School briefs

De La Salle Institute students design winning app

De La Salle Institute students from Diniah Dean’s Introduction to App and Web Development class were chosen a “Best in State” winner in the Verizon Innovative App Challenge winning a $5,000 grant and Tablet PCs for each app team member.

Chosen from more than 1,200 contestants, the students from the Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women created the app concept “Furry Friend Finder.”

The students are participating in the App Challenge Fan Favorite Award contest. The team that gets the most votes will receive an additional $15,000 prize, the opportunity to work with MIT experts to build its concept into a working app, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the TSA conference in Nashville, Tennessee, in June. To vote for their app text FFF2 to 22233 by Jan. 31.

Representing De La Salle were Madison Coppola, Yulin Deng, Gabriela Hernandez, Nicole Mildner, Isabella Rodriguez, Sofia Rodriguez and Amy Wu Feng.

Perfect ACT score for Nazareth student

Nazareth Academy junior Meghan McGarry of Western Springs earned a perfect 36 on the ACT test. Out of the 1.8 million students who take the test every year, roughly 1,000 get the highest possible score of 36.

In addition to her outstanding academic work at Nazareth, Meghan is also Student Council secretary and an active member of the school’s drama program. She is a cantor at St. John of the Cross Parish and at the Congregation of St. Joseph.

“Meghan is creating her legacy at Nazareth through the outstanding ways she embodies our mission of educating the whole person. She excels both in and out of the classroom and represents the many students here who have received such thorough preparation for the next steps in their academic careers,” said principal Deborah Tracy. “We join in congratulating Meghan and her parents on this amazing accomplishment. We are extremely proud.”

Cristo Rey student paints Holy Door image at St. Bede

Father Bobby Krueger, associate pastor of St. Bede the Venerable Parish, 8200 S. Kostner Ave., asked Gabriel Becerra, a junior at Cristo Rey High School, to paint the church’s Holy Door with the official Vatican logo. St. Bede is one of the archdiocese’s pilgrimage sites for the Jubilee of Mercy.

“The finished result is just beautiful,” said Krueger. “I am very proud of Gabriel’s efforts on behalf of our parish, and think it’s a unique way that we are commemorating the Year of Mercy here at St. Bede.”