We are proud to recognize Yoonji as Valedictorian, and Yoojin as Salutatorian for our Class of 2022.  Both will graduate together with their classmates on Friday, June 17th.

As graduation approaches, we asked Yoonji and Yoojin to describe their experiences at St. Andrew’s:

Valedictorian – Yoonji

Yoonji will be attending St. Francis Preparatory High School in the fall.  She is thrilled right now about graduating from St. Andrew’s. “I get to now move on to high school and start a major chapter of my life. I can’t wait to graduate, and I’m giddy from all the excitement,” she said.

Yoonji will miss most the close family-like feeling about St. Andrew’s.  Since the school is small, everyone knows each other, and there are so many memories that go along with that.  She doesn’t think that she will ever be able to experience something like this again, especially since high schools and colleges have larger numbers of students.

“My favorite memory at St. Andrew’s is running around the school auditorium with Samantha during chorus.  It is an afterschool program, and we always had some time before the program started.  During that time, Sam and I would just race down the hallways and the stage. I remember having genuine fun which makes it one of my favorite memories at St. Andrew’s.”

Thinking about the academics at St. Andrew’s, Yoonji liked how everything was taught in a manageable way.  The balance of the challenging work and simple topics all came together to provide an amazing experience. The academics at St. Andrew’s provided a lot of opportunities in learning, which she greatly loves.

She liked that the extracurricular activities at St. Andrew’s are diverse and meet the student’s desire for other activities besides school work. It allowed her to build on experiences and work with others as a team. The activities were all very helpful and gave her a boost in different skills.

Yoonji feels that she is well-prepared for high school, because St. Andrew’s was a mini simulation of it.  She was  taught to the best of her abilities, and she already has an understanding of how things will run in high school.  “I believe that if I can handle St. Andrew’s, I am definitely well-prepared for high school,” she says.

When asked about her career aspirations, Yoonji wants to become someone who can influence this world positively.  She would love to be a well-remembered figure in history.  Currently, specific careers that she has in mind are in the fashion and business fields.

Salutatorian – Yoonji

Yoonji will be attending  Archbishop Molloy School in the fall.   She feels happy and sad at the same time to be graduating from St. Andrew’s.  She is happy, because she wants to move on and experience new things, and she is excited for high school.  She also feels sad, because she will be leaving a school that she has been at for her whole life.

“I think I will miss how familiar and comforting St. Andrew’s is to me. And of course, I will miss my friends and teachers.  They have made my time at this school so much more enjoyable.”

“My favorite memory at St. Andrew’s is when we played the mannequin challenge with Ms. Cassey in third grade. We would stand in a certain pose without moving, and sometimes Ms. Cassey would take a video of the whole class posing around the classroom. But, this was just one of the many favorites I have.”

Yoojin likes that the academics at St. Andrew’s cover many different topics and challenge students.  The classes were also entertaining, so she was able to understand the lesson clearly. This motivated her to work hard, and she looked forward to classes everyday.

Reflecting on the extracurricular activities at St. Andrew’s, Yoojin liked that the extracurricular activities were fun and a break from schoolwork.  “These activities also gave me a chance to learn something new with my friends,” she said.

Yoojin feels that she is well prepared for high school thanks to St. Andrew’s.  She said “this school has pushed me to be the best I can be, the best version of myself.  I have not once doubted that St. Andrew’s would help me prepare for high school.”

In the future, Yoojin would like to be a singer and actor.  She has always loved singing and dreamed of becoming a professional singer one day. She also finds criminology very interesting, and feels that being a psychologist could be an equally significant aspiration. 

Our warmest congratulations to Yoonji and Yoojin! We wish you both and the Class of 2022 good luck in high school and beyond!

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” 

~ St. Catherine of Siena