St. Bede Academy announces first semester honor roll

Melissa Bosnich, principal of St. Bede Academy in Peru, has announced St. Bede’s honor roll for the first semester of the 2024-25 school year.

Freshmen - Hope Antkowiak, Maks Baker, Landon Balestri, Alicia Barreras, Jackson Bogatitus, Gabriel Bunch, Isabella Camacho, Ty Carls, Tzu-Tao Chang, Kylie Coons, Ayla Coventry, Jameson Daley, David De La Torre, Nicholas Del Pilar, Olivia DePue, Sadie Dugosh, Quinn Entrican, Luke Fess, Bear Fitzpatrick, Gavin Fivek, Hannah Fritz, Leah Griggs, Haozhe Guo, Yitong Han, Nicolette Hanck, Mason Haskell, Connor Holly, Jieming Huang, Yizhe Huang, Jacob Inman, Areesah Joop, Payden Kelly, Sadie Leffelman, Kijah Lucas, Jyzel Martin, Gaby Martinez, Parker McClain, Valeria Mendez, Morgan Mercer, Johnathan Michael,  Yoltzin Morales Sanchez, Max Moreno, Teagan Mullane, Maksymilian Niedzwiedz, Lien Phan, Allyn Phillips, Brock Pikul, Nelle Potthoff, Olivia Raef, Addison Raffety, Graham Ross, Finley Rue, Mary Simonetta, Rayna Skinner, Elsie Soliman, Josephine Trujillo, Elida Untz, Preston Vasquez, Hanna Waszkowiak, Yitong Xue and Ryan Zusefin.

Sophomores - Faith Ankiewicz, Yesenia Avila, Demian Baker, Caleb Barto, Chloe Brandt, Sean Brayton, Brody Burris, Calen Cass, Geno Dinges, Kate Duncan, Jaylynne Finley, Kyra Finley, Grace Gahan, Eden Galvan, Daniel Garcia, Cecilia Giacalone, Raudel Hermosillo Jr., Brennen Hirst, Emma Huffaker, Yejun Jang, Lila Koehler, Ella Lamboley, Chenxuan Lin, Landon Marquez, Lucy Maus, Emma Mavity, Stuart McGunnigal, Stephanie Ni, Niko Pappas-Anniballi, Chase Riva, Olivia Ross, Ranbir Saini, Alaina Schulz, Ishvir Singh, Mackenzie Stanbary, Bryce Stuepfert, Alexandrew Tillman, Alec Tomsha, Judith Torres, Maleigha Trench, Ariana Villava and Kerstin Williams.

Juniors - Margaret Arkins, Alp Arslan, Ava Balestri, Genavyve Barnes, Landon Boggio, Lily Bosnich, Noah Buck, August Burr, Drew Carboni, Caden Carls, Chuanyang Chen, Anna Cyrocki, Emerald De La Torre, Jose De La Torre, Simona Desai, Haoxuan Du, Madeline Fabish, Gino Ferrari, Harrison Fess, Christopher Gedraitis, Ashton Gonzales, Mae Hagenbuch, Brody Hahn, Weston Heersink, Aiden Hermes, Zachary Husser, Isaac Kang, Bokyung Kim, Wanyu Liu, Breanna Martinez, Lili McClain, Ruby Michels, Ella Mudge, Thanh Nguyen, Sophia Ni, Jillian Pinter, Trajan Raffety, Xiangyi Ren, Carson Riva, Chipper Rossi, Sara Ruiz, Alyssa Savitch, Emma Slingsby, Lillian Soliman, Ryan Soliman, Shujie Song, William Sramek, Devin Steil, Miranda Torres, Julian Villava, Peiwen Wu, Xindi Wu, Hongsheng Yang, Ayla Yeske, Yannis Yong, Kian Zeller, Ruihan Zhang and Yijing Zhang.

