By Elizabeth Lowe
elowe@CatholicReview.org
Maggie Czapski, a senior at Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, credits time management skills and supportive teachers and coaches with helping her balance myriad commitments.
“It helps going to Bishop Walsh, where the coaches work together so I can do all of these activities,” said Czapski, 17. “I couldn’t do it on my own.”
Czapski was one of 60 seniors – three from each of the 20 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore – honored by the Department of Catholic Schools at the 22nd Distinctive Scholars Convocation April 8 at Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington.
“It’s an honor to be chosen because all of the hard work really pays off,” said Czapski, who has a 4.1 GPA and is ranked second in her class. “Being in a Catholic school, it means a lot.”
A four-sport athlete, Czapski played varsity soccer and basketball throughout high school, in addition to running cross country and track. Last fall, she was captain of the both the soccer and cross country teams.
She is also a member of the marching band and campus ministry.
As a campus minister, Czapski helps plan liturgies and serves as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. Bishop Walsh is a pre-K-12 school, and she began playing piano at school liturgies when she was in the eighth grade.
Despite her busy schedule, schoolwork comes first.
“I just do my work when I’m supposed to,” said Czapski, who has taken five Advanced Placement courses.
She is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, TRI-M Music Honor Society and National Art Honor Society.
Czapski plans to attend a Catholic college.
“I’ve been going to a Catholic school my whole life,” said Czapski, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Mountains in Cumberland. “It’s important to me. I like being surrounded by people with the same values. I like that I can express my religion in school.”
Ann Workmeister, interim principal of Bishop Walsh, described Czapski as a leader and a role model for her peers.
“She’s able to be a musician, an athlete, a student and she really does it all with ease, even though I’m sure it’s difficult,” Workmeister said. “She’s able to balance all of these activities and maintain a very pleasant, respectful demeanor.”
Here is a list of the Distinctive Scholars honorees:
Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore: Daniel Baranowski, Christian Flynn, Anthony Puglisi
Archbishop Spalding High School, Severn: Jacqueline Doerr, Daniel Kurniawan, Xian (George) Peng
Bishop Walsh School, Cumberland: Angela Burton, Maggie Czapski, Cecilia Rossi
Calvert Hall College High School, Towson: Benjamin Costello, Steven Gercken, Joachim Lopez
The Catholic High School of Baltimore: Abigail Dohmeier, Rebecca Miller, Monica Perumattam
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Baltimore: Kyndall Cunningham, Makayla Munz, Guadalupe Sosa
Institute of Notre Dame, Baltimore: Rebecca Forloine, Samantha Hires, Sarah Stefanski
The John Carroll School, Bel Air: Andrew Beard, Lindsay Kraus, Margaret McGuirk
Loyola Blakefield, Towson: Mitchell Patrick Butler, Daniel Edward McLoughlin, John Gillis Scaletta
Maryvale Preparatory School, Brooklandville: Jillian Marie Carroll, Gabrielle Malone Lago, Katherine Elizabeth Surine
Mercy High School, Baltimore: Jennifer Drechsler, Zoe Kempf-Harris, Eunice Shin
Mount de Sales Academy, Catonsville: Mary Kate Halligan, Rebecca Huber, Madison Maguire
Mount St. Joseph High School, Irvington: Kyle Peter Costabile, Dominic Louis Genaurio, Michael Claudius Singleton
Notre Dame Preparatory School, Towson: Abigail Nicole Baker, Erin Elizabeth Caubo, Minyoung Jang
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Essex: Austin Jordan, Kimberly Single, Stefan (Oliver) Yossif
St. Frances Academy, Baltimore: Selvin Amador, Karimah Crum, Trai Jones
St. John’s Catholic Prep, Frederick: Kelsey Bealmear, Lianne Pederson, Kathryn Tighe
St. Maria Goretti High School, Hagerstown: Brendan Bush, Taylor James, Patrick Jones
St. Mary’s High School, Annapolis: Courtney Carlson, Clara Cecil, Zachary Davis
The Seton Keough High School, Baltimore: Hailee Clampitt, Kathryn Hutcheson, Ashley Lemanski
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