February 6, 2024
Exemplifying Excellence: NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award Winners Shine Bright
Twelve students embody the vitality of their Catholic faith through acts of service in their everyday lives.
Arlington, VA. – The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) joyfully announces the 2023 – 2024 NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award honorees. From across the country, in grades 4 – 12, these 12 Catholic school students are being recognized for working to change the world by making their communities aware of the living presence of Jesus.
“Teaching the whole child is not just about what the student learns in isolation; it’s about how they relate to their community,” said NCEA President/CEO Lincoln Snyder. “The students who have won the NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Awards articulate the goal of Catholic education to educate and nourish the whole person, to understand that Jesus loves us so much he asks us to do something great for others. These young people have answered that call in light of our faith and are examples to us all.”
The 2023 - 2024 awardees are: Theresa Aguilar, Academy of Our Lady of Peace, Diocese of San Diego; Madeline Bozzone, Saint Andrew School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Daniel Chamblee, St. Paul School, Diocese of Youngstown; Collin Grossenbaugh, Saint Ambrose Catholic School, Diocese of Cleveland; Gloria Jensen, St. John Fisher, Archdiocese of Portland; David Kibbey; Detroit Catholic Central High School, Archdiocese of Detroit; Juliana Riddle, Roncalli High School, Archdiocese of Indianapolis; Celine Salloum, St. John Bosco Catholic School, Diocese of Phoenix; Madeleine Staker, St. Teresa's Academy, Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph; Leila Tucker, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Diocese of Venice; Joanna Verdin, Bishop Freehan High School, Diocese of Fall River; Rocco Zimmerman, Mount Michael Benedictine School, Archdiocese of Omaha.
These exceptional students selflessly serve their schools, parishes and communities by being altar servers, heading prayer services, volunteering for local charities, collecting goods for the unhoused, modeling leadership on the sports fields and in their school communities, mentoring and tutoring fellow students and so much more.
The full biographies for the 2023 – 2024 NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Awards are available on the NCEA website.
The NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Awards program is made possible, in part, through the generosity and support of Archangel Education + Technology, a full-service supplier of classroom technology for K-12 schools in the United States. Archangel offers comprehensive technology solutions to meet each school's individual needs and provides support to guide schools through the decision-making and implementation processes while offering flexible financing options that allow Catholic schools to get more devices in students’ hands faster to remain competitive and technologically current.
For more information, visit www.NCEA.org/csw and connect with NCEA on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
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In service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, NCEA strengthens Catholic school communities by convening all stakeholders and providing professional development, data, public policy and resources to support faith and intellectual formation.