2023 Summa Scholars ‘Brimming with Potential’

Story by Shelley Wolf

Thanking God for his “grace and guidance” and asking that he equip them with “wisdom and humility,” 38 scholars prayed in gratitude for being named this year’s Archdiocesan Summa Scholars.

As the 2022-2023 school year nears its conclusion, the scholars and the teachers who inspired them were lauded at the 2023 Archdiocesan Summa Scholar Award Ceremony, which was held on May 16 at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford.

Drawn from seven Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford, the scholars were joined by faculty, staff, administrators and parents, who gathered together to celebrate the students’ stellar scholastic achievements.

The Archdiocesan Summa Scholars represent the top 5 percent of their graduating class in outstanding academic achievement, from freshman year to the close of the first semester of senior year, based on their cumulative grade point average.

In addition to receiving their medals at the event, the scholars singled out one educator who made a positive impact on their scholastic or personal development, offering a few brief words of thanks.

Father Michael Whyte, vicar for Catholic education and formation, and Valerie Mara, superintendent of Catholic schools, were also present to honor the students.

The Catholic schools represented included St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol; Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden; East Catholic High School, Manchester; Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, Milford; Holy Cross High School, Waterbury; Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford; and Notre Dame High School, West Haven.

The following students were designated as this year’s Summa Scholars:

For more information about Catholic schools in the archdiocese, visit catholicedaohct.org.