Ellen Purdy
Presidential Scholar!
Senior Ellen Purdy is a 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program semifinalist. The elite recognition program, established in 1964, includes 500 semifinalists from across the country. The 140 finalists will be recognized at the White House in June.
Purdy’s perfect ACT score, AP coursework, leadership and community service have led to several other prestigious honors and awards, including the National Merit Scholarship. She will attend the University of Chicago next fall.
College Possible
Como’s College Possible students have earned more than $58,000 in private scholarships. College Possible helps first-generation college students navigate the college application process, from SAT and ACT prep through admission. Ninety-eight percent of Como’s 2015 College Possible class has been accepted into at least one college. Schools range from the University of Minnesota to Vassar College in New York, where senior Sundus Hassan will attend.
Superior singers
The Como Chamber Singers and Concert Choir earned a Superior rating—the highest rating of the Minnesota State High School League—at the Region 4AA Large Group Contest at Stillwater High School April 16. The choirs sang three contrasting pieces of music and were judged by three experts in the field.
Ordway Honors Concert
The annual St. Paul Public Schools Ordway Honors Concert on April 14 featured Como singers and musicians. The singers were Anna Blaine, Hannah Cornish, Margaret Coyne, Raphael Forrest, Anna Fryxell, Emily LaCroix-Dalluhn, Jimmy Chimeng Lor, Stella Quale, Nathan Stover, Adam Swanson, Divine Uchegbu, Chang Vang, Esther Vang, Peter Vue and Zaci Wells.
Orchestral musicians were Nate Parsons (who served as the orchestra’s concertmaster), with Rachel Tetlie, Christian Berger, Arturo Digirolamo, Martin-Malik Williams, Kaitlyn Thomas, Jacob Heiberger and Justin Rogers.
The concert band featured Madeline Karan, Joe McCune-Zierath, Ellie Thorsgaard, Emmet O’Connell, Kathryn Proper, Madeline Kara, Stacy Yang, Evan Pauly, Tuomas Sivula, Nate Jackson, Noah Frese, Tyrin Anderson and Emily Devaney.
Senior’s composition to be performed by Como band
Senior John Paul Proper has composed and will conduct “Overture in Eb for Band” when the Como Park band premieres the piece at the Gala Concert Thursday, May 21, at 7 p.m. in the Como Auditorium. The work features many solos by individual seniors.
Speaking French
More than 50 French students participated in the annual A Vous la Parole language competition on April 21 at the University of Minnesota and came away with awards in contests that ranged from prose and poetry to song and original skits.
Other news
Como Park Asian American Club (CPAAC) members and some fellow Como students spoke eloquently at the St. Paul Youth Forum April 11 at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center in St. Paul. Students shared insight on school environment, safety issues, health and equity at the event hosted by the St. Paul Federation of Teachers and the NAACP.
Academy of Finance activities included 14 girls attending the Girls Going Places conference, where they met with more than 30 female entrepreneurs; freshmen attending Junior Achievement’s “Finance Park,” where students were charged with completing a budget simulation; and 10 students attending Wells Fargo bank’s lecture on “Opportunists for our Next Generation.”
Twenty-five Como Karen students staged an original performance on April 23, expressing the obstacles, struggles and triumphs of their journey from Burma to St. Paul. Dangerous Productions, in collaboration with the Karen Organization of Minnesota, and Fight or Flight Academy, spent a month working with students in writing the play and learning advanced acrobatic skills to dramatize the action. It was a powerful and unique show for both the students and community.
More than 70 Marine Corps JROTC cadets attended Mess Night Dinner on May 1, an event coordinated by the 18 Cadets of the school’s junior class. The annual dinner is a time to bid farewell to the senior cadets. The new cadet commanding officer, Kaitlyn Thomas, and sergeant major, Eddy Vue, were also announced that evening.
