St. Ignatius Scholars Program

Jesuit High School honored the outstanding students who are part of the school's Saint Ignatius Scholars Program on Tuesday (Nov. 5), with the eight students who are Ignatius Scholars receiving special recognition.

The two seniors completing their fourth year as Ignatius Scholars, Camden Haywood and Oscar Olivera, both addressed the student body in the chapel. The senior scholars spoke about the impact the scholarship has made in their lives, and expressed appreciation for their Jesuit experience.

All students who score in the top 2% nationally on the HSPT as 8th graders and then enroll at Jesuit are part of the Saint Ignatius Scholars Program. There are currently 78 Jesuit students enrolled in the program, nearly 10% of the student body.

Among those 78 are the 18 who were named Ignatius Scholars (8) and Loyola Foundation Scholars (10). They were selected from the pool of 78 on the basis of character, faith, service, and need. The Ignatius Scholars each receive an annual award of one-half tuition for all four years, while the Loyola Foundation Scholars receive one-quarter tuition all four years. All 78 students in the program received a $1,000 tuition award when they enrolled.

The other Ignatius Scholars honored Tuesday were juniors Ben Burke and Jack Fults, sophomores Juan Amador and Rhys Marriott, and freshmen Cole Knutzen and Robbie Martin.

The Loyola Foundation Scholars at Jesuit in 2024-25 are seniors Garrett Boyes and Jake Taylor, juniors Austin Blewitt and Noah Reese, sophomores Austin Boyle, Joseph Cusimano, and Evan Voor, and freshmen Luca DeMeo, Andrew Hyde, and Mayo Olaleye.

After Convocation, the eight Ignatius Scholars and their families attended a special breakfast reception in Faber Hall. There, the freshmen, Knutzen and Martin, each spoke about becoming an Ignatius Scholar. Ignatius Scholars must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.0 and meet other requirements.

Interim principal Mike Scicchitano presented the seniors, Haywood and Olivera, with a special plaque depicting Saint Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, with a portrait by famed Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, in recognition of their four years as Ignatius Scholars.

The annual Saint Ignatius Scholar Program recognition usually takes place on or close to September 27, which is the date in 1540 the Jesuit Order was confirmed by Pope Paul III. However, due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the event was twice postponed.

To view photos from Tuesday's Convocation and reception, go to the Facebook page Jesuit High School of Tampa.

For the video of the Convocation, click here.