High School Commencement Focus, May 22, 2019

PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

Runnels has always been the school for all races, religions, and national origins.

Congratulations to Our High School Graduates!

We honored the achievements of the members the Class of 2019 at our 33rd high school commencement exercises May 18 in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre.

Officiating at the ceremony was Head of School Marcia Mackay. Also presenting awards and guiding the 50 graduates through the program were Assistant Head of School and Jr.-Sr. High Principal Conchetta Foshee, Vice Principal Rita Haik and Assistant Principals Pamela Babcock and Dana Schlotterer. Founding Headmaster Dr. L.K, Runnels offered the Inspiration and graduating senior Tyler Robbins sang the National Anthem.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Mackay characterized the class as positive, spirited and joyful. “I believe you took maximum delight in your senior year,” she noted. “Your class has been upbeat, lively and a joy to us on this campus.”

During the ceremony, the graduates were recognized for their accomplishments in academics, athletics and the arts. Mrs. Mackay presented each graduate with a diploma as Mrs. Haik announced the colleges they had chosen to attend and the scholarships they had been awarded. The ceremony concluded with the screening of the Senior Memories Video, with each student receiving a copy, and the singing of the "Alma Mater." A reception in the Catalano Gym with plenty of cake and punch followed the ceremony.

( Photo: Among those presiding at the graduation were, from left, Jr.-Sr. High Vice Principal Rita Haik, Assistant Head of School Conchetta Foshee, and Head of School Marcia Mackay.)

Valedictorian and Salutatorian Honored ... Kayla Evans was named the Valedictorian of the Class of 2019 and Madison Sutton was recognized as the Salutatorian.

In her address, Kayla expressed gratitude to parents “for offering us patient guidance and valuable life lessons outside the classroom …” and to teachers whose “devotion reached beyond the curriculum.” She also encouraged her classmate s to “approach life with an open mind, find your passion, and follow it.”

When Madison stepped to the podium, she spoke of the close bonds she had formed at our school: “Runnels has become my home, and as a class, we have become each other’s family…. I believe the most powerful thing about our class is our friendships."

Kayla, who is a National Merit Finalist, will attend Baylor University in Waco, TX, where she has received the Regents' Gold Scholarship, which is the school's top National Merit award, and an Invitation to Excellence Scholarship. She plans to study biochemistry on a pre-med track. Madison will attend Arizona State University in Phoenix with a New American Scholar Award. She intends to study industrial design.

( Photo: Madison Sutton and Kayla Evans .)

4.0 Scholar Awards Presented ... This year, a record 11 graduates received the 4.0 Scholar Award at the commencement ceremony. This rare honor is presented to seniors who maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA in all of their high school courses.

Congratulations to 4.0 Scholars (in photo, from left) Madison Sutton, Anna Kadi, Daniel Mayeaux, Carson Badinger, Anna Somerville, Collin Bueche, Amelia Jennings, Kayla Evans, Emma Tooraen, Ryan Lam, and Sophia Torres.

"Lifers" Thank Parents with Flowers ... It's a tradition at Runnels for seniors who have been with us continuously since first grade or before to present roses to their parents at graduation. This year, we have 22 “lifers,” and eight have been at Runnels since they were two years old!

Students who started in the preschool 2s: AnnaClaire Courville, London Deshotel, Eric Huygues, Amelia Jennings, Ryan Lam, Emma Tooraen, Rachel Wehbe, and Thomas Worsham. Seniors who came to Runnels in the 3s, 4s, kindergarten or 1st grade: Hannah Barback, Hannah Cassano, Jesse Griffin, Caroline Henning, Anna Kadi, Griffin Kennedy, Alex Morgan, Kayleigh Nicholson, Anna Claire Pousson, Micah Roper, Spencer Spivak, Steven Spivak, Aaron Taliaferro, and Justin Taliaferro.

(Photo: Runnels "lifer" Eric Huygues and his parents, Roger and Tuyet Huygues.)

MORE PHOTOS...

Special Awards Presented ... Several members of the graduating class received special awards at the commencement exercises. These students and their awards are Anna Claire Pousson , Daughters of the American Revolution Award; Tyler Robbins , Kiwanis Club Most Courteous Student Award; Ian Lansing , Knights of Columbus Patriotic Award; Justin Taliaferro and Aaron Taliaferro , Youth Merit Award from the Military Order of World Wars; Hannah Page , Raider Spirit Medal; Carson Badinger , Raider Scholarship Medal; and Cade Tate , Raider Citizenship Medal. In addition, Daniel Mayeaux and Alex Morgan were recognized as having attained the rank of Eagle in American Boy Scouting.

( Photo: Cade Tate is presented with the Raider Citizenship Medal. )

"R" Award Winners Recognized ... The “R” Award is the highest honor presented to scholar-athletes in the senior class at Runnels. This year’s recipients are Micah Roper and Collin Bueche. They were recognized for their accomplishments both in the classroom and on the field at the 2019 graduation ceremony.

Selection of “R” Award winners is based on several criteria including participation and achievement in sports during the senior year, high school GPA, participation in school clubs and other extracurricular activities as a senior, plus overall character.

Collin is a member of the baseball and basketball teams, and Micah is on the cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and powerlifting teams. Congratulations to these exceptional scholar-athletes!

( Photo: 2019 "R" Award winners, from left, Micah Roper and Collin Bueche.)

