The Marquette University High School Grad at Grad Awards ceremony is a tradition that recognizes graduating seniors who embody the ideals of the Jesuit education: Intellectually Excellent, Religious, Loving, Open to Growth and Committed to Justice. 

The 2024 awardees have exemplified these qualities through their dedication, leadership and service. This year, we celebrate the following exceptional achievements at our annual Grad at Grad ceremony on May 15, 2024.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian
The Class of 2024 Valedictorian, George Ubell, and Salutatorians, Vuk Jovanovic and Jack Eisenbrown, were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements, epitomizing intellectual excellence.

National Merit Finalists
National Merit Finalists include Noah Berger, Jack Eisenbrown, Vuk Jovanovic, Zachary Nagel, August Neumann, Abram Packee, Cameron Pajot, Ronak Patel, Bryce Roder, Kolbe Schlosser, George Ubell and Jonah Watkins. 

Recognition for this achievement is based on a student's performance on the PSAT exam. These students rank among the best in the nation, with their PSAT exam scores representing less than 1% of United States high school seniors. 

Grad at Grad Categories 
Seniors who best exemplify the Grad at Grad qualities were recognized, as nominated by both the faculty and the senior class. This year, there were an exceptional number of members of the Class of 2024 who were nominated, a testament to this class’ embracing of these most important qualities.  

The Award for the Grad at Grad quality of Religious goes to Michael Milbrath. With this award the faculty and senior class recognize Michael’s example of putting his faith into action and actively developing his personal relationship with God through both prayer and service. “Michael's faith is rich and strong,” stated one nomination. “It is in all decisions he makes including the college search, which classes to take and which activities to participate in. He participates in all of the sacraments regularly. Michael humbly goes out of his way to honor God.” 

The Award for Loving is given to Ben Anggara. Faculty and seniors recognize Ben’s empathy, compassion, and care for others as demonstrated through his active listening and support of others. He has modeled St. Ignatius’s words that love is shown through deeds more than words. “Ben is very giving of his time and energy,” stated one nomination. “He does not weigh the cost of giving himself to others in the ways that he serves the MUHS brotherhood through leadership roles in school, sports and service. He is a very empathetic and supporting friend.”

The Award for being Open to Growth is given to Jack Taschler. The Senior class and faculty celebrate Jack’s willingness to undertake new experiences and his ability to learn and grow from every challenge, as he develops into the person God created him to be. “When I first met Jack, he was a quieter guy,” stated one nomination. “As the years have gone on, Jack has continued to be involved in the school community, trying new things such as rugby, being a freshman retreat leader and big brother. Jack has always been open to new things, even though they might be difficult for him. Today, Jack is one of the most well liked and respected people in our class.” 

The Award for Committed to Justice goes to Jack Eisenbrown. Seniors and faculty celebrate Jack’s respect and compassion for all people and his desire to use his gifts and talents to learn about and work toward a more just world through dignity of the human person, care for God’s creation, the common good solidarity, and the pursuit of peace. “Jack is always involved in activities in promoting justice throughout the school, from being president of MESA (Marquette Empowerment Student Alliance) to being at the center of organizations that help serve in our community,” stated one nomination. 

Jesuit Schools Network Award Finalists
Every year, the schools in the Jesuit Schools Network award a senior who most represents the ideals of a graduate at graduation. This is the highest honor the schools bestow. The finalists this year are Mason Brewer, Peter McDevitt, Bryce Roder and Sam McGown. The senior selected for this honor will be announced at the graduation ceremony on May 25.

Nominations from faculty noted that the following characteristics stood out about these students: 

Mason Brewer is a standout student known for his academic aptitude, work ethic and character. With a genuine curiosity and care for others, Mason excels across disciplines, especially in math and science. He is a natural leader, having captained the varsity soccer team and led Kairos and Freshman Retreats. Mason's journey led him to focus on soccer and activities like tutoring and serving as a Big Brother. His thoughtful approach to commitments and his desire to make others feel seen and understood reflect his loving and intellectually excellent nature.

Peter McDevitt is a principled and high-character young man, deeply rooted in Christian values. Peter excels both academically and athletically, and as the quarterback and captain of the varsity football team, Peter is known for his leadership, humility and inclusivity. His commitment to justice is evident in his extensive community service, including delivering food, tutoring, and coaching youth sports. 

