The members of the Brother Rice Class of 2020 have left an exceptional legacy of outstanding achievement on Brother Rice and are well prepared to succeed in college, their future careers and life adventures.
Brother Rice graduated 140 students who showed great leadership and academic achievement as Crusaders with 46% of the class earning honors status (a GPA of 3.5) and 23% earning APEX honors status (a GPA of 4.0 or above).
On average each year, approximately 10% of Illinois high school graduates are recognized as Illinois State Scholars. This year, Brother Rice is proud to announce that 19% of the students from the Class of 2020 attained the honor of Illinois State Scholar. This achievement is noteworthy as Brother Rice, once again, has the most boys named Illinois State Scholars from Catholic high schools on the Southside.
“We are very proud of the outstanding success of our graduates who have continued to show their excellence,” said Brother Rice President Mark Donahue. “The Class of 2020 exemplifies our phrase, ‘BeExceptional.’”
Brother Rice places a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and the school is pleased that 19 students received recognition with a STEM diploma this year. STEM diplomas are earned by students who complete Brother Rice’s three-year Project Lead the Way engineering program, maintain a 3.5 GPA, and actively participate in a service organization. Students earning this honor will be attending top engineering schools in the country including Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Purdue University, the University of Illinois, and Marquette University.
Other students are entering a wide range of promising fields including medical specialties such as pediatrics, economics, and physical therapy. Broadcast and print journalism are also future fields of study for Brother Rice students as they build on experiences gained through the Brother Rice broadcast journalism and senior journalism classes, along with fan favorite, Brother Rice TV. Other students have stated interest in studying in fields such as criminal justice, business, and finance.
Additionally, forty-three students received Student Athlete Diplomas in recognition of maintaining a 3.5 GPA while playing a varsity sport. More than twenty-five students will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level at University of Louisville, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Iowa, Western Michigan, and more.
Overall, 95 percent of the Class of 2020 are attending college, 4 percent are going into the trades or other employment, and 1 percent plan to join the military. The colleges accepting the most Brother Rice graduates are Saint Xavier University – 11, the University of Iowa – 10, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – 7, and Purdue University – 5. The Class of 2020 is also proud to have two Chick Evan Scholars, Thomas Crane and Ryan Kopale, and a student appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, Alex MacFarlane.
Brother Rice seniors, with the support of their families and teachers, have finished strong academically — 100% engaged and successfully completing their high school experience. Congratulations to the Crusader seniors! Brother Rice is proud of your stellar accomplishments and wishes you the best in all your future endeavors.
