CLASS OF 2011 GRADUATION

JUNE 3, 2011

McLAUGHLIN THEATER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

ST. IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP

Committed to Doing Justice presented by Ms. Sarah Finch

The day I learned that I would be presenting this award, was a Friday.  I was driving back to CJA from downtown, where I’d been submitting a final exam.  While turning westbound on to Jackson from Cicero, a CTA bus was turning northbound onto Cicero from Jackson.  As we crossed paths, the advertisement on the side of the bus struck me.  Itwas an ad for Loyola University and it read simply:  “Do good and do well.” 

At CJA, Language Artsteachers emphasize to students the importance of distinguishing the difference between doing good and doing well.  For example:  One might do well on exam because he did a good job on his homework.  Contrary to our teachers’ important grammar lesson, the ad on the CTA bus, and more concretely, this young man show that doing good and doing well should not be separated. 

This gentleman does well.  He works hard.  He has excellent grades.  He has earned a Daniel Murphy Scholarship and will be attending an outstanding college prep high school in the fall. 

More impressively, he aspires to do good in the service of others.  As a rising eighth grader, this young man attended classes at Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development.  As a part of his studies, he worked in a soup kitchen and discussed the societal and systemic issues that contribute to material poverty.  When working through his scholarship and high school admissions’ essays this past fall, this gentleman consistently referenced his experience at Northwestern as motivation for one of his many goals of creating a community center in his Westside community. 

It is my privilege to present the award for Committed to Doing Justice to Lorenzo.  I look forward to witnessing how well you will do good.