Recent Graduate News

is Benet’s Valedictorian 2018

The valedictorian for the Class of 2018 is James Austgen of Woodridge. James is a product of St. Joan of Arc School and a parishioner at St. Joan of Arc in Lisle as well. His academic performance here at Benet has earned him the distinction of being ranked first in his class with a cumulative, weighted grade point average of 100.76%. This is especially impressive given his active participation in a variety of school activities. Here at Benet, he has been an avid runner, participating in Boys Track and Cross Country, and this year serving as Captain of the Cross Country Team. He has also been an active member of the Math Team and involved in ministry activities here at Benet, as an altar server at St. Joan of Arc Parish, as a volunteer at Feed My Starving Children and as the Vice President of the nonprofit East Suburban Tutoring Organization. In recent years he has received a variety of recognitions such as being inducted into the Classical and World Language Honor Society and the National Honor Society, being named an Illinois State Scholar, receiving honorable mention from the DuPage County Daily Herald Academic Team, being recognized as a Finalist in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program, and being nominated to the IHSA All-State Academic Team. At the Senior Honors Convocation, he also received departmental awards in Classical and World Languages, English, Mathematics, Religion, Science, and Social Studies. Next year he will be commencing his collegiate studies in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign
Congratulations James, SJA is very proud of you!!