Pinecrest Academy Celebrates Eleventh Graduating Class

Seventy-three members of Pinecrest Academy’s Class of 2017 turned their tassels and walked through the "Semper Altius" arches - the traditional rite of passage for new graduates - on May 20, 2017. Claudia Szlek and Matthew Bernet were Valedictorians for the Class of 2017, and Dani Madda and Joe Meersman were Salutatorians.

This year’s Integer Award recipients were Mary Margaret Metz and Joe Meersman, who delivered moving speeches about their many years at Pinecrest Academy. The Integer Award is the highest honor a graduating senior can receive, and this award recognizes one young man and one young lady who have each consistently demonstrated exceptional characteristics of leadership and apostleship, assimilating the highest ideals of all four areas of educational development – intellectual, human, spiritual and apostolic.

Other awards representing Pinecrest’s educational pillars of formation were presented to the following students:

Athletic Award - Claudia Szlek and Jack Binkley

Leadership Award - Danielle Madda and Dominic Piron

Apostleship Award - Lilia Starnes and Andrew Mathias

Additional awards presented to the graduating seniors included:

AJC Cup Award – John Paul Hoover

Florence Nightingale Scholarship Award – Maggie Pfiel

Headmaster’s Award – Ian Stewart

The Class of 2017 will leave its mark at Pinecrest Academy, Forsyth County, and beyond, with a multitude of accomplishments. Over 150 honor cords, recognizing contributions and membership in numerous organizations, were worn at Graduation.

This class took nearly 300 Advanced Placement courses over four years, and leaves for college with 36 Zell Miller Scholarships, 30 Hope Scholarships and $5 million in scholarship dollars from 82 colleges and universities.

Two of Pinecrest’s graduates came into the Catholic Church this year, and 45 embarked on the annual Mission Trip to Nicaragua. Many served in charitable mission work during Holy Week and other occasions during their high school years, and four graduates will be serving the Church with a missionary year before college. A young man from the Class of 2017, Andrew Mathias, is discerning the priesthood.

This past year, Pinecrest’s Varsity Baseball, Boys and Girls Soccer, Girls Lacrosse, Football, and Volleyball teams all went as far as, or farther than, any Pinecrest athletic team has gone before in the GHSA playoffs. And, individually, members of the Class of 2017 earned 24 All-Region, 34 All-County, 16 All-Area, and eight All-State Awards.

Eight new graduates will be playing sports in college – a record number in one academic year – and one member, Ryan McCarthy, may be selected in the MLB draft.

Many graduating seniors were members of the Band, which received Gold Awards with Straight Superior Ratings in competitions for two straight years, and one member of the Class of 2017 was a Golden Key Winner at the Scholastic Art Competition.

Seven art students were selected to participate in the Vans Custom Culture High School Art Competition, and 40 artistic works created by members of the 2017 Pinecrest graduating class were selected to be showcased at the Archdiocesan Art Show.

The Class of 2017 leaves Pinecrest Academy well equipped to go out make a mark on the world, fulfilling the mission of the school, to form Christian leaders who will transform society.

Pinecrest Academy is a PreK3-12th grade college preparatory Catholic school, serving Forsyth County, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton, Suwanee, Duluth, and surrounding communities in the North Atlanta area. Located at 955 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, GA 30041, Pinecrest welcomes families of all faiths and offers tours of the 68-acre campus. To learn more, visit the website or call 770-888-4477.