46 Immaculata High School students earn A.P. Scholar honors

Students at Immaculata High School, Somerville, marked an academic milestone, taking a five-year record number of 321 Advanced Placement exams, a stark contrast to the nationwide decline in academic performance since the pandemic-caused learning setbacks.

The parochial Catholic high school in Somerville, which offers 22 A.P. courses, administered the exams in the spring of 2023 and, as a result, received a 100 percent passing rate in eight course exams, with 46 students earning A.P. Scholar Awards.

Kristin Boczany, vice principal for academic affairs, lauded the students, saying, “These students took bold steps in challenging themselves to a full roster of Advanced Placement courses.” Citing the teenage students’ ongoing commitments to their coursework, extracurriculars, family, friends, and jobs, she noted that balancing their commitments and taking A.P. courses, and the subsequent exams, is no easy task and “takes self-motivation, time management, and courage beyond their years.”

While the distinctions are notable in their own right, Boczany pointed to the results as an important indicator of the school’s academic health and culture.

“These distinctions tell us that our academic programs at Immaculata are strong, and build upon one another to give students the best chances for success,” she said. “This data also speaks to the fact that our teachers never settle and that they are constantly learning and evolving as educators, so that they can deliver the best possible faith-based instruction as the world continues to evolve and change.”

As many schools in the nation continue to face a deluge of post-pandemic problems – among them teacher shortages, declines in student attendance, shorter attention spans, and experiments with new curriculums – the vice principal said she is grateful that Immaculata High School seems to be far removed from the problems that many other schools are facing.

“From office hours, to extra study sessions, to engaging lessons, and assessments, our teachers are dedicated to students and their success. If Immaculata has one secret to academics, it is simply this – we build relationships with our students, and we see them as unique individuals,” said Boczany. “By building these relationships, we earn the trust of our students, and through that trust, students feel empowered to take educational risks and go beyond the boundaries of what is comfortable to explore what is great.”

The students’ A.P. exam scores and scholar award standings seem to bear that out.

Recognized for having demonstrated exemplary college-level achievement on A.P. exams, the following Immaculata High School students were recognized:
 

A.P. Scholar
Students who earned scores of 3 or higher on three or more A.P. exams:
Davis Adams; Caroline Colitti; Kirsten Connelly; Kimberly Dalessio; Periklis Drecolias; Sophia Feuker; Gabriella Fitch; Samantha Hummel; Ethan Kassai; Matthew Kirschner; Tehya Lim; Elise MacMillan; Kristin McNally; Jon Moreno; Ava Nagengast; Andre Rivera; Abigail Serrao; Olivia Serrao; Abigail Stowe; Adam Tiongson; Asha Toczek; Jack Tully; and Talia Wong

A.P. Scholar with Honor 
Students who earned an average score of at least 3.25 on all A.P. exams taken and had scores of 3 or higher on at least four exams:
Aidan Cannatelli; Gabriella Glaz; Sharbella Jacobs; Jillian Kenny; Charlotte Lezny; Erin Lyttle; Keira McCabe; Caitlin Mustillo; Jillian Tareco; Finn Tully; and Owen Zohn

A.P. Scholar with Distinction
Students who earned an average score of at least 3.5 on all A.P. exams taken and had scores of 3 or higher on at least five exams:
Molly Arkoulakis; Ella Cosman; Gavin Fitzgerald; John Hanlon; Tara Khosla; Matthew Kolakowski; Marissa Mellyn; Theresa Musto; Daniel O’Connor; Giavanna Pechilio; Lilliel Shun; and Ainsley Zohn

A.P. Capstone Seminar and Research Certificate
Students who earned scores of 3 or higher on A.P. Seminar and A.P. Research, but not on four additional A.P. exams:
Keira McCabe

A.P. Capstone Diploma 
Students who earned scores of 3 or higher on A.P. Seminar and A.P. Research and on four additional A.P. exams of their choosing:
Molly Arkoulakis; Gavin Fitzgerald; Gabriella Glaz; Ethan Kassai; Marissa Mellyn; Caitlin Mustillo; Theresa Musto; Giavanna Pechilio; and Ainsley Zohn

Tara Smith serves as IHS director of Marketing and Communications.