Graduation 2015

Jesuit High School graduated its Class of 2015 on Thursday (May 28), as the school celebrated a beautiful commencement at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.

The graduating class of the school’s 116th year is comprised of 178 students. Of the graduates, 81% received academic or athletic scholarships and 71% received Florida Bright Futures Scholarships, with the total scholarship value exceeding $13.2 million. One-hundred percent were accepted into college, with 162 colleges and two service academies accepting Jesuit students in 2015.

The class Valedictorian is Clark H. Bulleit, who will attend Duke University, and the Salutatorian is Sylvester V. Kwo, who will attend the University of Florida. View video of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian addresses below.

In celebration of the school's 115th anniversary at the start of the school year, and keeping with one of Jesuit’s earliest traditions, graduates wore the traditional classic tuxedo at graduation for the first time in more than seven decades.  

Thirty seven members of the Class of 2015 graduated Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) with a GPA of 4.1 or higher. Another 29 graduated Magna Cum Laude (high honors) with a GPA between 3.80 and 4.09.

Each year, four special awards are presented during commencement exercises to recognize outstanding members of the graduating class. The recipients of these awards are determined by a vote of the faculty, and are commemorated on the Men for Others monument on campus. The 2015 winners were announced by principal Barry Neuburger at graduation:

• The Joseph P. Gavan Award, for outstanding generosity and dependability in service to the school community: Jack Hughes.
• The Pedro Arrupe Award, for excelling as a “Man for Others” through distinguished achievement in community service: Gabe Turner.
• The Larion J. Elliot Award, for dedication and commitment to Christ and the Church through the example of his Christian Life: Emmanuel Diaz.
• The Charles J. Lashley Award, for outstanding characteristics of leadership of the student body, the highest honor Jesuit High School confers upon a graduating senior: Clark Bulleit.

See videos from graduation below, and a photo slideshow below that:

Valedictorian - Clark H. Bulleit                                     Salutatorian - Sylvester V. Kwo

Principal Neuburger - Commencement Awards           President's Address - Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J.

Photo slideshow