Thomas Abbott, Bishop Noll Class of 2013 Valedictorian
By Sergio Valdes
Every Senior class has their notable valedictorian, and person of honor for the Bishop Noll Institute’s Class of 2013 is no exception. Thomas Abbott is that person. A student at Bishop Noll for the last six years (including Prep Academy), this talented young man has continued to impress both his peers and instructors in various ways. “My dedication to success and my goal of becoming valedictorian were achieved through my work ethic. I spent A LOT of hours doing homework, studying for tests, and doing extra work when needed to ensure that I would achieve success,” claims Thomas.
“When I discovered that I was valedictorian, I was both overjoyed and grateful because all of my hard work through my high school years had finally paid off. I set a goal after I graduated from the Prep Academy to become valedictorian of Bishop Noll and so I went after it.” Despite his accomplishment, he has never forgotten about his friends, who were also competing with him for the honorary spot of valedictorian. “I was also a bit shocked because Doug [Roach] and I were tied for the top spot for almost all of our high school careers and we both expected that we would be tied and Danny [Pobereyko] would be salutatorian. So I was really ecstatic but at the same time felt disappointed because Doug is a good friend of mine and we both thought it would be really cool if we tied and Danny got second.”
Thomas has been pushed to his academic limits with the support of many of his family and friends. “I think it’s too hard to pick a single person who has been the most influential to me. I would say that my immediate family as a whole and my extended family have influenced me in so many different ways that I wouldn’t be able to choose just one. I have the biggest support system of anyone I know. Between blood relatives and close friends of our family that seem like blood relatives, I know I am truly supported and loved,” says Thomas.
Not only is Thomas an all-star student, but he participates in many other extracurricular activities as well. He has been a member of the National Honor Society since his sophomore year and in his senior year served as the treasurer. He has been involved with the Drama Club for his junior and senior years on stage crew and was elected as the club’s treasurer this year. He was a member of the academic Super Bowl math team his junior year and math and science teams his senior year. In addition, he also participated in a few sports, playing soccer his freshman year and baseball his freshman and sophomore years.
As many students and faculty know, Thomas has been, to this day, also involved in music throughout his high school career. He, along with a few other students, have performed for many school picnics, talent shows, and Masses. “My greatest talent is my musical abilities. Music has been my love and passion since I was a very young child, when I would listen to my dad’s classic rock albums and rock on my toy rocking horse. I started playing the guitar in fifth grade and my love for music continued to grow. I still play the guitar and have also spent quite a bit of time learning to play the drums and sing, which I am also passionate about. I will continue my musical endeavors as long as my fingers and voice allows me to.”
Being a successful student, Thomas has his fair share of academic and extracurricular achievements. But there are few that stand out. “I would say my greatest accomplishment to this point is receiving the various scholarships that I did to attend Valparaiso University. I received the Presidential Merit Scholarship, a Hesse engineering scholarship, and a Starr fellow scholarship for Chinese studies, which I am so grateful and honored to have been awarded. By receiving these scholarships, my tuition plus a little more is paid for, which greatly helps my family in financing college.”
Thomas will be attending Valparaiso University in the fall of 2013 and he will be majoring in both electrical engineering and Chinese studies. He states that he wants to go on and get his Master’s Degree in electrical engineering and he hopes that with engineering and Chinese he can travel and even possibly work in China. “Ideally, I would like a job in the audio industry, designing speakers and amplifiers, and I hope to eventually start my own company in this field as well,” says Thomas. “I can also see myself working for the state department or CIA and combining my engineering with Chinese language skills.”
Thomas has been thankful for many things in his life, like his high school. “Bishop Noll has helped me to to deepen my faith and establish a solid foundation with trust in the Lord and His plan for me. I have learned that things might not always go as I hope, but everything happens for a reason. Academically, I was able to take challenging courses with excellent teachers that really pushed me to develop my study habits that I hold dear to this day. I am also extremely grateful to have had six years of instruction in Mandarin Chinese. I met some great friends through my six years that have been true friends and will probably be my friends for life. The thing that really sticks out when I think back over my six years at Noll is the teachers. I have had so many really good teachers that have truly been passionate about their work and loved teaching. There are so many that have gone above and beyond their job description by showing up to sporting events, Drama productions, musical performances, and writing letters of recommendation for me. They have helped me grow as a person over the years and I thank all of my teachers for helping me develop an appreciation for learning, as well as truly caring about me!”
With these phenomenal accolades and a positive attitude, Thomas is headed towards a very bright future. The faculty, staff, and students would like to congratulate Thomas Abbott for his honor and will wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors!
Doug Roach, Bishop Noll Class of 2013 Salutatorian
By Kirsten Markusic
A 4.5 GPA does not come easy but senior Douglas Roach certainly made it look that way throughout his high school career. From football to academic superbowl, hard work and determination is what it took for Doug to succeed.
“It took a fair share of late nights and long after school sessions to study in preparation for tests and thorough understanding,” Doug said.
Doug’s high academic status was ingrained in him since he first set foot in Bishop Noll. A four-year honors student and athlete, Doug’s success in and out of the classroom gave him a reputation among his classmates as a member of the “wolfpack”–a close-knit group of friends who were both honors students and powerful defensive linemen. Along with other members of the wolfpack, Thad Castro and Ryan Gordish, as well as his friends Tommy Abbott and Danny Pobereyko, Roach pushed himself to the top of the class.
One teacher that influenced him the most and attributed to his successes was Mrs. Conley, his theatre and speech teacher. Doug credits Conley for not only keeping him grounded throughout high school, but pushing him to recognize his talents and reach his ultimate success.
“She taught me so much about communication and other topics and has taught me essential life skills, Doug said. “She has been a great educator and is a true friend to me.”
But Doug’s achievements reach far beyond the communications field. In fact, an astute mathematician, Doug’s greatest facet is his skill in this field. Doug will be attending DePaul University in Chicago next year to study in the fields of mathematics and economics with a concentration in actuarial science.
“I really loved the environment at the school.,” he said. “In addition, DePaul is also close enough to my home where I could commute, [which is] a big deal to me.”
Doug is honored to have received many awards while at Bishop Noll and feels thankful to have his hard work recognized.
“Bishop Noll has been an amazing investment in my future and I would like to thank all of my teachers for their hard work, congratulate all of my fellow seniors, and I wish good luck to future Noll graduates.”