Congratulations to the Padua Franciscan High School students inducted into the St. Bonaventure Chapter of the National Honor Society on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
Each year, students are selected for induction based on consistently displayed excellence in NHS’s four pillars: academics, leadership, character and service. While each Padua student does 20 hours of service every year, NHS students do 12 additional hours of service work per year.
Following the invocation, NHS President Adriana Kalivoshko ’25 delivered a powerful message to the newest honorees.
“This gym is filled with the people that will help build our future,” Kalivoshko said. “Our perspectives are what will shape us into the leaders that Padua wants us to be: leaders who not only take care of themselves, but also, others; leaders who put their best foot forward in anything they do and set a good example for the people around them.
“Whether we decide to follow through with these pillars is up to us. We choose whether or not we take things for granted. We choose the impact we leave on others. We control our perspective. And so, I trust that you will all leave today, realizing that you can and will make a difference in our Padua community. It all starts with how you look at the world.”
Then, Mr. Joe Morel, the 2024 recipient of the St. Anthony Award for Teaching Excellence, gave the keynote address.
In speaking to the attendees, Morel mentioned his own educational background, which included a strong love for math, science and computers, and not so much history, English or Spanish. Coming from that experience, he urged students to do their best in every class and not falling into the trap of “I didn’t think it was important.”
“You don’t know what you’re going to use,” said Morel, a computer science teacher and co-advisor of Padua’s Robotics Club. “You don’t know what you’re going to love. Every day you walk into another class, that’s another opportunity for you to discover a gift that you have and for you to build yourself a little bit better. That’s all that we’re asking, a little bit better.
“I want you to put in the reps. I want you to put away the shortcuts. ChatGPT and AI are amazing. I’m a computer science teacher, I get it. I am astounded by how amazing and efficient and how much the world is going to change because of them, but they do not build your brain, not when you’re using them as a shortcut. They don’t help you discover your gifts.
“I’m telling you as a computer science teacher that human creativity and ingenuity are what is going to drive jobs of the future. The best way to get ready for this AI is to make sure that you did as many reps as possible without it. As God reveals his path to you, one day, one gift, one rep at a time, I cannot wait to see what you all do with this opportunity.”
Following the induction, Principal Bob DiRocco spoke directly to the students in the Class of 2026. He encouraged them become leaders, not only in the Padua community, but also, in the world.
“I challenge you to pick up what the Class of 2025 left for you, and that’s to be great at service, character and leadership, to be great at scholarship, to invest in yourself, and to live in the moment that is right in front of you, to not be distracted by things that don’t exist,” DiRocco said.
“Enjoy this moment, and when it’s time for the next one, live that. You have done everything to deserve this.”
Congratulations to the following students who are the newest members of the St. Bonaventure Chapter of NHS:
- Shivani Arulselvan
- Afia Ava
- Scott Barrett
- Chase Bart
- Tessa Bender
- Leila Bergmeyer
- Claire Bobofchak
- Giancarlo Bontempo
- Kayla Brandon
- Gianna Brar
- Logan Burke
- Oleksiy Callahan
- Alexandra Camarati
- Giuliana Cantwell
- Marissa Castro
- Yael Cedeño
- Madeline Chojnacki
- Sophia Cozza
- Annabella Croft
- Layla Culpepper
- Kathryn Diehl
- Courtney Dunham
- Julia Ezzie
- Samantha Ezzie
- Soraya Gakuru
- Ella Gove
- Madeline Greinert
- Nhi Nhuyen Hanh Le
- Isabella Higgins
- Sophia Hill
- Kendall Holter
- Anna Hrytsyuk
- Jacob Joseph
- Ava Kall
- Andrew Karim
- Juliana Kazalac
- Drew Ketvertis
- Lilly Kichurchak
- Angelina Klacza
- Abigail Kubit
- Victoria Kuchma
- Matthew Lasky
- Reece Lesondra
- Ketura Luhata
- Angela Joy Madamba
- Julia Malcuit
- Isabella Marcellino
- Sophia Martin
- Ella Mauk
- Vincent McIntosh
- Elizabeth Miklich
- Katelyn Minchak
- Brayden Mordarski
- Maddie Morrow
- Paige Muhvic
- Anthony Myrick
- Peche Navas
- Leah Neace
- Matthew Pafford
- Darius Pauna
- Julia Raymont
- Madalyn Rees
- Natasha Rehlender
- Gabriella Rimbert
- Liliana Sainato
- Isabella Salyards
- Alyssa Schuette
- Nicolas Senior
- Madison Speroff
- Nina Srbinoski
- Sophia Swartwood
- Thomas Swartz
- Elizabeth Tuel
- Kayla Vance
- Kerry Wang
- Sophia Zhuchyk
