Judge Memorial Class of 2013

Intermountain Catholic

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Judge Memorial Catholic High School Class of 2013 graduates congratulate one another after the June 1 commencement at Abravanel Hall. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — The Judge Memorial Catholic High School Class of 2013 earned over $14 million in scholarships to 58 different colleges in 24 states. The 92nd commencement exercises for Judge Memorial were held in Abravanel Hall June 1, with the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, presiding. 

Basing his comments on a T. S. Eliot poem, Bishop Wester told the Class of 2013, "Life is a series of beginnings and endings and beginnings all over again.… God is constantly offering us new life. God has a lot in store for you. It is my prayer that you will live your faith and live your beliefs and be true to them in all things, and that you will realize that the only way to do that is to do what our Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ You represent hope to us."

Although 43 percent of the class graduated with honors, "Most heartwarming of all is the seniors have combined to contribute over 21,000 hours of service to the community locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally," said Judge Memorial Principal Rick Bartman.

Valedictorian Emily Murnin received the Presidential Service Award in recognition of her volunteer service to the community. She was a National Merit finalist, a member of the National Honor Society and served as a peer minister. She was a member of the two-time state championship girls’ tennis team and an individual state champion in girls’ tennis, a member of the girls’ state champion swim team three of the past four years, an Academic All-State in girls’ swimming and an Academic All-American in girls’ swimming.

In her valedictorian remarks, Murnin said having the highest GPA didn’t give her the right to give advice, so instead she shared her hopes for her fellow graduates’ future.

"I hope you don’t think graduating makes you independent and grown up; that’s unlikely," she said. "I hope you realize parents are truly smarter than they appear. I hope you realize everyone here is an unfinished masterpiece, so allow yourself the patience to make mistakes, laugh when you are challenged, change only for yourself and don’t change the best parts of yourself in the process. There are many paths in life; your future is limitless.

"We have all been so blessed to have attended Judge these past four years and to have been able to engage with such wonderful teachers, coaches, parents and friends," Murnin said. "They have molded and shaped all of the many triumphs that this class has experienced over the years."

Salutatorian Franziska Deininger warned her fellow classmates about measuring success by tangible achievements or failures. "Too great of an emphasis is placed on the final goal – the end result," she said. "We don’t realize how limiting this is. Hours of hard work and preparation are simply too valuable to invest in a single outcome. The Class of 2013 has shown that the process toward achievement, the constant effort and commitment to something, driven by internal passion is what really accounts for personal success. Judge Memorial is an institution that does its best to recognize students consistently for their efforts."

Deininger is a National Merit Commended student, a member of the Judge Memorial dance company and served as its president. Her extra-curricular activities included National Honor Society, where she served as vice president; State Math Team; Cheer; Interact and Peer Ministry. She also has received numerous academic excellence awards.

The Christ the King Awards, the highest awards Judge Memorial bestows during the graduation season, were presented to Louis Franciose and Latjerome Grace Johnson during the Baccalaureate Mass May 31.