Saluting our 2022 high school graduates

This month, 1,257 young people are graduating from Catholic high schools and programs in the Archdiocese of Omaha.

As they celebrate their achievements, the 2022 graduates look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of them at universities, colleges and trade schools, in military service or in the workforce.

They also take with them a strong faith foundation to help them share the love and mercy of Jesus and make a difference in our world, which so sorely needs to feel his loving touch.

The Catholic Voice congratulates these graduates and honors them for their accomplishments.

We also recognize those who have helped them on their journey – parents, family members, clergy, teachers, administrators, mentors and others, who taught them and nurtured them in their faith, helping them to become the people God created them to be.

We wish the graduates all the best as they celebrate their achievements, and ask God to bless them in their future endeavors as they continue their journeys of faith and go forward to make their mark in the world.

ARCHBISHOP BERGAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, FREMONT

30 graduates

The top half of the Archbishop Bergan senior class averaged a 25 composite score on the ACT. One student received a Rural Health Opportunities Program scholarship and another was named a National Merit finalist. The senior class has accumulated nearly 2,400 service hours during their high school years.

CAL JANKE
Valedictorian

BRADY DAVIS
Salutatorian

CATHOLIC HOMESCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF OMAHA

20 graduates

The Class of 2022 graduates give thanks to God, their families, and their homeschool and parish communities for the support and encouragement they have received throughout their high school education.

JOHN GOTTSCH
Honor Graduate

MIRIAM CACKA
Honor Graduate

CEDAR CATHOLIC JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, HARTINGTON

25 graduates

All 25 Cedar Catholic graduates are heading to college, with 96% earning scholarships. The class accumulated more than 2,500 hours of community service, and all members of the senior class were involved in at least one extracurricular activity.

ELENA PALTZ
Valedictorian

CADYN UTTECHT
Salutatorian

CREIGHTON PREPARATORY SCHOOL, OMAHA

257 graduates

Members of the 2022 class have been accepted to 169 different colleges or universities in 31 states, with 79% earning a scholarship. Seventy of the graduates earned a full ride scholarship. Class members also completed 7,710 hours of service to their community.

DANIEL MEYER
Valedictorian

NATHAN RAMACHANDRAN
Salutatorian

DANIEL J. GROSS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, BELLEVUE

108 graduates

This year’s graduates received 247 scholarship offers totaling $7 million, with 61% of students receiving at least one offer; 29 were full tuition scholarships and 11 were athletic scholarships. The class has 45 National Honor Society members. The class completed more than 11,000 service hours during their high school years.

PRESTON HIGGINBOTHAM
Top Student

GABRIELA GANDARA-GUTIERREZ
Top Student

DUCHESNE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART, OMAHA

82 graduates

The 2022 graduating class has been offered more than $26 million in scholarships. The graduates also performed nearly 8,700 service hours during their four years of high school.

ERIN BUGLEWICZ
Valedictorian

ELLE MILES
Salutatorian

GUARDIAN ANGELS CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, WEST POINT

30 graduates

Twenty-nine of the Guardian Angels graduates are going on to college while one student is enlisting in the United States Navy.  All earned at least one scholarship, with 130 total scholarship offers. Each graduate completed at least 160 service hours during high school.

SOPHIA HASS
Valedictorian

KAYLA FISCHER
Salutatorian

HOLY FAMILY HIGH SCHOOL, LINDSAY

5 graduates

All five Holy Family graduates are going on to higher education, with all of them having completed 12 or more college credits while in high school.

ERIC STOCK
Valedictorian

CHELSA REARDON
Salutatorian

MADONNA SCHOOL, OMAHA

12 graduates

Madonna’s graduates have worked hard to hone their God-given gifts and to maximize the social, academic, career and life skills learned during their time at Madonna, preparing them to succeed at home, at work and within the greater Omaha community.

HOLDEN McGUIRE
Outstanding student

DREW VACEK
Outstanding student

MARIAN HIGH SCHOOL, OMAHA

158 graduates

Ninety-eight percent of Marian graduates will continue their education next fall, with 88% of the students receiving college scholarship offers totaling nearly $26 million. Two students were recognized as National Merit Scholarship commended students.

OLIVIA HOVEY
Valedictorian

MALERIE BIRKEL
Salutatorian

MERCY HIGH SCHOOL, OMAHA

88 graduates

The class of 2022 earned more than $11.3 million in college scholarships, and has two National Merit finalists who were also named to the Omaha World-Herald All Academic Program All Metro first and second teams. In addition, one student achieved a perfect ACT score and also received a National McDonald’s All-American nomination.

ABIGAIL WESSLING
Valedictorian

KARINA RIEF
Salutatorian

MOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE SCHOOL, ELKHORN

58 graduates 

All the graduates plan to attend college this fall, being accepted at 77 colleges in 26 states. Fifty-one students earned scholarship offers totaling more than $10 million. The average ACT test score for the class was 28.

MICHAEL MULLIN
Valedictorian

CARTER CLINE
Salutatorian

NORFOLK CATHOLIC JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, NORFOLK

32 graduates

Ninety percent of graduates will be attending college in the fall, with 83% earning scholarships. Another 6% will be joining the military. The average ACT test score for the class of 2022 was 23.79.

TYLER GASPERS
Valedictorian

CHARLI FISCHER
Salutatorian

POPE JOHN XXIII CENTRAL CATHOLIC JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, ELGIN

6 graduates

All six graduates will be attending college, having received scholarships. All were also multi-activity NSAA participants. Five of the students scored above the Nebraska average ACT score and earned 12 or more college credit hours during high school.

EMILY MLNARIK
Senior Class Speaker

RONCALLI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, OMAHA

87 graduates

Forty-five percent of Roncalli graduates earned $6.2 million in college scholarships, and the class had one National Merit finalist. Graduates also accumulated 6,324 service hours during their high school years.

EMILY MORDESON
Valedictorian

MATTHEW WILMES
Salutatorian

SCOTUS CENTRAL CATHOLIC JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, COLUMBUS

58 graduates

Ninety-seven percent of graduates will be going to college, with 78% receiving scholarship offers. One student is joining the U.S. Air Force, and one is a member of the Army National Guard. The average ACT score was 24.54, and 24 students scored a 26 or higher.  The class also completed 5,220 service hours.

STEPHANIE HOENK
Top student

CHRISTOPHER ADAME-HERNANDEZ
Top student

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL, HUMPHREY

13 graduates

All the graduates will be pursuing higher education, with three also attending Army National Guard basic training this summer. The class received more than $700,000 in scholarship offers, and 12 of 13 students have completed 12 or more college credits while in high school.

JALYSSA HASTREITER
Valedictorian

MORGAN PFEIFER
Salutatorian

ST. MARY HIGH SCHOOL, O’NEILL

15 graduates

All 15 St. Mary graduates will be going on to college. The class has an average ACT score of 24.9.

ADAM EVERITT
Top student

TATE THOMPSON
Top student

V.J. AND ANGELA SKUTT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, OMAHA

173 graduates

Skutt Catholic’s graduating class has earned more than $15.4 million in college scholarship offers. The class also performed over 3,600 service hours during their high school careers.

MARGARET KEE
Top student

NATHANIEL ZUROSKE
Top student