On May 23, Sacred Heart Preparatory graduated 149 students at its 121st commencement ceremony. Graduates from the Class of 2019 will attend 78 institutions: 60 students will study in California, 88 will study out of state, and one plans a gap year.

Twenty-seven will attend Catholic colleges and universities. Thirteen students earned recognition by the National Merit Scholarship program, and the class was awarded more than $12 million in merit scholarships.

Twenty-five have committed to play intercollegiate athletics. Thirty-three members of the graduating class have been on the preschool-grade 12 Sacred Heart campus for 12 or more years.

At the ceremony, diplomas were presented by Richard A. Dioli, director of schools; Jennie Whitcomb, principal; Anna McDonald, assistant principal for academic life; and Shami Ravi, chair of the board of trustees.

Following a century-old school tradition, "Blue Ribbons" were awarded to students nominated and elected by the faculty and ratified by the administration. Blue Ribbons are the highest honor given by Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, to graduating seniors, and reflect outstanding achievement in academics and standards of character in the fulfillment of one or more of the school's guiding "Goals & Criteria."

Graduates receiving a Light Blue Ribbon, for embodiment of a particular goal and its criteria, are:

• Grace Connors and Nathan Fleischli for Goal I: A personal and active faith in God.

• Matthew Heafey and Ajay Ravi for Goal II: A deep respect for intellectual values.

• Gretchen Connors and Isabelle Maennle for Goal III: A social awareness which impels to action.

• Britney Avila, Joseph Hill and Lindsey Johnston for Goal IV: The building of community as a Christian value.

• Sierra Burton and Soana Mahoni for Goal V: Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.

• Graduates Asha Agarwal, Hannah Cevasco and Rayan Rizvi each received a Dark Blue Ribbon, for embodiment of all five goals and their criteria.

For over a decade, Sacred Heart Preparatory athletics program has consecutively had 12 or more students recruited and signed to play at the intercollegiate level. The class of 2019 will send 25 athletes in 12 different sports. Of that number, more than half will compete for NCAA Division I teams.

With the Class of 2019's college choices ranging from public and private institutions large and small, with sectarian and nonsectarian among the mix, the student body shows a similar breadth of interests in their future academic goals. Students plan to pursue educational programs as wide-ranging as STEM, visual and performing arts, humanities, social studies and more.

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