The Linda Cataldo Gerlach Award is granted each year to a senior who has demonstrated transformative growth through their community service learning project, in the areas of service, love of learning, and seeking of God. The recipient this year designed her community service project to help her peers grow in their faith by creating a retreat experience. The retreat took its name from the words of John’s Gospel “Come and see.” And in countless ways this young woman has modeled for all of us this manner of discipleship, inviting us to come and know Jesus. She wrote in her paper, “I have not just sought God in one aspect of my Rice experience, but I try to find him in all my Rice experiences of learning, service, and friendship.” For her authentic reflection of her living the Rice mission as embodied in her CSL work. We are honored to award the Linda Cataldo Gerlach Award to Gabriella Allbee.

The Female and Male Commitment to Learning Awards are bestowed upon two members of the graduating class, who, in the estimation of the faculty who nominated them, emulate what it means to be a true learner.  

The Female Commitment to Learning Award is presented to a student who truly has a brilliant intellect, is an influential leader, a passionate advocate and a vital contributor to the Rice community.  She took the most challenging coursework available to her including 10 AP courses at Rice and two classes at the University of Vermont.  Her AP Chem teacher raves, “She is everything you want as a student: Intelligent, confident, respected by her peers, not afraid to take risks, and will happily ask questions in class.”  She is not only remarkably talented in academics, but in the arts and in entrepreneurial endeavors.  Few students have the cachet to lead their entire peer group from a microphone and to command their respect, but she has done this each year during Stunt Nite.  She has a truly special drive and work ethic and is a gifted agent of change.  She is a person of excellence.  She expects it of herself, and she helps bring it out in others around her.  She has been an absolute treasure in the Rice community. We recognize Moorea Lambert.

The Male Commitment to Learning Award is presented to a student who after his freshman year, left the comfort of his public school because he wanted more academic challenge.  When he arrived at Rice as Sophomore, he wasn’t even sure he could handle the rigor of Honors courses, but he signed up anyway.  Gradually he took on more and more and his trajectory continued in a dramatic upward arc.  He went on to enroll in 4 AP classes his junior year and packed 6 APs into his Senior year.  At last check he had A’s or A+s in all six.  Without a ton of fanfare, he has become an extremely disciplined, passionate, and dedicated scholar.  And I don’t believe that we have seen his full potential yet. We are excited to watch him continue on that trajectory in his journey beyond Rice. We recognize Luke Broussard.

The Male and Female Commitment to Service Awards The Male and Female Commitment to Service Awards is named in honor of Matthew W. Gieger, who graduated from Rice in 1991.  Mathew’s love of faith and service was deep, and he inspired many high school students whom he taught to be faithful and to serve others.  He passed away in 2016, and leaves a legacy of love and compassion. In the spirit of Matthew’s commitment to service, each student at Rice is required to complete volunteer service as a graduation requirement.  Of course, our hope for each student is that what may begin as merely the fulfillment of a graduation requirement transforms into a meaningful experience of faith in service to others - the kind of service that fosters relationships among the serving and the served and that is grounded in a deep recognition of shared humanity.

The Female Matthew W. Geiger Commitment to Service Award. Since the time this next student arrived on campus, she has been a game-changer in the Rice community.  She seems to always be working on some way to make Rice or the broader community a better place to be.  The work she has done has been truly special.  Since she was a Sophomore she has been the leader of the Crochet Club which makes baby blankets, hats, etc. for the Burlington Food Shelf.  She is a Co-Founding Leader of the Wellness Leadership Council promoting positive mental health and wellness awareness and solutions in the Rice community.  She advocated for and secured ongoing funding for adequate menstrual supplies at Rice, and then took the project to the state level.  She also volunteered each summer with Top Soccer, and she was a leader on the recent service trip to Peru.  She is a tireless worker, a powerful influence for good, a brilliant and dedicated scholar, a multi-talented individual, a charismatic leader and a considerate team player.  She is a true community asset and a cherished presence.  Rice will not be the same without her. We recognize Grace Marroquin.

 
The Male Matthew w. Geiger Commitment to Service Award is presented to someone who might not be your traditional Commitment to Service candidate. For him it is not merely the hours of community service he logged, but the unique contribution he provided with those hours. This young man followed his passion for helping others in extreme crisis. Some of the people he has worked with firsthand have been in the middle of the worst day of their lives. This student volunteered with the Shelburne Fire Department and has responded to dozens of calls for help and crisis over the years. Sometimes he is out until 2 or 3 am and still is up and in school a few hours later. He has taken the time to learn and train through some grueling circumstances for situations with highly emotionally and physically charged situations. He has learned to keep calm despite the chaos around him and to provide excellent care when the margin for error is small. He has put this training to use both on and off duty, even answering the call to provide a tourniquet during a race he was skiing in this season that probably saved a limb for a fellow competitor. He has been on the scene in a number of tragic accidents and has provided care in some intense and traumatic situations with skill, compassion, and a genuine human connection. Shelburne Assistant Fire Chief, Josh Estey, is quick to point out that he has gone above and beyond in every way as a cadet and firefighter. He exclaims, “He shows up early to everything and he won’t stop moving until every possible thing is done. We would love to have everyone who volunteers with the Department exhibit the same hard work and dedication that he does''. We too proclaim our respect and admiration for the dedication and passion he has shown. His work has made an impact on many, and his tenacious and brave work is an example to us all. We present this award to Kevin McNeill.
 

