Holy Comforter's 8th grade class of 2013 will soon graduate from 5 different local high schools (Leon, Lincoln, Chiles, Maclay, and JPII) and Florida Virtual School. Although information is still coming to us about scholarships and awards that they have been awarded, we are so proud of their accomplishments that we could not wait to share it with you.

 

Individual Achievements of Note:

Nick Fontela (Maclay) will graduate as the salutatorian of his class and plans to attend Southern Methodist University this fall as a Nancy Ann and Ray L. Hunt Leadership Scholars Program award winner. The Hunt Leadership Scholars Award is for full SMU tuition and fees. The award also underwrites tuition and transportation to one of SMU’s study abroad programs. Nick is also an Eagle Scout and National Merit Hispanic Scholar. Congratulations to Nick!

 

Angeline Tritschler (Maclay), an honors graduate, is headed to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Candidates for admission must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as "cadets" or collectively as the "United States Corps of Cadets" (USCC). Tuition for cadets is fully funded by the Army in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. Best of luck to Angeline!

 

We have at least 5 graduates who plan to continue their athletic pursuits in college. Jack Driggers (Leon) will be kicking field goals for the Duke Blue Devils football team. Molly McCann (Maclay) will be running cross country for University of North Carolina –Pembrooke. Emma Travis (JPII) and Julia Travis (JPII) will also be running cross country for Meredith College and Berry College, respectively. Aaron Amidon (Chiles) will be playing soccer at his dad’s alma mater Wabash College in Indiana.

 

Best and Brightest:

Rachel Rumana (Maclay) won the Best & Brightest Award in the Career/Technical category. Inspired by her friend and fellow HCES classmate Molly McCann who had a seizure at her house, Rachel started her own nonprofit organization, Strides for Seizures. The organization raises money for educational materials for newly diagnosed epilepsy patients. Rachel will graduate with honors and plans to attend the University of Virginia. Leta Ashebo (Leon) won the Best & Brightest Award in the English and Language Arts category. Last summer, Leta traveled to her mother’s native country, Ethiopia, where she witnessed a lack of educational materials. Upon returning to Tallahassee, she organized a book drive that resulted in sending over 2,000 books back to Africa. Leta will graduate summa cum laude and plans to attend Johns Hopkins University on a full academic scholarship. Other graduates who were also nominated for Best and Brightest Awards are: Molly McCann (Maclay) finalist for Athletics, Parker Wilson (Maclay) finalist for Business, Grace Crapps (Maclay) finalist for Drama/Performing Arts, Joseph McCann (Maclay) honorable mention for Foreign Language, Savannah France (Leon) finalist for Foreign Language, Nick Fontela (Maclay) finalist for Leadership, and Hannah Bryson (Leon) finalist for Mathematics.

 

Statistics by School:

The list of college acceptances is long, but we know that the matriculation list includes, but is not limited to: Auburn University, Berry College, Duke University, Flager College, Florida State University, Furman University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Meredith College, Savannah College of Art and Design, Southern Methodist University, Spring Hill College, St. Leo University, Stetson University, Tallahassee Community College, United States Military Academy, University of Alabama, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Mississippi, University of North Carolina – Pembrooke, University of North Florida, University of Virginia and Wabash College.

 

One senior mom wrote, “Our family has placed great value in the education and relationships our son fostered during his time at Holy Comforter. He remains close with his HCES friends. He views his time at Holy Comforter as a tremendous privilege that provided an excellent environment and quality education. As this chapter closes, we look forward to an exciting future for him, and will be forever grateful for the seeds planted at Holy Comforter!”

 

Congratulations to the HCES Class of 2013! We know that their formative years at Holy Comforter set them apart from their peers and inspired them to Be the Difference during their high school career.