Seniors - Teer Ao, Haiden Ator, Andrea Brandner, Adriana Buchanan, Qiyu Chen, Ziheng Chen, Garrett Connelly, Jordan Coventry, Trayger Davis, Alondra Delao, Lorelei Denny, Madalyn Dittmar, Ashlyn Ehm, Bailey Engels, Yibo Fan, Grady Gillan, Phillip Gray, Mirella Haskell, Halden Hueneburg, Elizabeth Huffaker, Kathleen Hunter, Tyler Jordan, Yuno Kawai, Maci Kelly, Sadie Koehler, Jaxon Kozak, Lin Le, Violet Lopez, Haohongze Ma, Haiqing Mao, Gavin Marquez, Jack Maschmann, Quinn McClain, Victoria Mendez, Jake Migliorini, Grace Millington, Adeline Mitchell, Mason Moreno, Aidan Mullane, Kaden Nauman, Ryan Nawa, Alivia Payne, Logan Pineda, Mason Ross, Analia Salas, Emma Smudzinski, Zixuan Song, Alan Spencer, Nhi Ton, Mina Trandinh, Arthur van den Berg, Samantha Wagner, Tyler Walsh, Abraham Wiesbrock, Kefei Wu, Solomon Zhang and Jinhao Zhao.

From the Chaplain's Office: Teaching Courtesy & Gratitude

This year, the chaplain’s office is emphasizing “Courtesy, Accountability and Reverence,” which ties in beautifully with the religion department’s annual exercise in gratitude. Each year, students in every religion class are issued greeting cards, notepaper and envelopes in order to write thank you notes: one for a teacher, one for a coach or moderator of a club, and one for a member of the administration or support staff.

“As a society we could do a better job at traditional practices of courtesy,” says Academy Chaplain Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB, “and this is one way we can train our students to express gratitude in a formal but sincere way.”

Fr. Dominic began this practice with his own religion classes some years ago, but for the past few years has expanded it to the whole school. Students were allowed to choose the recipients of their notes, and many chose to write to more than one teacher or coach, or to write to parents or to grandparents as well. Many members of faculty and staff expressed how meaningful it is to receive these notes of gratitude.

Civics teacher Mrs. Manning expressed it this way: “We encourage the writing process with our students so they understand the importance of expressing ideas, and we use our words to show respect to them as an example of how others want to be treated. We use hundreds, if not thousands, of words daily yet not all of them have the same impact. I received some notes, and the time students took to write the message, however short or long, meant more than they will ever know. I hope they, in turn, realize the impact they have on me.”  

With the upcoming season of gift giving, Academy parents might extend the lesson beyond the classroom and encourage their children to write and send thank you notes in the days after Christmas.

Saint Bede hosts 7th graders for NET Day

One of the most enduring and beloved facets of the Illinois Valley community is its pronounced commitment to Catholic education, from preschool through high school graduation. On Dec. 3, seventh graders from Holy Family, Peru Catholic and Trinity Catholic Academy gathered in the Abbey Church for a day with NET Ministries.

The students participated in a day centered around Christ in the Eucharist and how to recognize God all around us. Saint Bede students participate in these day-long retreats each year, and this year we had the chance to partner with our fellow Catholic schools to share the experience. The NET Ministry team hosts small group discussions, relatable skits and activities and even partnered with Saint Bede’s Student Chaplain, Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB, and Fr. Paul Carlson of Holy Family to host Adoration for students. From top to bottom, this retreat gave students a chance to grow in their faith in the same way Saint Bede students do each year.

“In talking about shared goals with principals and priests at other Catholic schools, our focus is to find ways to build alongside each other academically, spiritually and as a community. Hosting a NET day for seventh graders gives them a chance to learn about their faith in an accessible way, meet others in a Catholic school setting and find commonality with their peers”, said Director of Enrollment Management Jon Steben.

Want to learn more about Christian formation at Saint Bede? Reach out today to speak with Student Chaplain Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB!