Each year two graduating seniors are recognized for their commitment to faith and to serving God.  These awards are named in honor of Mr. Robert L. Wright, who taught religious studies at Rice for over 30 years, and are sponsored by Ms. Mary Kelly. Like our other Rice Mission Awards, they are considered a great honor.

The Female Robert L. Wright Commitment to Faith Award recipient is described as the steady presence that has been a light to Rice in all aspects of Religion. She is a quiet, yet firm participant and leader in Campus Ministry, Chorus, Retreats, Religion Classes and Daily Mass. Through her humble guidance, and sincerity of heart, many of her peers have experienced joy in areas of faith these past four years. She is like both the Blessed Mother and St. John the Baptist. While her faith has led her to pray, ponder and keep things in her heart, she will not hesitate to proclaim with her beautiful voice, the greatness of the Lord, and by her example, be a witness to Jesus, and point others to Him, Who is the Lamb of God. This year's award recipient is Zerima King.

The Male Robert L. Wright Commitment to Faith Award recipient is described as a student who is a light to those around him. For four years he has been quite literally living out the three Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. He has been living his faith and is receiving the Faith award tonight. He has been the leader of Rice’s chapter of Hope Happens Here providing hope for those who suffer. And the greatest of these virtues, as St. Paul says, is love. Without a doubt, he has done it all with love. Whether in the classroom, the chorus, the field, or the courts, he has, for four years, brought his love to this school and has made an impact on this community. This year's award recipient is Wilfred St. Francis.
 

These awards, given at graduation each year are considered our highest honor.  The Mr. and Miss Rice awards are in honor of Father Francis Grogan, who was killed in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Chosen by the faculty and staff by vote, these awards go to students who exemplify the Rice ideals of academic excellence, service to others, and the seeking of God. These are students who lead by example, participate in extracurricular activities,  and who, on a daily basis show the values of love, kindness, and compassion.

The Recipient of our Miss Rice Award is a young woman who embodies the Rice mission to love learning, to serve others, and to seek God. From the moment she stepped onto the Rice campus, her passion for these core values was evident.  “Do small things with great love”, a quote from this student’s patron saint, Saint Mother Teresa, guides her actions. Whether she is leading the school in prayer every morning, coordinating a retreat, initiating a prayer group for her peers, or simply listening to and supporting her classmates, she joyfully shares her faith and exemplifies the light and love of Christ.  As a humble leader, she is a role model for her peers and teammates as she works hard in the classroom and on the athletic field, possesses a strong moral compass, warmly embraces her peers, and creates a positive and inclusive atmosphere that fosters a sense of belonging and community. Her genuine kindness and empathy shine through in every interaction.  Her passion for learning, dedication to helping others, and unwavering faith have set a powerful example of what it means to live out the Rice mission and is leaving a lasting impact on our school community. This year’s Miss Rice award recipient is Gabriella Allbee.

The Recipient of our Mr. Rice Award is a young man who is passionate about learning, committed to serving others, and whose actions are guided by his faith. Since Freshman year he has shown himself to be outgoing, friendly, and eager to be a positive part of the Rice community. Whether he was volunteering at his former school or mentoring his younger teammates, he is passionate about supporting others. As a student, he challenged himself with one of our most rigorous course loads and given his intrinsic love of learning, intellectual curiosity, and work ethic, he flourished. In recognition of his academic prowess, he was named as a candidate for the United States Presidential scholar’s program. Having played football and baseball for four years, he has demonstrated his leadership skills and hard work ethic to his teammates and collaborated with his fellow captains to build an atmosphere of respect and to promote positive team morale and unity.  A sports aficionado, he can talk with knowledge and passion about sports at any level. In fact, he has strong views about whatever he talks about…food, economics, or whether Aeneas truly loves Dido…but he can still hear and appreciate opposing views.  As sports editor of the Knights Banner, he has been able to unite his passion for sports with his verbal “skills with the quill”. He has contributed to the Rice community and will certainly flourish in his future endeavors. This year’s Mr. Rice award recipient is Owen Messineo.