President's Education Award Winners Announced ... A whopping 42 percent of our graduating class met the requirements to receive the prestigious President’s Education Award. The program honors students in exit grades (6th, 8th and 12th at Runnels) who have earned a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in all high school courses and scored at the 90th percentile or higher in math, reading, or overall composite on a nationally standardized test.

The President's Education Award winners are Madaleine Alessi, Carson Badinger, Collin Bueche, Seth Chiasson, Jillian Edmonson, Kayla Evans, Caroline Henning, Amelia Jennings, Anna Kadi, Ryan Lam, Ian Lansing, Daniel Mayeaux, Seth Miller, Alex Morgan, Anna Claire Pousson, Micah Roper, Anna Somerville, Madison Sutton, Emma Tooraen, Sophia Torres, and Thomas Worsham.

( Photo: President's Education Award winner Caroline Henning.)

Where Are They Headed Now? ... Most of our graduates will be packing up their digital devices and heading off to colleges and universities this August. It comes as no surprise that our graduates were accepted to 47 different schools, both in and out of state. Their scholarship offers hit the six million dollar mark ($6,049,256), with 42 percent of the class receiving six figure scholarship offers.

Among our 50 graduates, we have four National Merit Finalists, Kayla Evans, Anna Kadi, Daniel Mayeaux, and Emma Tooraen; a National Merit Commended Student, Alex Morgan; and 13 AP Scholars, Madaleine Alessi, Jillian Edmonson, Ian Lansing, Madison Sutton, Kalyee Freiberger, Anna Kadi, Anna Claire Pousson, Micah Roper, Anna Somerville, Emma Tooraen, Collin Bueche, Alex Morgan, and Kayla Evans.

The average GPA of the class is 3.58 and the ACT average is 26, with one student, Anna Kadi, earning a perfect score. A full 64% graduated with honors ( cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude ), and nearly the entire class met the requirements for TOPS, with 66% qualifying for one of the higher level TOPS awards.

( Photo: Haley Brassard receives her high school diploma from Head of School Marcia Mackay at the 33rd Runnels High School Commencement Exercises on May 18 in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre.)

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE OUR GRADUATES ARE GOING ...

Kudos and Notable Events

Double LHSAA All-Composite Athletes ... Several graduates received the honor of being named double LHSAA (Louisiana High School Athletic Association) Academic All-Composite Athletes this year. They kept up two rigorous competitive athletic schedules while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Congratulations to (in photo, from left ) Daniel Mayeaux, cross country and tennis; Anna Kadi, soccer and tennis; Madison Sutton, volleyball and softball; Ryan Lam, soccer and tennis; and Collin Bueche , baseball and basketball.

Kudos to Senior Course Medalists ... Each year, teachers are invited to select one outstanding student in each subject to receive a course medal recognizing achievement. Thirty two of those medals were awarded to seniors at the commencement exercises this year.

The medalists are Madaleine Alessi , Theatre IV; Carson Badinger , Music Theory; Collin Bueche , English IV and Civics; Seth Chiasson , Media Arts III; AnnaClaire Courville, Biology II;  Jillian Edmonson , World History and Media Arts II; Kayla Evans , English Literature AP and U.S. Government AP; Kalyee Freiberger , Piano Independent Study; Jesse Griffin, Environmental Studies; Amelia Jennings , French AP; Anna Kadi , AP Physics and Psychology; Ian Lansing , AP Spanish; Sydney Markham , Painting II; Daniel Mayeaux , Introduction to Engineering; Kayleigh Nicholson , Sculpture; Alexis Rogers , Art III Honors and Advanced Math Functions and Statistics; Micah Roper , Environmental Science AP; Sarah Soileau , Modern Dance; Anna Somerville , AP Latin; Spencer Spivak , Sports Medicine III and Advanced P.E.; Aaron Taliaferro , Physics and Technical Theatre; and Emma Tooraen , AP Biology, AP English Literature, AP BC Calculus, and Honors Physics. 

( Photo: Sydney Markham receives the course medal for Painting II.)

Music Scholarship ... Congratulations to Anna Claire Pousson for being awarded a music scholarship to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has been invited to play the violin in the ULL Symphony Orchestra. At the ceremony, Anna Claire was presented with a commemorative pin to recognize this accomplishment.

We Sincerely Thank...

... We send our abundant thanks to the members of the graduation planning committee, Conchetta Foshee, Sarah Haase, Rita Haik, Pamela Babcock, Karen Rhinehart, and Marcia Mackay ; hospitality coordinator Laura Roark ; decorating assistant Michelle Tate ; and senior class superhero sponsors Amy Taliaferro and Christine Pousson .

We also thank National Honor Society sponsor Norma Marsh and NHS members Janie Schlotterer, Annie Fink, Bailey Hyatt, Anna Manning, Eric Ho, Joseph Ismail, Madisan Milam, Julia Sager , and Erin Oehrle for assisting with ushering and hosting at the graduation.

Big thank yous also go to Neena McLain, Brandon Kelfstrom (Class of ‘18), Karli Hebert , and Jenna Carballo for lighting and staging assistance at the commencement exercises; and to faculty members Mark Landry, Sam Coates, Jean Martinez, Sarah Haase, and Wendy Herumin for helping to seat parents at the graduation.

(Photo: Among the NHS members assisting at the commencement exercises are, from left, Erin Oehrle, Janie Schlotterer, Madisan Milam, Anna Manning, and Joseph Ismail.)

... We extend gracious thanks to Shaun McGarry , Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army, for joining us at the high school graduation ceremony to present the Youth Merit Award from the Military Order of World Wars to graduates Justin Taliaferro and Aaron Taliaferro .

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