Rosarian Academy graduates 27 in class of 2023
Rosarian Academy graduates 27 eighth-graders
WEST PALM BEACH — Rosarian Academy celebrated its Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony for the class of 2023 on May 25 in the school theater. The graduating class consisted of 27 young men and women. Sister Mary Margaret Pachucki and Shaun McGruder were honored with the school’s Rose & Torch Award.
“Sister Mary Margaret has not only been a guiding light as a board member, she has been on the search team for the past three heads of school for Rosarian Academy,” said Linda Trethewey, Rosarian Academy’s head of school.
Nicholas Coniglio, Rosarian’s chairman of the board, presented the Rose & Torch Award to McGruder, a board member and former Rosarian parent. “Shaun McGruder has an eye for numbers and timing,” Coniglio said. “The time was perfect to acquire several properties that are adjacent to RA. … Without Shaun, it would have been near impossible to accomplish these tasks, and many families in the future will reap the benefit of this hard work and achievement.”
The graduation ceremony followed the Rose & Torch Award presentation and Mass. Chelsea Surovek MacKenzie, Rosarian Academy class of 2010, delivered the commencement address.
While attending Rosarian Academy, MacKenzie earned membership in the National Junior Honor Society and student council, while also participating on the varsity cheerleading and basketball teams. She graduated from Cardinal Newman High School and earned her bachelor of arts and master of education degrees from Vanderbilt University. As a middle school and high school social studies teacher at the Chicago Math and Science Academy, she was named Concept Schools teacher of the year in 2021.
Students received special awards and recognition, including the 2023 President’s Award for Academic Excellence, which honors students who have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale throughout their middle school experience. Recipients of this prestigious award were Ainslee Aden, Walker Albury, Nicholas Brinson, Mia Chaves, Jack Freitas, Eva Furlo, Max Griffin, Kallan Pasciuto, Isabella Pedroni Spinola, and Orion Vincent.
Additionally, other special awards presented were the President’s Education Award for Educational Achievement awarded to Benjamin Blanco, Caroline Mahoney, Chase Rehm, and Isabella Sprafka; Highest Standing Academic Accomplishment at Rosarian Academy awarded to Griffin for having the highest GPA in his class as well as excellent conduct and effort; Highest Academic Honors awarded to Aden, Walker Albury, Brinson, Griffin, Spinola, and Vincent for earning “As” and “Es” in all subjects and “As” on all exams; the St. Dominic Award awarded to Mahoney for demonstrating a strong belief in God, the pursuit of truth in all forms and the Christian values of kindness, respect and integrity; and the Rowdie Award to Vivienne Angle, Griffin, Whitney Ray, Rehm, and Coley Surovek for participating in three or more varsity sports in sixth, seventh and eighth grade.
Outstanding achievement in subject area awards went to: pre-algebra, Kallan Pasciuto; algebra I honors, Eva Furlo; geometry honors, Albury; Spanish and history, Brinson; English, Freitas; literature, Mahoney; science, Spinola; religion, Sprafka; art, Aden; drama and music, Vincent; and physical education and STEM, Surovek.
Rosarian Academy, founded in 1925, educates students from early childhood through eighth grade and offers an exceptionally strong academic program enriched by faith, athletics, visual and performing arts, and community service opportunities. The independent Catholic school is located on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach and is sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. For more information, visit www.rosarian.org or call 561-345-3106.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Class of 2023 graduates from West Palm's Rosarian Academy