Matt McGinnis '85 inducted into Abbot's Society

Matt McGinnis, Saint Bede Academy Class of 1985, was inducted into Saint Bede’s Abbot’s Society during a ceremony and gathering on Sunday, Nov. 24, in the Perino Science Center.

Matt exemplifies the Spirit of Saint Bede through his remarkable leadership, heartfelt generosity and unwavering dedication to his alma mater.

Matt’s connection to Saint Bede runs deep, rooted in a proud family tradition of alumni. His parents, Philip and Joan, instilled in him a profound appreciation for the value of Catholic education and the importance of giving back.

Matt began his career at Maze Nails before joining American Express in Minneapolis. It was there that he met his wife, Erica, and together they started a family. Their careers with American Express took them to Arizona, where he worked as Vice President in Technology. After retiring to support his wife’s career and spend more time with their family, Matt found himself reflecting on ways to give back. He wanted to teach his children the importance of serving the people and places that matter most.

It was at that time the opportunity to spearhead Saint Bede’s Legacy Campaign came into sight. Knowing the business skills, he had gained working at American Express could help the campaign, he jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t an easy task - Matt worked to rekindle relationships with donors, restore their trust in Saint Bede, and inspire them to believe in the Academy’s vision following a previous campaign that did not end in construction. Through countless conversations and a shared sense of purpose, he motivated others to dig deep and make a transformational impact. He successfully raised over $6 million to fund the construction the Perino Science Center. We are honored today to be inducting him into our Abbot’s Society here in this very center.

The construction of the Perino Science Center was a pivotal moment for Saint Bede. Donors could see firsthand that it was capable of achieving ambitious goals, which reignited a sense of confidence and pride in the community. The success of this project spurred further renovations, including the refurbishment of the Academy’s first and second floors.

In addition to the Legacy Project, Matt’s creativity and enthusiasm led to the founding of BruinsJam in 2017. After countless calls, meetings, and conversations with alumni, Matt realized the wealth of musical talent among Saint Bede graduates. He envisioned an event where alumni, parents and students could remain on campus to celebrate reunions. Bands could gather and perform during the event, creating a vibrant, multigenerational celebration of community and fellowship. Since its inception, BruinsJam has grown each year and has become a cherished tradition, bringing alumni together to reconnect and celebrate their shared bond with Saint Bede.

Matt’s long-standing contributions also include years of service on the Alumni Association Board, and he has continued to bring innovative ideas, energy, and support to the Development Department. Whether selling raffle tickets or brainstorming new initiatives, his dedication to Saint Bede remains steadfast.

Matt McGinnis is a shining example of leadership, service, and faith. His work has not only transformed the Saint Bede community but has also inspired others to use their time and talents to make a difference. His legacy is one of vision, generosity and a deep commitment to ensuring the future of Saint Bede Academy.

New gymnasium restrooms are now open

Saint Bede is thrilled to announce the completion of the new ADA-compliant restrooms in the Abbot Vincent Gymnasium.

This marks an exciting milestone in Saint Bede’s ongoing commitment to improving its athletic facilities. Next time you’re on campus, we invite you to check them out!

On Thursday, Oct. 24, this accomplishment was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In attendance were student-athletes, Athletic Director Mike Armato, Project Contractors Mike Diaz of Vissering Construction and James Brady of JB Contracting, St. Bede Site Supervisor Ron Barnes, Auction & Special Events Coordinator Bonnie Prokup and representatives from the organizations whose generous contributions helped bring this project to life.

This project would not have been possible without the incredible support and belief of the Bruin community in the 2024 Auction Fund-A-Need generating $178K. Saint Bede extends its deepest gratitude to The Bedan Club and the Miller Group Charitable Trust for their generous lead contributions. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to the Class of 1974, who chose to honor their Golden Bedan reunion by supporting this project with an added $34K as their class gift.

BECAUSE OF YOU we made this vision a reality!