HUNTERSVILLE — Christ the King High School student Alexander Koenigsberger has been named a National Merit Semifinalist in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. This indicates that Koenigsberger scored in the top 16,000 students out of 1.6 million PSAT test-takers.
He is the school’s first National Merit Semifinalist in its five-year history. Koenigsberger will continue in the competition and will be notified later in the school year if he is a finalist. Finalists are chosen based on academic achievement, extracurricular involvement and leadership.
Christ the King students Victor Anastacio, Kirsten Fernando, Alexandra Huet-Hudson, Alec Karam and Gregory Taylor Seeling have been named Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. These awards indicate that these students scored in the top 50,000 out of 1.6 million test-takers.
— Laura E. Henry
Longtime educators, school leaders memorialized
CHARLOTTE — Thanks to the efforts of the Charlotte Catholic High School Athletic Association, the campus of Charlotte Catholic High School now features a brick pathway honoring the school's 61-year history.
The pathway, complete with benches, is located in the piazza between the school's front entrance and the stadium. It features 515 engraved bricks and four new brick and concrete benches. The engraved bricks are arranged in the shape of a cross which spans the width of the piazza. Engraved on the bricks are the names of educators who dedicated more than 20 years of service to Catholic schools in Charlotte and the names of alumni, students and families in the Charlotte Catholic community.
Also honored are the Sisters of Mercy who played a key role in the development of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Charlotte and especially at Charlotte Catholic High School, which has its origin in the O'Donoghue School in Dilworth. The high school officially opened in 1955 in a location on Park Road (now the site of Holy Trinity Middle School).
From 1955 to 1995, Charlotte Catholic went through many transitions. Marianist Brothers came to help teach at the high school, which for a time was split, with girls going back to the O'Donoghue School, attending classes on the second floor at what was then named Our Lady of Mercy School. In 1968 the two schools merged, and in 1969 the Marianist Brothers left and the Sisters of Mercy provided the administration and education of the co-ed population. Charlotte Catholic moved to its present location on Pineville-Matthew Road in 1995.
Principal Kurt Telford was approached about the brick pathway project about 18 months ago by several members of the athletic association.
"The idea was to honor our past, present and future. It was a great idea," Telford said.
Athletic association members Casey Corser and Gaye Fitzpatrick, along with Athletics Director Kevin Christmas, spearheaded the project. They received approval from the diocesan properties department, organized the fundraiser, selected the bricks and solicited bids for the installation.
"More than $66,000 was raised from the sale of the bricks which covered the entire cost of the project – grading, installation, shipping, engraving of the bricks and the hallmark stones to mark our journey from our humble beginning to today," Corser said.
All remaining proceeds will go directly to the athletic association, as will proceeds from all future sales.
"Our goal was to pay for it and to replenish funds for the athletic association," Corser explained. "We really wanted to honor our faith and our journey and our future path. There is plenty of room to continue the project for thousands of other Cougar families – past, present and future!"
Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, who served as principal of Charlotte Catholic for 20 years, is grateful for the recognition of the Sisters of Mercy and their contribution to education at the high school.
"We appreciate being recognized in this way. I look forward to seeing it," she said.
Charlotte Catholic has more than 1,250 students enrolled at the south Charlotte campus. Of those, more than 1,010 students participate on 40 teams in 26 sports programs offered at the high school. During the 2015-'16 school year, Charlotte Catholic teams have clinched two state championships in football and basketball, which brings the total of state championships in the history of the school to 66.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photo provided by Casey Corser.