Marty Denzer/Key photo St. Pius X “Bright Flight” students pose near a poster of Albert Einstein.

Cristo Rey Kansas City High School, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, opened its doors in 2006. Every student works five days each month at an area business, which helps pay their tuition at the private high school.

Its first class will be graduating in June. The class, about 60 students, has a college acceptance rate of 98 percent, which school administrators expect to rise to 100 percent in the coming weeks. Most of the college bound students will be the first in their family to attend college.

A bulletin board in the hallway displays acceptance and scholarship awards from colleges and universities including Newman University in Wichita, the University of Missouri, Northwest Missouri State University, University of Central Missouri, Rockhurst University, the Art Institute of Phoenix, Donnelly College, Benedictine College in Atchison, St. Louis University, University of St. Mary and others spanning 13 states. Eleven students have been awarded academic scholarships totaling more than $137,000 (over four years) to St. Louis University, Newman University, the University of St. Mary, Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Central Missouri.

St. Mary High School in Independence senior Alexis Nibert has been selected as a recipient of the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship.  This award, funded through The Comcast Foundation, recognizes high school seniors from Comcast communities for commitment to community service, academic achievement, and demonstrated leadership.

Ashton Nibert and fellow senior Shauna Bauml have been nominated to the 2010 Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year Award Program, which recognizes exceptional high school student athletes who demonstrate excellence in the classroom, on the athletic field and in their communities. The program was developed by the Milk Industry to promote education as well as good health. The students will each compete in both regional and national competitions.

St. Pius X High School has seven “Bright Flight” students, juniors and seniors who scored 31 or higher on their ACT standardized tests. Junior Anthony Kirk (scored 33) attended St. Therese School in Parkville, and is considering political science or philosophy — pre-law. He is the captain of the Debate team at St. Pius. Anthony also received a “Commended Student” by the National Merit Scholarship Organization.

Senior Stephanie Mueller (32) attended St. James School in Liberty. She is the editor of the student newspaper, president of the high school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, and founder and president of Letters of Compassion, a fund raising group dedicated to helping children in Sudan. She is also a Harvesters Food Bank Youth Ambassador. Stephanie is interested in journalism or communications and then law school, especially Family Law/Child Advocacy. She is leaning toward St. Louis University or the University of Missouri.

Junior Jennifer Stewart (32) attended Clay-Platte Montessori School. At St. Pius she is a member of lots of clubs, on the dance team and a figure skater of the Kansas City Illusion and Line Creek Clubs. She’s “pretty sure” she will attend Miami University of Ohio, and wants to major in International Business/Finance. She hopes to become a resident of Luxembourg, Belgium.

Junior Thomas Roth (31) graduated from St. Therese School in Parkville. He plays soccer, and is a member of the debate team and the National Honor Society. He expects to attend Kansas State University, and major in architectural engineering, although his “parents are pushing Missouri schools.”

Melissa Gaul (32) attended St. Charles Borromeo School. She has run track and plays club volleyball for the Northland Pride. She is a member of the National Honor Society.

Melissa is considering pharmacy programs at UMKC, Creighton University in Omaha, or Drake University in Des Moines.

Senior Amy Brandt (31) graduated from St. Gabriel Archangel School. She runs cross country, is a student council representative and a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to attend Truman State University studying either chemistry or biology.

Three other students, senior Kimmie Parnacott and sophomores Antony Cherian and John Ross, were in Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life. Kimberly is a Bright Flight Student, and Anthony and John received “Commended Student” or higher from the National Merit Scholarship Organization.

Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph has six seniors who scored 31 or higher on the ACT.

Matt and Mike Lierz, twin brothers, attended Cathedral Grade School. Both are athletes, members of the National Honor Society and scored 31 on the ACT. At that point, their interests diverge a bit. Matt, plays the piano and guitar, and is on the Academic team and a member of the Science Club. He plays baseball and tennis. Matt wants to go to either the University of Notre Dame or Harvard. He “likes medicine a lot,” but might major in piano performance.

Brother Mike, a member of the Math Team and the National Honor Society, plays football, baseball, golf and tennis. He is interested in the University of Kansas, Creighton University, Vanderbilt University and Notre Dame, and is still in the process of discerning his major or career goals.

Alex Lukens (31) graduated from St. Francis Xavier School. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Bishop LeBlond Math Team, and plays tennis, soccer and football. Alex is interested in attending Ohio State and the University of Missouri — he’s pretty sure about MU — but is still undecided as to academic major or career.

Andrew Nellerstein (32) attended St. Joseph Christian School. He is a member of the National Honor Society and has played baseball for three years at Bishop LeBlond, all-state catcher the past two years. He plans to play baseball at either Harvard or Villanova and major in Math.

Justin Sanger (33), a member of the National Honor Society, Academic and Math Teams, scored a perfect 36 on the math section of the test. He plays soccer, ran cross country, played basketball three years at Bishop LeBlond and tennis all four years. He plans to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, and study engineering and math.

Vince Vos (31) graduated from St. Francis Xavier School. A member of the National Honor Society and Bishop LeBlond Academic Team, Vince plays basketball and baseball. He is leaning toward Northwest Missouri State University or the University of Minnesota, and is interested in business, “maybe.”

