May 16, 2018 // Uncategorized

Valedictorian Margaret Cicchiello

Michelle Donaghey

Bishop Luers High School: Fort Wayne

Attending a Catholic high school offers more than an academic education in Catholic doctrine: Just ask the valedictorian of the Class of 2018 from Bishop Luers High School, Fort Wayne. 

“Being with people who were also celebrating and living our Catholic or Christian faith at Bishop Luers has helped me to view important aspects of faith from different perspectives. This has challenged me to reflect on different opinions and traditions to better understand the doctrines that I believe,” said Margaret Cicchiello.

Margaret went on to explain that while she and her classmates discussed “challenges such as current events and government policies through a religious lens, I learned that all facets of my life are connected to what I believe.”

That faith has helped her appreciate and cope with the ups and downs of her life.

“My faith has definitely helped me to keep things in perspective. When I earned a good grade or when one of my teams did well, I had to remember that I was working with abilities that had been given to me by God. When I forgot something, or did not score as well as I wanted to, I needed to remember that I am human. I trusted that everything would work out, and it always did.”

The valedictorian was a busy young woman both inside and outside the classroom. She was secretary of the National Honor Society in the 11th and 12th grades, captain of the Academic Super Bowl Team, business manager of the high school newspaper and yearbook and a photographer and writer for the newspaper her junior and senior years.

Margaret was named Outstanding Sodalities Group Leader in 2017. In the role of Student Ambassador, she was selected to represent Luers at diocesan eighth-grade recruitment events from sophomore to senior years. She assisted the school chaplain as a sacristan, altar server and lector and assisted in planning high school Masses and spiritual retreats.

She was a member of Key Club, co-captain of the cross-country team and a member of the track team. At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, she was a member of the adult choir and an altar server. Margaret also volunteered regularly at Science Central Museum.

Her dearest memories “have to be lunchtime discussions with my friends, competing at the state-level competition for Academic Super Bowl, my last cross country race my senior year, and being able to serve at a school Mass for the first time.”

Margaret will attend Saint Mary’s College to pursue a degree in biology. She plans to attend medical school.