Writer’s + Editor’s Note: A shortened version of this letter was published in the 2025 Graduation Edition of the Benet Herald.
The Benet Scholars Program has experienced significant growth this year, building on the foundation of our inaugural year with a range of new and enhanced events, as well as expanded service partnerships. While I will highlight a few notable initiatives and collaborations here (along with a few of my favorite pictures), these represent only a portion of all that we accomplished together.
Our year began before the official start of school, with scholars serving as teaching assistants in the CARE classes for incoming freshmen over the summer. Their efforts helped introduce new students to Benet and fostered a welcoming environment from the outset.
In my letter last year, I mentioned the program’s budding relationship with Villa St. Benedict, which began through our partnership with the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC).
After being selected as one of twelve schools nationwide to participate in the Youth As Solutions service-learning program, we chose Villa St. Benedict as our project site. In September, scholars organized a week of service: they “adopted” residents for afternoons of conversation, joined them for dinner, and concluded the week with a soc hop that brought together scholars and residents for dancing, singing, and conversation. The residents responded enthusiastically and asked us to return for future events. This partnership continued throughout the year; we hosted Villa residents for a pizza social at Benet, followed by accompanying them to Benet’s production of Freaky Friday. In March, scholars once again connected with residents, and in May, they assisted Sister Mary with cleaning up the grotto at Villa St. Benedict. We look forward to building on this relationship in the coming years.
In November, we launched our Leading With Impact speaker series with a Veterans Day event featuring US Army Colonel Sean Morrow ’96, US Navy Midshipman Jack Derbis ’22, and Benet parent and former US Navy SEAL Brandon Stone. These speakers shared powerful stories of sacrifice, ethical decision-making, and resilience, inspiring students to lead with purpose. During the second semester, we introduced scholar group masses,
where Conversatio, St. Hildegard, and St. Anselm scholars gathered with their respective scholar groups for morning mass. Expanding the faith and Benedictine heritage aspect of our program remains a top priority for next year.
This year also saw several new initiatives from our Scholar Enrichment division, including a junior high scholastic bowl for seventh and eighth graders from our feeder schools (which was cancelled due to weather, but all of the work was done for next year nonetheless), arelaunched Threads book and podcast discussion group, and a college admissions panel where senior scholars shared their experiences and advice.
We also recognized our graduating seniors for the first time in our program with a special event.
On May 17th, seniors and their parents joined us at Sacred Heart Monastery for a mass and reception where they received their honor cords and celebrated their accomplishments.
Looking ahead, on June 13th, scholars will visit Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, IL—a conservation community that integrates open land preservation, accessible commuting, and responsible development—to learn about the coexistence of urban planning and conservation. Scholars will also continue to serve as teaching assistants in the CARE summer classes for incoming freshmen.
I would like to congratulate our outgoing Director of Scholar Enrichment, John Augustyn ’25, for his outstanding accomplishments and thank him for his dedication to the program. John’s efforts have been instrumental in expanding our program offerings. We were honored to present John with the inaugural Scholar Legacy Award at this year’s Senior Recognition Event. This award is given to a scholar who leaves a lasting legacy among the program. Maclane Zich, who shadowed John this year, will succeed him and continue this important
work.
This year, the program has seen remarkable growth in both offerings and engagement. Scholar service hours and event participation increased significantly, and we received a record number of applications from the class of 2028. These achievements reflect the dedication of our scholars and the support of the entire Benet community.
We are committed to continuing this growth and establishing the Benet Scholars Program as an enduring part of Benet Academy’s heritage.
Wishing everyone a restful and enjoyable summer. I look forward to seeing everyone back again next year!