Notre Dame de Sion High School has several seniors who scored 32 or above on the ACT. Rayna Healy (32) attended Overland Trail Elementary and Middle School before enrolling at Sion her freshman year. She is a swimmer, runs track and cross country and is president of the Spanish Club. She plans to pursue a double major in Spanish and biology or neuroscience at St. Louis University where she interviews for the SLU Presidential Scholarship later this month. Rayna is interested in medicine, especially medical organizations such as Doctors Without Borders.

Meredith Wooley (35) a graduate of St. Paul’s Grade School, is a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, a member of the National Honor Society and the French Club at Sion. She runs cross country and is most interested in going up country to McCalester College, a private liberal arts college in St. Paul, Minn., or several other small liberal arts colleges in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Claire Uryasz (33) a graduate of Holy Spirit Grade School in Overland Park, Kan., plays soccer both on a club team and for Sion. She is involved in community service and has served as a summer counselor at a camp for autistic children. Claire has been accepted at Fordham University, the University of Nebraska and Louisiana State University. She is interested in biomedical engineering.

Kaleigh Schropp has received a full four-year scholarship to Auburn University in Alabama and is interviewing for a full four-year scholarship at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Laura Moley (33) a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist and member of the National Honor Society, has attended Sion since preschool so the very idea of going to another school is exciting. Laura is a member of the science and French clubs. Laura is interested in the University of Missouri and Kansas State University, and plans on studying pre-veterinary medicine. 

Archbishop O’Hara High School students participate in the National Student Clearinghouse analysis program funded by the Kauffman Foundation. The program analyzes college attendance and persistence rates and compares them to national rates. The most recent data, from the class of 2007, indicates that out of 116 graduates, the majority attended Longview Community College, the University of Missouri-Columbia or the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Some students attended institutions including Spelman College in Georgia, Stephens College, Columbia, Mo., Rockhurst University, Creighton University, Drake University in Des Moines, Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and Avila University. Others attended colleges in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Minnesota Nebraska, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

Previous years’ data show that more than 50 percent of O’Hara graduates stayed in college until they received their diploma.

St. Teresa’s Academy senior Celeste Bremen learned a few months ago that she had scored a perfect 2400 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, which she sat for in June 2009. Nationally, about 1.6 million students take the SAT test and about 250 of them score a perfect 2400. In fact, the national average for all 2009 graduates is 1509. Celeste’s score places her in the top .0002 percent of all SAT test takers across the country.

Celeste is a graduate of Visitation Grade School. Math and Spanish rank as her two favorite subjects at St. Teresa’s. She has applied to a number of colleges nationwide, and is considering studying to be an actuary. She would be able to assess risk management using her math skills.

Celeste was named a 2009 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist in 2009. Four were named National Merit Commended students: Katlyn Crater, Kylie Hornbeck, Rebecca Oyler, and Allison Pericich.

Rockhurst High School has among its student population five young men who earned high academic honors.

Seniors Stephen Fox and Ryan Xiao achieved perfect scores (36) on the ACT test. Statistically, less than one-tenth of one percent of students who take the standardized college entrance exam receive the top score.

They didn’t let it go to their heads. “It was just a test I had to show up for on a Sat. morning. I studied for it but I didn’t let it freak me out,” Stephen said.

Ryan said he studied for it, and the results made his “dad feel vindicated for making me study.”

Ryan and Stephen are both National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists. Ryan is also a member of the National Honor Society.

Ryan, who attended Mill Creek Elementary School in Lenexa, has been involved in clubs and sports since his freshman year. He plays piano and performed in the Rockhurst Orchestra for three years. He currently plays with the Rockhurst Jazz Ensemble. He has played tennis all four years. He is president of the Math Club, and a member of the science and classic language clubs. He tutors at the Central Library in Johnson County and teaches piano and is an assistant tennis coach for a club team. He plans to go into medicine and is “thinking about” Washington University in St. Louis.

Stephen, who graduated from Cure of Ars School in Leawood, is president of the National Honor Society and the Students for Political Action. He is active in the Model UN program, serving as a delegate in the Harvard, Ivy League and Kansas City Models. He has volunteered at Boys Hope Girls Hope, Shalom House and Project Upkeep and tutored for four years in the Upper Room program. He is involved in the Math, Spanish and science Clubs. He ran cross country all four years and served as mentor for the freshmen team this year. Stephen is an Eagle Scout and likes to cook.

He is interested in Notre Dame and the University of Virginia. “I want to see where I get accepted,” he said. Wherever he attends college, he will probably study political science.

Nicolas Jenkins and Enrique Mejia were named National Hispanic Scholars. The award is based on scores of the Pre-SAT test, taken during junior year.

“The award helps as far as college admissions go,” Nicolas, who runs track and plays intramural baseball and CYO basketball, said. He became interested in physics and astronomy while still in grade school. “My fifth grade class got up at 4 a.m. to watch the stars for our astronomy class. I have been interested in physics for a long time. I’d like to study physics with an astronomy emphasis.” He is considering Northwestern University.

Enrique, who graduated from St. Stephen’s Academy, is captain of the cross country team. He hopes to pursue a journalism degree at Cornell. He plans to keep running, because “It keeps me sane.”

Justin Knoll was recognized as a National Achievement Scholar for his performance on the PSAT. The award is traditionally given to African-American students who score in the top ranks nationally on the standardized test. A graduate of St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School, Justin is seriously considering Columbia University or NYU and studying screen writing, which he hopes one day to translate into a career writing for TV.

Many of the schools also have students who are honored for their performance on the College Board Advanced Placement exams. All eight Catholic high schools are recognized for their academic excellence.

END