Welcome! To Our Newest National Honor Society Members
Barb Dawson • October 25, 2023

Forty-six scholars inducted this fall!

Montini Catholic's National Honor Society (St. Pope Paul VI Chapter) proudly inducted forty-six (46) new members on Tuesday, October 24th at the Lasallian college preparatory high school's NHS Induction Ceremony for the 2023-24 school year.


Principal Chris Tiritilli, Assistant Principal Sara Lhotka and NHS moderators Michael Dailey and Charlie Scott, were in attendance to congratulate the honored students. Returning NHS members joined the inductees to celebrate the newest members and to renew their own commitments to the goals of the National Honor Society. Seniors were also presented with special NHS stoles to wear at graduation in May.


Thirty-three percent (33%) of Montini Catholic's junior and senior class are members of this prestigious academic community.


Montini Catholic National Honor Society members are the leaders of their class and represent the very qualities the society is built on - Character, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service.  Members are responsible for organizing and enlisting school participation in various events during the school year including the school's Golden Gobbler Thanksgiving Food Drive in November, their Adopt-A-Family Christmas Drive in December and the annual Blood Drive for Vitalant, held in January. 


NHS officers led inductees in the Ceremony of Light and Pillars which explained the four pillars of success which are the basis for which Montini's chapter was founded upon and the characteristics that each member strives to emulate in their everyday lives. 


The minimum requirement for membership in the Montini Catholic High School chapter of the NHS is a 3.75 cumulative GPA at the end of their sophomore year. All students achieving a 4.0 GPA at the end of their sophomore (or junior) year receive the opportunity to petition for membership in NHS. When applying, students are asked to detail their qualifications in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. Students meeting all the requirements are then invited to become members in the NHS in the fall of their junior or senior year.

Once accepted into the NHS, students are required to maintain high scholastic standards, act as true leaders of the school and perform ten hours of community service each year (in addition to the service hours required for graduation (40).

Congratulations to Montini Catholic's NHS 2023-24 Inductees:


Ryan Andres (Bartlett/Kenyon Woods Middle School graduate)
Payton Atkins (Downers Grove/St. Scholastica graduate)
Liliana Aumann (Bolingbrook/St. Dominic School graduate)
John Barrett (Villa Park/St. Pius X graduate)
Annika Bartell (Downers Grove/Forest Park Middle School graduate)
Maria Bednarczyk (Lombard/Sacred Heart graduate)
Joshua Brunke (Lombard/Sacred Heart graduate)
Hannah Bushati (Downers Grove/St. Joseph School graduate)
Gaetano Carbonara (Downers Grove/St. Isaac Jogues graduate)
Dominic Catalano (Lombard/Glenn Westlake School graduate)
Liliana Cruz (Elmhurst/Immaculate Conception graduate)
Julian D’Anca (Wheaton/St. Michael School graduate)
Annalee DeFeo (Lombard/St. Pius X graduate)
Mia Egan (Lombard/St. Scholastica graduate)
Mason Esquivel (Bolingbrook/St. Scholastica graduate)
Isabel Evenson (Villa Park/St. Pius X graduate)
Peyton Farrell (Downers Grove/St. Mary of Gostyn graduate)
James Fitzpatrick (Lombard/Sacred Heart graduate)
Julia Gergen (Lombard/St. Pius X graduate)
Naomy Gonzalez (Wayne/Indian Trail Junior High graduate)
Jaxon Gorny-Lane (Carol Stream/Monroe Middle School graduate)
Isabella Greco (Oak Brook/Butler Junior High graduate)
Ja’niyah Hall (Hanover Park/Eastview Middle School)
Sean Hubeny (Westmont/St. Mary of Gostyn graduate)
Isabella Jaojoco (Bolingbrook/St. Scholastica graduate)
Conor Kaefer (Lombard/Sacred Heart graduate)
Audrey Kinney (Glen Ellyn/St. Petronille graduate)
MaryKate Lewan (Naperville/St. Juliana School graduate)
Ruikun (Ray) Li (Oak Brook/St. John of the Cross graduate)
Victoria Matulevicius (Willowbrook/Burr Ridge Middle School graduate)
Zander Montgomery (Lombard/Glenn Westlake Middle School graduate)
Margaret Nielsen (Lombard/Sacred Heart graduate)
Seoyeon (Yeon) Park (Lombard/International student)
Dhruvkumar Patel (Bolingbrook/St. Dominic graduate)
Wyatt Prater (Naperville/Jefferson Jr. High graduate)
Nicholas Sheeran (Downers Grove/Herrick Middle School graduate)
Daniel Sherman (Bolingbrook/St. Scholastica graduate)
Matthew Silveyra (Carol Stream/St. Isidore graduate)
Sienna Skarda (Elmhurst/Immaculate Conception graduate)
Roberto Soto (Addison/Indian Trail graduate)
Lily Spanos (Glen Ellyn/St. Petronille graduate)
Hayden Surrette (Downers Grove/Herrick Middle School graduate)
Sierra Urban (Westchester/Westchester Middle School graduate)
Igor Vitale (Downers Grove/Ascension Catholic School graduate)
Collins Whitfield (Downers Grove/St. Joseph School graduate)
Christopher Zayed (Lombard/Glenn Westlake Middle School graduate)


"I am so proud of each of our National Honor Society members," said Principal Tiritilli. "I enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate their continual hard work and efforts to maintain high academic marks while also serving as an engaged and active member of the student body. I am confident that all of these students are already on the path to transforming our school, community and world, and so pleased that they are beginning their leadership journey here at Montini Catholic High School."


