Saint Paul’s is a phenomenal school. Our ACT scores are impressive, we have a beautiful campus, and there is such a strong sense of brotherhood and pride here that other schools do not have. It’s only natural that we’d qualify for rewards and praise. One such award is the Blue Ribbon award given out by the U.S. Department of Education to 50 exceptional schools. This reward encourages schools to support their students to excel in their high school careers. The ribbon represents a school that promotes hard work among students and faculty members alike. Schools aren’t even considered unless their ACT scores are beyond exceptional, and Saint Paul’s has earned this reward — not once — but twice.
Saint Paul’s has had many events for the students to remind them of the honor in the ribbon. Every assembly has mentioned the award, and the day we learned we won the award, we celebrated with ice cream for the whole school. All that pride has been cultivated in the Blue Ribbon ceremony.
We held an assembly for the whole school; however, you didn’t have to be physically in the gym to experience the event. Parents and alumni were able to see the event via a stream link. The event itself was indeed a sight to behold. Students walked into the gym to the sound of the brass band performing their famous tunes. While progressing through the event, you could feel the pride in the students’ voices while singing songs of praise. The Master of Ceremonies, Gavin Dominique, did an excellent job pacing the event and introducing our honorable guests: Mayor Mark Johnson, the President of St. Tammany Parish Mike Cooper, the Catholic Board of Education of New Orleans, and some retired faculty members. There were a few speeches, and they were excellent. Walker Dubreuil’s lesson on how Saint Paul’s made him more independent was heartwarming, and the mayor always has a good address in-store. At the end of the event, the Saint Paul’s Brass Band played Rick James’s “You and I” to bring the ceremony to a satisfying ending.