Catholic School Student of the Year program announced

Catholic schools throughout Louisiana will have an opportunity to shine the light on the best of their students during the inaugural Louisiana Catholic Student of the Year Program. 

The statewide competition — the first time among Catholic school students only — will debut March 3  in Lafayette. 

The program is designed to recognize outstanding students in fifth, eighth and 12th grades who have demonstrated excellence in discipleship, leadership, service, citizenship and academic achievement. 

The decision for Catholic schools to sponsor their own Student of the Year Award came about after recent changes to the Louisiana Department of Education Student of the Year process.  

“The biggest factor in the decision was the abolishment of a non-public category in the traditional state competition,” said Martha Mundine, deputy superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and Louisiana Catholic School Student of the Year coordinator. “All seven of our dioceses cover more than one (civil) parish and exist in more than one public school system. To be included in the same categories with the public regions, all dioceses were competing in anywhere from three to five regions.” 

The Louisiana Catholic Student of the Year Program is open to the Dioceses of Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport and the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The new format will allow each diocese to compete as one entity, sending one representative for each grade to compete at the state Catholic School Student of the Year level. 

Mundine said the competition will be similar to past competitions, including portfolio and writing assessments as well as interviews, but noted unique opportunities for extra guidelines. 

“Having a competition solely for Catholic schools enables us to include additional criteria according to Catholic school standards and benchmarks, especially in the area of discipleship,” said Mundine. 

To be selected as a Student of the Year, a student must earn a cumulative 3.2 grade point average during the past three years and first grading period of the current school year. 

Students compete with their peers at the school system level before advancing to the Diocesan Student of the Year regional competition. A total of 21 finalists from the regional level — one elementary, middle and high school student from each diocese — will advance to the March 3 state competition. 

Prior to selecting the three state winners, students will participate in the writing assessment and an interview to be conducted by a panel of judges chosen by diocesan superintendents or designees. State winners will be submitted to Louisiana BESE board for announcement following an awards reception in April. 

“By virtue of being selected to represent your school, you exude the characteristics of a model Catholic school student,” Mundine advised students. “Just be yourself and let Christ’s light shine through you in all that you do.”