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Freshmen Welcomed at First Step Social

By Barb Dawson • June 19, 2025
New friends were made and high school anxieties calmed on Thursday, 12th at Montini Catholic High School's First Step Social welcoming their Class of 2029. Montini Catholic's First Step Social is the first opportunity for Montini's newest freshmen to begin building class spirit and to get to know their fellow classmates and future friends. The informal event, facilitated by the school's Admissions team, included several small group games, led by members of Montini's Peer Ministry Team, intended to break the ice and get freshmen excited about their high school years. Parents were also invited to attend and gathered in a separate location in order to meet up with current parent ambassadors, ask questions and gain more insight in preparation for the next four years. Students and parents were treated to burgers and hotdogs via Tailgate Caterers in Lombard. "It was very exciting to have so many new Broncos and their parents on Montini Catholic's campus for our First Step Social," said Admissions Coordinator Sara McGady. "The goal of this event is to provide our new freshmen with a sense of familiarity when they walk through our doors again in August. We also wanted to give our new parents a chance to ask questions and meet fellow parents as they start their new journey as high school parents."

Legacy Seniors Honored at Celebration of Excellence Ceremony

By Barb Dawson • June 19, 2025
Montini Catholic was proud to honor fifteen special seniors on May 16th at the Lasallian college preparatory high school's Celebration of Excellence Awards ceremony. The group represents what Montini Catholic endearingly defines as their graduating "Legacy Students" - students of alumni parents who also graduated from Montini Catholic. This year fifty-two 52 total students of alumni are carrying on their parents' legacies at Montini Catholic, a number that represents close to 10% of Montini's total student body. Each year senior legacy students are called up on stage to receive a special stole to be worn at graduation. Alumni parents are also invited to take a special portrait with their senior as a keepsake on graduation day. "We are always honored when our alumni return as Montini parents to continue our Bronco legacy," said Alumni Relations Officer William Dawes '13. "When you are at Montini Catholic, you are family, which is one of the main reasons parents choose Montini. An education at Montini is a unique experience and we love to see our legacy grow with each passing year." Montini Catholic's 2024-25 Legacy Seniors (alumni parent(s) under students' names): Katelyn (Kat) Bell ‘25 Jackson Bell ‘27 Patrick Bell ‘96 Peter Considine ‘25 Michael Considine ‘86 Annalee DeFeo ‘25 Laura (LaMontagna) DeFeo ’93 & Michael DeFeo ‘93 Nolan Ferris ‘25 Shannon (O’Connor) Ferris ‘93 James Fitzpatrick ‘25 Michael Fitzpatrick ‘88 Zoe Gangas ‘25 Nick Gangas ‘81 Sean Hubeny ‘25 Katie (Doll) Hubeny ’96 & James Hubeny ‘96 Nick Irion ‘25 and Vince Irion ‘25 Dave Irion ‘88 Vincent Knudtson ‘25 Lia (Badalamenti) Knudtson ‘89 Jamie Loftus ‘25 Christina (Connelly) Loftus ‘86 Margaret Nielsen ‘25 Maureen (O’Neill) Nielsen ‘87 Ava Sebben ‘25 Patricia (Gary) Sebben ‘90 Lily Spanos ‘25 Shannon (Herold) Spanos ‘99 Collins Whitfield ‘25 Katherine (Janko) Whitfield ‘00 Collins Whitfield ‘00 Image above: Front l to r: Lily Spanos, Ava Sebben, Margaret Nielsen, Jamie Loftus, Sean Hubeny, Zoe Gangas, Nolan Ferris, Annalee DeFeo and Kat Bell; Back row l to r: Collins Whitfield, Vincent Knudtson, Vince Irion, Nick Irion, Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Peter Considine;

Julia Gergen Earns the 2025 Jean Diane Colletti Memorial Scholarship

By Barb Dawson • June 13, 2025
Montini Catholic congratulates senior Julia Gergen on being this year's recipient of the Jean Diane Colletti Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is one of several that have been named and endowed by Montini Catholic alumni, parents and friends in order to provide financial assistance to graduates pursuing higher learning in college. The award was announced at the Lasallian college preparatory high school's annual Academic Awards Banquet (May 1st) this spring by Dr. Vince Colletti DDS '05 (son of Jean Diane Colletti) Julia was honored again on May 16th at Montini's Celebration of Excellence Award ceremony in front of the entire student body. Julia has been a very academically accomplished student throughout their four years at Montini Catholic. In May she received the President's Award for Academic Excellence, she is an Illinois State Scholar and a College Board Advanced Placement Scholar. Julia was also a member of Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society as well as Montini's National Honor Society where she served as Secretary her senior year. She enjoyed her time as a member of Montini's Math Team, and celebrated their 6th Place State finish this year. Julia also valued her experience gained from serving her fellow students as a Peer Minister through Montini's Campus Ministry program. Athletically, Julia was a valued member of Montini's Track & Field Team and celebrated securing school records her junior year in the 4x100m and 4x200m races. "Julia has been an outstanding student," said Principal Chris Tiritilli. "Her academic and athletic career here at Montini has been quite extensive and impressive. She is never seen without a smile on her face, she has been a role model to her fellow students. She truly deserves this recognition and we know she will do great things at Notre Dame!" Julia, a St. Pius X Parish School alum, and a member of St. Pius X Parish. She plans on majoring in Biological Sciences on a Pre-Med Track at the University of Notre Dame in the fall. Above: Julia Gergen '25 and Dr. Vince Colletti DDS '05 at Montini Catholic's Academic Awards Night on May 1st.
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