St. Pius X Class of 2013
The class of 2013 is an outstanding example of individuals demonstrating the mission of St. Pius X High School. As its mission statement advocates, St. Pius X High School strives to instill in every student an attitude of lifelong learning in the development of their spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical gifts. This class can boast outstanding academics, athletics, and spirituality, as well as service to our greater community.
These students excelled in academics as well as fine arts. Sixty-five percent of the class earned scholarships and grants for college, with a cumulative total exceeding $2.8 million for four years. Twenty of our seniors are members of National Honor Society and five of them have earned Missouri “Bright Flight” Scholarships. Many of our seniors participated in the Reader’s Theatre, which earned 6th in State, and Academic Team, which won their District Title. In addition, two of our seniors earned All-District Honors in Music.
Natalie Ross, Valedictorian, commented about the spiritual aspect of St. Pius X High School, “I have always felt a strong sense of community at St. Pius X, especially receiving the Eucharist each week with the entire school. I am most thankful for the opportunity to deepen my prayer life by attending the additional Mass offered every Thursday, along with Adoration and Theology class. It truly is a luxury to have access to the chapel at all times and to be able to discuss my beliefs openly. The spiritual environment of a Catholic school has allowed me to be both comfortable and confident in my faith.”
Athletically, our seniors led the way to several district championships this year. Volleyball earned 3rd in state and Men’s Basketball earned 2nd in State. In addition, six seniors signed letters of intent to play sports at the college level and others are still considering their athletic opportunities next year. Another signed for an opera performance scholarship; music accolades of this magnitude are rare and a blessing for the parties involved. All these young people are commendable examples of the dedication to excellence of the Class of 2013.
Our students continually find ways to give back to the community, whether it is through specific activities at school and parish or through outside organizations. Makenzie Martin founded the Melanoma Miracles Foundation (melanomamiracles.org) after fighting her battle against skin cancer. Throughout her battle and as she advances the mission of her foundation, Makenzie finds support in her classmates, “The foundation would not be where it is today without their continued support,” she commented. Chelsea Leaver is helping others through her interest in theatre by teaching ImProv at the HALO Center. HALO provides art therapy and educational workshops for at-risk and foster children. Chelsea credits her experience in theatre as the inspiration for her work with HALO. In addition Kevin Stump earned a Rotary 13 Scholarship for his 300+ service hours, many to local parishes in the Northland.
The Class of 2013 is comprised of an awesome group of individuals, all with the commonality of their high school, which they represent well through their academic and athletic success as well as their evidence of spirituality and service to others. St. Pius X High School is proud to call each of them ALUMS!