different states…. And perhaps most impressively of all, our seniors have combined to contribute over 21,000 hours of service to the community."

Of the class’ 173 graduates, 72 earned grade point averages of 3.5 or higher, allowing them to wear gold honor cords with their gowns. Brian Willhard, the class salutatorian, earned a weighted gpa of 4.383; Valedictorian Matthew R. Pell’s weighted gpa was 4.401.

Both Willhard and Pell are National Merit Scholars and plan to attend the University of Utah.

Willhard participated in lacrosse, basketball and the Bulldog Press during all four of his years at Judge. He received the scholar-athlete award, has been recognized in mathematics and AP chemistry and was a recipient of a Presidential Service Award.

Pell was a member of the National Honor Society, and received awards in honors chemistry, honors physics, English, and earned varsity letters in all four years of his high school career. He earned the Sister Louise Marie Most Inspirational Player Award for cross country in his senior year.

In his valedictorian address, Pell shared the most important things he learned at Judge Memorial: Don’t hold grudges; address your problems; give people a second, third, fourth or more chance; and no matter what religion one believes, faith can be an amazing guiding force if interpreted correctly.

"It took me a couple of years to realize these things, and I hope that everyone can come to the same realization by a happier path," Pell said.

Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, presided over the commencement ceremony. He is a 1954 graduate of Judge Memorial and is retiring this year. He was presented with an original piece of art crafted by Judge faculty member Tom Bettin, and an original prayer book that includes original photographs and Scripture passages, quotes, verses and lyrics that were chosen by students in all four classes at Judge. The book was compiled by Chris Sloan, a Judge teacher.

In his congratulatory remarks, Msgr. Fitzgerald recalled a visit he made last October to the Vatican Observatory outside Rome, with its 100-year-old telescopes that "pierced the heavens and the beauty of God’s creation," he said. "It was amazing to me to look and see how vast is this universe, how limitless the possibilities of what God has entrusted to our care. And I think, you graduates, if there’s anything you take from Judge, it should be that ability to see a world bigger than yourselves, a world bigger than your own life experiences, a world that is massive in terms of its challenges and possibilities, sufferings and changes. And I would ask that you remember … to whom a lot is given, from them a great deal is expected."