June 17, 2009

Graduation season comes to an end

The final graduations for 2009 of the Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Denver took place the end of last month.

J.K. Mullen High School
On May 24, J.K. Mullen High School’s baccalaureate Mass and commencement was held on May 24 celebrated by Father Steven Voss, parochial vicar at Spirit of Christ Church in Arvada and member of the Mullen Class of 1997.  At that ceremony Mullen graduated 226 seniors who as a class received more than $11 million in scholarship awards.  Salutatorian for the commencement was Joseph Schwappach who will attend Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; Megan McGuire, who will attend Thomas Aquinas College in New York, was the valedictorian. In her commencement address, McGuire told her classmates that, “As much as it hurts, we have to see the truth in the world around us, and more importantly, we have to try and lead others out of the cave.  Not a popular move, I’m afraid, but as Lasallians and as graduates of Mullen, we can do no less.”

Arrupe Jesuit High School
The 46 members of the senior class of Arrupe Jesuit High School accepted their diplomas at their graduation ceremony on May 29.  Elizabeth M. Khong was the class valedictorian.  Khong, a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Wheat Ridge, will attend Regis University next fall.  Arrupe does not select a salutatorian.
For the third year in a row, 100 percent of the Arrupe senior class was accepted into the college or university of their choice, with 80 percent accepted into a four-year college.  In addition, this year’s class earned more than $2.7 million in merit-based financial aid, setting a school record.