Sam McGown is a compassionate and faith-filled young man with high character. He has served as a Kairos leader, member of the Jesuit Honor Society, Big Brother, and student government leader. Academically gifted, Sam maintains a near-perfect GPA while taking challenging courses. He is a role model at school and a supportive big brother at home, balancing his commitments to studies, family and community service. Sam's generosity and dedication are evident in his volunteer work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Little Warriors Foundation and the St. Hyacinth food pantry. 

Bryce Roder is a diligent and enthusiastic student who fully engages with his education. Known for his involvement in retreats and leadership roles, Bryce balances his commitments to sports, academics and service with poise. He excels academically while taking a heavy AP course load. Bryce's humility, intellectual curiosity, religious commitment and love for his classmates and family stand out. His transformative experience on Senior Shared Life reflects his commitment to justice. 

Outstanding Leadership and Dedication
Matt Hayes, Pablo Muzquiz, Bryce Roder and Jack Eisenbrown were recognized with awards for their exceptional leadership to Freshman Retreat, exemplifying the loving and religious grad at grad qualities.

Academic and Athletic Excellence
Connor Roeder and Mason Brewer were awarded the WIAA Scholar Athlete Award for their excellence in both academics and athletics, embodying the quality of being Intellectually Excellent. The Tom Burns Sportsmanship Award was given to Joey Spano and Andrew Allen for their exemplary sportsmanship and the loving grad at grad quality.

Commitment to Justice
The Pope St. John Paul II Award was presented to Michael Milbrath for his unwavering commitment to justice. As co-president of the Hilltoppers Defending Life, Michael participates in the March for Life and serves in Milwaukee, often praying the Rosary and seeking Our Lady's intercession. His actions resonate with St. Ignatius’ prayer, “Lord, teach me to be generous.”

Service and Humanity
Cristofer Gonzalez received the Service Award for his outstanding contributions to the community, demonstrating a commitment to justice. Jacob Sereno and James O’Callaghan were honored with the Service in the Spirit of Humanity Award for their religious devotion and loving spirit. Andrew Allen received recognition for his exceptional service achievements, highlighting his religious and loving character.

Academic Honors and Recognitions
Enzo Azzaline and John Warren were celebrated as Evans Scholars for their academic excellence. Nathaniel Lese received an appointment to the Naval ROTC program, and Tate Kowalik to the Army ROTC program, both demonstrating intellectual excellence and being open to growth. Charlie Tomasi was appointed to the Naval Academy and demonstrates intellectual excellence and being open to growth qualities.

Big Brothers 
Students recognized for their roles as Big Brothers exemplified the qualities of being loving and open to growth as they assisted new students in their path to Marquette University High School. 2023-2024 Big Brothers include Ben Anggara, Enzo Azzaline, Charlie Barker, Owen Bell, Eli Bostrack, Mason Brewer, Matthew Brigham, Jaloni Brown, Dominic DiCastri, Aiden Dimino, JJ Driscoll, Javier Espino, Ben Ferber, Matt Fessler, Felix Huwiler, Vuk Jovanovic, Joseph Lara, Jake Ledger, Malek Lee, Zach Lehrer, Nathanial Lese, Elijah Lundberg, Ryan Magnus, Haden Maier, Samuel McGown, Maximilian Mindy, August Neumann, Abram Packee, Jacob Ptak, Bryce Roder, Thomas Schmidt, Luke Schmitz, Matthew Schultz, Jacob Sereno, Justin Siclovan, Jack Taschler, Ben Tiedge, Ryan Tomlinson, Quoc Bao Vo, Cole Wadina and Adam Wagner. 

Language Awards

Jack Eisenbrown received the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica Premio de Honor for his excellence in Spanish, and George Ubell was awarded for his outstanding academics in the German Honor Society.

Departmental Excellence
Awards for intellectual excellence in different subjects were presented to:

• Jonah Watkins (English)

• Michael Phillips (Math & Computer Science)

• CJ Roeder (Science)

• George Ubell (Social Studies)

• Vuk Jovanovic (Theology)

• August Neumann (German)

• Daniel Lupercio Ruiz (Latin)

• Juan Pablo Muzquiz (Spanish)

Congratulations to all the award recipients in the Class of 2024. Your dedication, leadership, and commitment to the values of Marquette University High School inspire us all and set a high standard for future classes.