Bishop Timothy Senior is pictured with Diocesan high school students recognized this year by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Bottom row from left are Madeline Murphy and Kyle Scott of York Catholic, Bishop Senior, Rachel Cason of Bishop McDevitt and Joseph McCall of Delone Catholic. Back row from left are Camille Gross, Rachel Kim, Cullen Hardie and Zachary Malinoski of Trinity, and Gavin Ocampo of Delone Catholic.Continuing its annual tradition of honoring outstanding achievements of Diocesan high school students, those who have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program and those who were state champions in fall and winter sports joined Bishop Timothy Senior and the Secretariat for Education in a celebratory luncheon at the Diocesan Center on April 2.
The luncheon celebrates Catholic schools’ mission of forming the whole person, in body, mind and spirit. This year’s gathering celebrated students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program for their academics, as well as the achievements of the girls’ volleyball team from Trinity High School and the football team from Bishop McDevitt for their PIAA state championships.
Students who have been recognized National Merit Scholarship Program are Joseph McCall and Gavin Ocampo of Delone Catholic; Camille Gross, Cullen Hardie, Rachel Kim and Zachary Malinoski of Trinity; Madeline Murphy and Kyle Scott of York Catholic; Rachel Cason of Bishop McDevitt; and Kelsie McCuen of Lancaster Catholic.
The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes students for their academic excellence, leadership and participation in activities and offers opportunities for college scholarships.
Joseph McCall, of Delone, is considering a major in Engineering. He is a member of the cross country and boys’ tennis teams, the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Joseph has exceeded the minimum number of volunteer hours required for graduation (80) by accumulating almost 130, not including his years of service as a Boy Scout, which also led to him earning him the honor of Eagle Scout. For that project, he removed and rebuilt part of a bridge on one of the walking trails at Codorus State Park.
Gavin Ocampo of Delone is a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, and Mu Alpha. He is also a member of the Interact Club, and has taken part in various community service projects, showing a strong commitment to making a positive impact on those around him. Gavin plans to attend the University of Delaware, majoring in pre-veterinary sciences.
Camille Gross of Trinity is a member of all three of the school’s Honors Societies, and won Gold and Silver Keys in Scholastic Arts and Writing competitions. She has earned scores of four and five on her AP Exams, in addition to being recognized for Excellence in Latin multiple times. She is a member of the girls’ tennis team and also participates in Drama Club, Art Club, as a De La Salle service representative, and the Hershey Racquet Club Junior Tennis Team.
Cullen Hardie of Trinity is a member of the National Honor Society and the Math and French National Honor Societies. as well as the Math and French National Honor Societies. He is a varsity letterman on both the cross country and the track and field teams, and is a member of the French Club and the Patriots Club at Trinity. Cullen has shown leadership skills through his volunteer work for the Appalachia Service Project and at Wildwood Park.
Rachel Kim of Trinity is a member of National Honor Society as well as Math Honor Society and Language Honor Society. She has also been recognized with Excellence in Anatomy and Physiology, Excellence in Chinese 2, Excellence in Chinese 3, Excellence in reading Chinese levels 1 and 2. She has participated in track and field since her sophomore year, and is involved in a number of clubs and organizations, including the Penn State Health Youth Advisory Council, Biomedical Club, THS HOSA for Anatomy and Physiology, Girls in STEM, Chinese Club, Ping Pong Club, World Cultures Club and Art Club.
Zachary Malinoski of Trinity is a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society. Beyond academics, Zachary is a talented musician, proficient in playing the piano, saxophone, and keyboard. He has taught himself programming languages such as Java, C++, and Python, and has coded “plugins” in video games. In addition to his academic and musical talents, Zachary is an enthusiastic bowler, and he has a profound passion for aviation; as a private pilot, he has logged over 70 flight hours and is diligently working towards obtaining his private pilot certificate.
Madeline Murphy of York Catholic is a semifinalist completing for National Merit Scholar recognition. She is an AP Scholar, runs cross country and track and plays softball, and is a student ambassador, a study council representative, and President of NHS. She loves the science fair and volunteers at St. John the Baptist, helping students with their science fair projects. In her free time, she is a bee keeper. Madeline intends to study Bio Medical Engineering or Biology. She volunteers at Carroll Hospital in Westminster, Md., spending time in the field.
Kyle Scott of York Catholic is a National Merit Commended Scholar. He intends to study civil or mechanical engineering. He is an AP student, Student Council Treasurer, yearbook photographer, and leads as an athlete on the soccer and lacrosse teams. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Club. He has competed in the science fair and served on Prom Committee. Outside of school, Kyle is a lifelong Boy Scout, and has been awarded the title of Eagle Scout.
Kelsie McCuen of Lancaster Catholic is a parishioner at St. John Neumann Parish in Lancaster. She runs both indoor and outdoor track, and is involved in LEAD, the National Honor Society and Minithon, holding leadership positions in all of these activities. Outside of school, she attends youth group and volunteers at St. Mary’s Works of Mercy Week and Vacation Bible School. She plans to study neuroscience in college and pursue a career in radiology.
Rachel Cason of Bishop McDevitt is a commended student in the National Merit Program. She is the Vice President of the National Honor Society and Competitive Dance Team Captain. She has also taken on substantial roles in other organizations, such as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), where she served as Treasurer and now Vice President, and the Healthcare Careers Club, where she serves as President. Outside of school, Rachel has been involved in Girl Scouts and earned the prestigious Girl Scout Silver Award, a reflection of her commitment to service. She has balanced her academic pursuits with work experiences at Nittany Scoops Ice Cream Shop and Embella’s Boutique, while also contributing to her community through her volunteer efforts with the Healthy Steps Diaper Bank. She is planning to major in neuroscience.
(Photo by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
