National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine

Yesenia Bucio `10 has been accepted into the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at Emory University. This July, Yesenia will be introduced to all aspects of the medical field along with other outstanding students from across the country.

According to the Forum's web site, "since 1993, this 10-day forum has introduced students to professionals from some of the nation’s top medical centers and faculty from renowned institutions of learning. Currently, NYLF/MED takes place in the following key cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

With close cooperation from many prestigious and technologically-advanced hospitals, research facilities and medical schools, NYLF/MED enables students through its interactive format to explore a broad range of topics including educational requirements, career options, clinical practice and complex ethical and legal issues facing the medical profession today. Students also get firsthand accounts of what life is like as a resident, discuss global epidemics, cures for life-threatening diseases, medical specialties and primary care with current physicians and patients."
Congratulations, Yesenia!

Scholarship news for outstanding students!

Two members of the Saint Martin Class of 2009 recently received incredible scholarship news:

Lyla Wakut has received a four-year full scholarship from Loyola University Chicago. Congratulations, Lyla!!!

Elena Sanchez learned last week that she will receive over $49,000 in renewable non-repayable grants and scholarships for her Oberlin College education. Very well done, Elena!!!

The entire Saint Martin community is proud of Lyla and Elena and the Class of 2009.

First Boston College Acceptance!

The Saint Martin de Porres High School community recently received word that senior Una Ilisinovic has been accepted to Boston College. According to the BC website, "for the Class of 2012, there were over 30,000 applications for 2,250 places in the four undergraduate divisions." Congratulations to Una on this tremendous accomplishment!

We have much to be thankful for at Saint Martin!

We have not blogged for a few weeks and lots of great things have happened during that time!

• Senior Renee Makupson received the Morrill Multi-cultural Scholarship from The Ohio State University. This scholarship will cover FOUR YEAR'S TUITION. Congratulations to Renee!

• Five of our young women were recently selected to receive the Thea Award sponsored by the Diocesan Office of African American Ministry. These students are:
  
  Samantha King
  Chelsea Murray
  Sunni Wenson
  Tyler Hughley
  Ariel Powell
  
  Below are the criteria used for selecting recipients for this award as well as a short biography of Sr. Thea Bowman, for whom the award is named.
  
  Criteria: The “Thea” Award will be given to women in the African American Community who have provided strong and effective leadership and service. Award recipients foster educational opportunities, demonstrate strong personal faith and compassion for others, and have an intense interest in encouraging Black Catholic identity. They continue to dedicate their time and talents to evangelization efforts in the African American community and are concerned with and sensitive to the social teachings of the Church.
  
  Biography: Sister Thea Bowman, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, lived life with hope, love and justice for all people. A tireless advocate, Sister Thea always educated and preached about the need to break down racial and cultural barriers. Her spirited presentations combined singing, gospel preaching, along with prayer and story telling, inspired all to live deeply the Christian values of justice and peace. Through her teaching, she was described as a “soul liberator, a mind liberator”. Thea also used music as an important part of her ministry. Sr. Thea died on March 30, 1990 of cancer.

• Junior LaDonna Duncan has been accepted to the Stephanie Tubbs Jones’ Summer Legal Academy. This program will take place on the campus of Case Western Reserve University and is sponsored by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

• Sophomore Angel Caban-Alvarez was accepted to the Learning About Business summer program at Lake Erie College.

Recent College Acceptances

Please follow this link to see an updated listing of all the colleges and universities Saint Martin students have been accepted to over the last two years. Our community is proud of all the members of the Classes of 2008 and 2009!

We are particularly excited about seven of our students who are the first from Saint Martin to be accepted to Marquette University, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio State University, Otterbein College, St. Louis University, Spelman College, and Spring Hill College.

• Una Ilisinovic is accepted to Marquette
• Mariah Watts is accepted to Ohio Dominican
• Renee Makupson is our first student accepted to Ohio State
• Kylie Kelly is accepted to Otterbein College
• JJ Simms is our first student accepted to St. Louis University
• Sunni Wenson is our first acceptance to Spelman
• Abby Mrozek is accepted to Spring Hill

Overall, 67 pecent of our seniors have been accepted to at least one college or university as of 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 22. Congratulations, members of the Class of 2009!!!

More great news to come...

Scholastic Art Awards - Congratulations Shantasia Creer

Congratulations to Saint Martin sophomore Shantasia Creer for winning a Silver Key Award in the regional Scholastic Art Awards! She and other regional high school artists will be honored at an awards ceremony Jan.18. The Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition is open January 18 –February 1 at the Cleveland Institute of Art (Reinberger Galleries). Gallery Hours are 10am-6pm Tues.-Sat., and 12pm-6pm Sundays, Closed Mondays.

The affect that college students can have on the community

Yesterday we were blessed to have 15 of our alumni visit Saint Martin. It was great to catch up with all of them and hear how well they were doing at schools such as Akron, John Carroll, Kent State, Morehouse, and Ohio U!

