La Lumiere School honored its top students and student-athletes during the School’s annual Academic and Athletic Convocation that was held on Wednesday, May 17. Students were recognized for their outstanding academic and athletic achievement.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Traute and Miller Bransfield Award — Reyna Rodriguez, Cicero, Ill. La Lumiere School’s mission is to develop the fundamental principles of character, scholarship, and faith in its students as it prepares them for the responsibilities and opportunities of adulthood. This award honors the 11th grade student who best portrays the La Lumiere ideal as expressed in its mission statement. This is the highest award La Lumiere School bestows on an underclassman.
Leadership and Service Award — Lily Kennedy, Chicago; Emily Smith, Indianapolis Awarded to the 11th grade student who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and character, and who has chosen to serve both the La Lumiere community and the greater community with his or her talents, whether or not he or she has held a student leadership position at the School.
Excellence in Humanities Award — Olivia Dybing, La Porte, Ind. Awarded to the 11th grade student(s) who has excelled in his or her study of the humanities, and who has demonstrated a genuine passion for the subject.
Excellence in 21st Century Math and Science Award — Shivani Patel, Granger, Ind. Awarded to the 11th grade student(s) who has demonstrated a commitment to his or her studies in mathematics and the sciences, and whose insights into these subjects signal the potential to contribute to advancements in the 21st Century.
HIGHEST ACADEMIC GPA
9th Grade
Connor Fife, East Chicago, Ind.
10th Grade
Katherine Rowan, Munster, Ind.
11th Grade
Olivia Dybing, La Porte, Ind.
12th Grade
Senior recipient will be honored at commencement on Friday, May 26.
ACADEMIC AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
The following awards were given to outstanding seniors for excellence in each particular area of study.
- AP English Literature and Composition: Zoe Surma, La Porte, Ind.
- Precalculus - Honors: Annabelle Lake, La Porte, Ind. and Jenna Rifai, Valparaiso, Ind.
- Finite Math: Pantelis Xidias, Michigan City, Ind.
- AP Calculus BC: Lee Li, China
- AP Statistics: Andi Breitowich, La Porte, Ind.
- Advanced Chemistry: Zoe Surma, La Porte, Ind.
- Physics: Jenna Rifai, Valparaiso, Ind.
- AP Physics II: Shunzhang (Lee) Li, China
- Oceanography: Kristi Koehm, La Porte, Ind.
- Water Quality Monitoring: Noah Schuster, La Porte, Ind.
- Ethics: Patrick Jelinek, Western Springs, Ill.; Maria Lake, La Porte, Ind.; Jenna Rifai, Valparaiso, Ind.; Lotanna (Lolo) Ogbuefi, Bolingbrook, Ill.
- Drama Performance: Sydney Benacka, Chesterton, Ind.; Freyjha Ravencroft, Chicago
- Art Studio 3-D: Patrick Jelinek, Western Springs, Ill.; Lotanna (Lolo) Ogbuefi, Bolingbrook, Ill.
- Advanced Projects in Art: Julia Goodman, La Porte, Ind.
- Choir: Julia Goodman, La Porte, Ind.
- Jazz Band: Zoe Surma, La Porte, Ind.
- AP Music Theory: Stephanie Zaccone, Michigan City, Ind.
- Chinese 1: Emma Patterson, South Bend, Ind.
- Chinese 4: Sydney Benacka, Chesterton, Ind.
- French 2: Lotanna (Lolo) Ogbuefi, Bolingbrook, Ill.
- Advanced French Language: Julia Goodman, La Porte, Ind.
- Latin 4-Latin Literature: Jenna Rifai, Valparaiso, Ind.
- Spanish 2: Luyuan (Andy) Hang, China
- Spanish 3: (Vladimir (Lad’a) Rak, Czech Republic
- AP Spanish Language and Culture: Zoe Surma, La Porte, Ind.
- AP Spanish Literature and Culture: Emma Patterson, South Bend, Ind.
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
This award recognizes students who have demonstrated excellence in their academics and exceptional performance and contribution in athletics. An award is given to a male and female student in each class.
9th Grade
Ruby Congleton Giancaspro, New Buffalo, Mich. Yoonsung (Ben) Park, South Korea
10th Grade
Leily Jalinous, Granger, Ind. Paxson Wojcik, Charleston, S.C.
11th Grade
Lily Kennedy, Chicago Josh De St. Jean, South Bend, Ind.
12th Grade
Senior recipient will be honored at commencement on Friday, May 26.
About La Lumiere School
La Lumiere School challenges and supports each of its 228 students to thrive—here on our wooded campus in La Porte, Indiana, an hour southeast of Chicago; in the colleges they pursue; and throughout their lives. We meet our freshmen where they are, carefully stretching them out of their comfort zones while maintaining an intentional, supportive environment. Graduation finds seniors who are well on their way to growing into the best versions of themselves, comfortable in their own skins yet hungry for the next challenge—students who have grown in character, scholarship, and faith, and who believe that they’re at the helm of their own journey.
We are accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA). Learn more about La Lumiere School at lalumiere.org.