The Archdiocese of Baltimore honored the three top-performing graduating seniors from each of the 18 Catholic high schools of the archdiocese during an April 7 Distinctive Scholars convocation at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore. The Catholic Review spotlights four of the honorees here. For a full list of the 2021-22 Distinctive Scholars, visit bit.ly/distinctive-scholars22
Mark Ghattas
The John Carroll School ’22
Duke University ’26
Just for fun, Mark Ghattas wrote a computer program in his junior year that emailed every university in the United States asking for a T-shirt. His ingenuity garnered 50 shirts for the 18-year-old graduating senior of The John Carroll School in Bel Air.
Ghattas, who has served as vice president or president of his class throughout his years at John Carroll, sees computer programming as a way of challenging himself.
“I like how versatile it is because you can use it for pretty much anything from (soliciting) T-shirts to (playing) fantasy football,” said Ghattas, who will head to Duke University to prepare for a career in software development with a specialty in artificial intelligence. “It’s so open to whatever you
can imagine.”
This academic year, as part of John Carroll’s acclaimed robotics team, Ghattas helped build a robot that won John Carroll a state championship title and the award for best programming at the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas.
Since his sophomore year, he has volunteered for a charitable organization called Sundi’s Gift, coding its website and maintaining it. Ghattas also started the “Hack Club,” helping teach computer programming to new students.
Ghattas was among the most-honored students of his class in 2021-22. He served as valedictorian and was one of two recipients of John Carroll’s prestigious Black and Gold Award. He was also part of an inaugural group of students in his school’s Archbishop John Carroll Scholarship program, receiving the AP Capstone Diploma after completing the rigorous program ahead of schedule in his junior year.
Caden Heiser-Cerrato
Loyola Blakefield ’22
Harvard University ’26
Caden Heiser-Cerrato considers writing an absolute necessity.
“I have a lot of thoughts every day,” explained the 18-year-old graduating senior of Loyola Blakefield in Towson, “and writing helps me keep track of everything going on in my life. Writing helps me make sense of everything.”
Heiser-Cerrato was a national medalist in the 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, earning a silver medal with distinction – one of just 29 students nationally selected for the honor. He was awarded first place for a science fiction piece in the Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contest and was a finalist in WJZ-TV’s Black History Month oratory contest.
“The most satisfying thing about writing for me is that you start with a blank document and by the end of a few hours or a few days or even a few weeks of writing, you have a whole story or a whole poem that you’ve constructed,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable to be able to develop something out of your mind from scratch.”
At Loyola, Heiser-Cerrato founded and led the Blakefield Writing Club, offering workshops and coaching on writing. He co-founded and ran the Dons for Dons Peer Tutoring organization, providing academic support for more than 100 students over two years. He also participated in his school’s peer education program, encouraging students to avoid high-risk behaviors.
Heiser-Cerrato was president of Loyola’s Junior Classical League, participating in regional Latin and Greek competitions. On the field, he played two years of junior varsity soccer and two years at the varsity level.
Heiser-Cerrato is heading to Harvard University, where he plans to study government and prepare for law school.
Emma Wallace
Mount De Sales Academy ’22
Catholic University ’26
As a child, Emma Wallace was obsessed with trying to figure out how structures hold together. She spent many hours playing with Legos – building cars, houses and various edifices.
That childhood interest remained strong throughout her years at Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, where she excelled in a wide range of disciplines, especially math and science. Now, Wallace is preparing to study engineering at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
“I love knowing how things are built and how the pieces come together to build such intricate things,” said Wallace, a 17-year-old parishioner of Sacred Heart, Glyndon.
Wallace, who will complete a St. John Properties engineering internship this summer, served as a peer tutor for honors mathematics and science, and freshman class president. She also played varsity and junior varsity soccer and basketball, and varsity track and field. She was the MVP of her varsity basketball team and MVP of her junior varsity basketball team.
Working to build unity on the varsity basketball team was a major focus for Wallace, who co-captained the team with Jordan Harris.
“We dedicated countless additional hours watching film, practicing skills and coming in to shoot in the morning,” Wallace said. “We took the time to get to know each person beyond being a teammate. My coaches created a space for me to excel as a leader.”
Wallace was the leader of her school’s Girls Initiative for Rising Leaders and vice president of Global Outreach. Working with two other students, she helped raise more than $25,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and was named the organization’s student of the year in 2021.
Asia Warren
St. Maria Goretti High School ’22
Hampton University ’26
After Asia Warren tore her knee ligaments while running in a varsity soccer scrimmage last August, the St. Maria Goretti sports enthusiast came to terms with the dangers of pushing the limits.
“I was always really on the go with everything,” remembered Warren, who has also competed on Goretti swim, basketball and lacrosse teams. “I never considered how I was overworking my body and I feel like I came to a point where it just kind of gave out.”
Warren said her senior year injuries, which had followed an earlier injury in her freshman year, helped inspire her to devote herself to helping others avoid the mistakes she made.
“I became really interested in how my body works when injuries like this happen,” Warren explained. “How does my body maneuver around or how can I maneuver around this situation?”
Warren is planning to study kinesiology, the science of bodily motion, at Hampton University. She will serve in the ROTC program and plans to follow her parents into the U.S. Navy.
At St. Maria Goretti, Warren was a member of the National Honor Society, the Positivity Club and enjoyed serving on the technology crew for Goretti plays and musicals. She was very devoted to community outreach, logging more than 500 hours of service at the school and the wider community.
Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
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