We also had seven eighth grade students visiting Saint Martin yesterday. One of these young people met an alumnus of ours, Christian. Christian (Chris) is a Saint Martin graduate, Class of 2008, and a first year student at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The young visitor saw Chris and asked him if he was a professional athlete. Chris's response was outstanding: “My profession is academics.”

Christian went on to tell the young man that he should not choose Saint Martin, or any other high school, for its sports program. Chris told the young man that he should choose Saint Martin for overall guidance, college counseling, and because the culture of the school calls students to strive to be their best. Chris said the idea of attending college was hammered into him daily at Saint Martin and the more he heard it, the more it became his focus and goal. Chris proudly stated, “Today, I’m at the college that I wanted to attend. I’m at Morehouse."

How many other young people has Christian impacted in a similar way? Our other alums? This is how urban America will be transformed!!!

Leadership Cleveland Visit

On Thursday, December 11, Saint Martin had the honor of welcoming Leadership Cleveland, a civic program designed to give present and future leaders a broader understanding of how our city works. These civic leaders also visited several other schools Thursday. This reflects our strong belief that the business community can and should partner with innovative schools to provide opportunity for the young men and women of Cleveland.

Duane Bishop, Forest City Enterprises
Kim Bixenstine, University Hospitals Health System
Mitch Blair, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
Perry Braun, Medical Mutual
Matthew Embrescia, Second Generation Ltd.
Johnathan Holifield, Cleveland Urban League
Rob Huxtable, Socius Executive Search
Tom Kedrowski, PolyOne
Bobbie Laurie, Visiting Nurse Association
Joseph Mattioli, Ritz-Carlton Cleveland
Bob Niehoff, SJ, John Carroll University
Lisa Oliver, Key Bank
John Osberg, US Bank
Mike Petrone, Plan C Publishing
Radhika Reddy, Ariel Ventures LLC
Debra Adams Simmons, The Plain Dealer
Keith Sutton, Sutton Builders
Paul Voinovich, Vocon, Inc.

Urban Education Revolution

Rich Clark, founding president of Saint Martin de Porres High School in Cleveland, has created a blog to help him think through the challenge of urban education and to participate in a larger discussion on this vitally important topic. Click the "Urban Education Revolution" link to become a part of this discussion!

Oberlin College Acceptance!

Our school community just got word that Elena Sanchez was accepted to Oberlin College. Congratulations, Elena!

Galatians 5:22-23 Advent Devotional

Advent Devotional for Monday, December 15, 2008

Week 3: JOY

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5: 22-23

It can be so difficult to find joy in this season of joy. Everyone is telling you to be merry, to be happy, and sometimes that’s just too hard. I was 13 the first year I realized I had no Christmas spirit. Sometimes watching a particular Christmas special on TV would do it, but even that didn’t work this time. I was in such a funk. I didn’t know what to do. The more I thought about it, the worse it got.

Since then, I have found the perfect remedy for this pathetic winter disease! The cure was handed to me by a dear neighbor. Mrs. Gregg organized a caroling party. She gathered us all at her house and we went up and down the street stopping to sing at each house. (We were even careful to sing “Jingle Bells” at the home of our only Jewish neighbors.) Then we went back to the Greggs’ house for red velvet cake and cookies and cocoa. I felt so much better! My problem was paying too much attention to me, to my feelings. I needed to think about what I could do to bring Christmas to someone else.

And then there was the hard part: taking that home. But somehow it was easier to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, gentle and in control of myself after spending the evening with my neighbors, reaching out to them with joy.

Lord, help me to remember that this is your party and I am an invited guest. Help me to remember to reach out in joy to these others you also love. Remind me that joy is a beautiful virus that needs to be spread far and wide!

By Ann Klonowski, Theology Teacher

Colleges and Universities

Follow the above "Colleges and Universities" link to see a list of the schools which have accepted Saint Martin students over the last two years.

College Acceptances!!!

Thirty-six members of the Class of 2009 have already been accepted into at least one college or university:

Alejandra Arteaga
Teaire Baker-Harrison
Stephanie Barnes
Brianna Buckhalter
Leaha Clemence
Brittany Cuevas
Isabel DeRoberts
Sabrina Jackson
April Frazier
Ricky Henry
Tyler Hughley
Una Ilisinovic
Sh'Nae Johnson
Kylie Kelly
Bianca King
Paula Kurtz
Jasmyne Lewis
Charlene Marshall
Nicole Mazzola
Santino Montanez
Chelsea Murray
Lucretia Payne
Deja Pearson
Aaron Reynolds
Kevhonna Roberts
Stephanie Rodriguez
Jalicia Ruffin
Adele Schumann
Jamil Shelton
Jjay Sims
Christina Smith
Devonte Smith
Valentine Volk
Lyla Wakut
Sunni Wenson
Tim Young

Forty-three more names will be added to this list by June 2009! Congratulations!

Charles R. Drew Saturday Academy at The Cleveland Clinic

Congratulations to Saint Martin students Shirley Jordan, Heiry Perez, Charlene Williams, and Tiana Wilson on their acceptance into the Charles R. Drew Saturday Academy at The Cleveland Clinic. This selective program is intended to help talented African American and Latino high school students prepare for the future practice of medicine.