Alumnus of the Year

Senior Day 2015 for Jesuit High School was packed with events on Friday (May 1). It began with the farewell address of Student Council president Clark Bulleit ’15, concluded with the induction of the Class of 2015 into the Alumni Association, and was highlighted by the honoring of 2014-15 Alumnus of the Year Ernest “Cookie” Garcia ’50.

Garcia was celebrated at the 19^th Senior-Alumni Luncheon at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club. About 100 alumni joined the Class of 2015 for the annual event. The Alumnus of the Year is announced each year at the Homecoming football game in the fall, and then formally conferred in the spring at the Senior-Alumni Luncheon.

Garcia, who has generously shared his time, talent, and treasure with Jesuit in numerous capacities for decades, expressed humility and thankfulness for receiving the honor. The school’s first known 5-sport letterman, a member of the Jesuit Alumni Council, and a member of the school’s Hall of Fame, Garcia has become a fixture at campus events. He attends Convocation most mornings and frequents sporting events in the evening, and has befriended many of the current seniors.

Senior Day began in St. Anthony’s Chapel with Bulleit’s speech, and included a class photo on the baseball field, group breakfast, the announcement of Senior Notables in the MPR, school president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. addressing the class and taking them through the seminal events of their time at Jesuit, Mass back in St. Anthony’s Chapel, and then a bus ride to Palma Ceia for the luncheon.

Joe Hoffman ’15 closed the luncheon with a moving story about the tremendous impact Jesuit made on his family long before he had enrolled at the school. Hoffman then encouraged his classmates, freshly minted Jesuit High School alumni, to give back to the school as alums.

See below video of Garcia’s presentation at the Senior-Alumni Luncheon with an introduction by Fr. Hermes (click here); a photo slideshow from the luncheon (click here); and a photo slideshow from Senior Day (click here). Senior Notables are listed at the end.

 
CLASS OF 2015 - SENIOR NOTABLES
Best All-Around – Jack Hughes
Most Likely to Succeed – Nick Jeffrey
Most Dependable – Jack Hughes
Most Popular – Anthony Nguyen
Most Generous – Kurt Sierra
Class Wit – Nick Cox
Most Spirit – Jensen Diaz
Best Dressed – Bobby Hearn
Most Talented – Christian Pena
Best Athlete – Dante Newberg