By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson’s Catholic High Schools awarded 169 diplomas during the week of May 21-26. These communities of faith, knowledge and service demonstrate their mission in each of their graduating classes.
The Catholic schools class of 2018 will claim $6,371,932 in scholarship money at colleges and universities across the nation including the Citadel, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Rice University in Texas, Rhodes, Spring Hill College and, of course, all three Mississippi universities.
Catholic schools earned state championship wins in football, tennis, swimming, cheer and baseball this year. The senior class logged a combined 11,320 hours of service participating in unique projects.
When students and administrators at Cathedral heard that the shelves were bare at Stewpot in Natchez, they got creative with the “Hem in the Headmaster Food Drive.”
“They were in major need of large canned goods. Cathedral Headmaster Norman Yvon encouraged students PreK 3 – 12th grade to bring canned goods and challenged them to “hem” in his office with as many canned goods as possible – and they did,” wrote counselor Jana Slay in an email to Mississippi Catholic. Cathedral students delivered three truckloads of canned goods to the Stewpot which overflowed the shelves.
Madison St. Joseph Students took a stand for children in need of medical care with their BruinThon, a fundraiser for Batson Children’s Hospital. “We stand for eight hours at the event in order to ‘stand for those who can’t,’ reminding ourselves of the blessing of our quality of life and reminding the children of the hospital that they are not forgotten,” said organizer Kathryn Sckiets. The effort raised more than $12,000 in one night.
The entire graduating class from Vicksburg Catholic’s St. Aloysius School volunteered together at the Good Shepherd Center.
Greenville St. Joseph students helped one of their own throughout the year. Aries Cotton, a St. Joseph eighth-grader and brother of senior Reggie Cotton, was diagnosed with Leukemia in October 2017. His classmates have supported his family throughout his diagnosis and treatment with different events, culminating with the “Color me Cured” 5-K color run. Seniors, Carsen Mansour Olivia DeAngelo, Sarah Hayek, Brice Johnson, Sarah Tonos, Erica Keller, Rebecca Jones and JoQuez Sanders came together to help plan the event, held May 31. All proceeds went to the Cotton family.
This edition is dedicated to the top students from the class of 2018, including students from all Catholic schools and one Catholic student from Indianola Academy.

For Valedictorian and Salutatorian profile click here: GRAD PAPER 2018