Tampa Catholic High School

College of Saint Benedict and St. John's University Presidents Visit St. Augustine's College

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, St. Augustine’s College received a visit from the presidents of St. John’s University (SJU), and its sister school, the College of Saint Benedict (CSB), James Mullen Jr. and Laurie Hamen, respectively. Both schools are located in Minnesota.

They were accompanied by Alex Schleper, Director of International Admissions, Anne Sumangil, Director of Alumnae Relations, Peggy Ladner and Clif Britton, SJU Trustees, Mari Mullen, wife of SJU president, as well as Bahamian CSB/SJU alumni, Dennard Cleare, Terrance Bastian, Basil Christie, Alpheus Finlayson, and Philip Galanis, who is on the SJU Board of Trustees.

They were greeted by Marici Thompson, Acting Principal, and Benedict Dorsett, Assistant Principal.

St. Ben’s and St. John’s has a special relationship with St. Augustine’s College as SAC was founded in 1945 by a Benedictine monk, Fr. Frederic Frey, who came from the St. John’s Abbey. Many priests from the St. John’s Abbey taught at SAC, and many SAC graduates have attended SJU/CSB, including several SAC staff members, Brittany Basden '13, Joanna Bain '01, Ashley Foulkes-Moss '15, and Brianne Gibson '15. (They are also SAC graduates.)

Before St. Augustine’s College became co-ed, many SAC students received the Benedictine scholarship to study at John’s University. It was only offered to Benedictine schools at the time.

In 1961, CSB and SJU became co-ed. Four years later, in 1965, the then Xavier’s College, and all-girls school at the time closed the doors of their high school and sent their students to St. Augustine’s College, which then became co-ed. The girls who attended SAC could now be eligible for this scholarship, and many of them took advantage of the opportunity.

The scholarship, now called the Presidential Scholarship, is open to all high school students, and the Honorable Glenys Hanna Martin, Minister of Education has signed a memorandum of understanding, committing to increase scholarships to students who receive the Presidential Scholarship from $10,000 per year to $11,000 for private school students, and $15,000 to $16,000 for public school students.

After receiving a tour of the SAC campus by Acting Principal Thompson, the CSB/SJU delegation gave a presentation to a group of eleventh graders.

President Haman spoke of the appreciation that CSB/SJU has for their students from The Bahamas, leading with the fact that in 2021, both commencement speakers for CSB/SJU were Bahamians.

Haman said that there are four things that comes to her mind when she thinks of Bahamian students, brain power, character, faith and family, and leadership.

“My son had a Bahamian roommate when he went to St. John’s, his first time living with someone [from outside of the United States]. It changed his life because of that person’s faith and family values. His roommate would come to our house every Thanksgiving,” said Haman.

While she admitted to the students that the main reason she came to The Bahamas was to sign for more scholarship opportunities for deserving students, she really came to extend an invitation to them to apply to CSB/SJU.

“There are 1700 Bahamians who have graduated from St. Ben’s and St. John’s and…I would like you to think of yourselves as welcome,” said Haman.

President Mullen added that “because you are remarkable people, you’re going to have opportunities in life if you go on to college. What I hope for each and every one of you is that college would be the most magical time of your lives. And I hope that for many of you, that magical time will come at St. Ben’s and St. John’s and I think it could be for the following reasons: The Benedictine tradition on which the school was founded is about community…It is about inviting every person to achieve the most that they can achieve. So, if you come to St. John’s and St. Ben’s, you will have faculty…who will know you, inspire you and work with you…You will have other students who will be your friends, and those friendships last for your entire lifetime.”

He also told students that they “will be challenged to be leaders” whether they choose to stay in Minnesota or return home, “and that is the magic that you will find.”

He ended with telling the students that “we would be honored to have you at St. Ben’s and St. John’s.”

Mr. Philip Galanis then gave remarks encouraging student to take advantage of the opportunities such as the financial arrangement between the Bahamas government of the Bahamas and the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University.

“I want you to recognize that education is the key that is going to unlock tremendous doors of opportunity. When I sat where you sat, about 51 years ago, I did have any idea that I would study philosophy or political science…I didn’t have any indication that I would study accounting at the graduate level. I had not an inkling of an idea that I would go on to become a CPA, and I certainly didn’t know…that I would be involved in the politics of this country [as a member of parliament]. What provided that opportunity for me was the education I got at St. Augustine’s …and at St. John’s and St. Ben’s. So, I want to encourage you to recognize that 51 years from now, you could be standing where I stand or an even better place than where I stand if you apply yourself,” said Mr. Galanis.

The St. Augustine's College Student Council then presented CSB/SJU presidents and Alex Schleper with gifts as a token of our appreciation for their visit to the Big Red Machine. 

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28 Jun, 2022
Having earned a cumulative GPA of 3.93, this year’s recipient of the Br. Barry Gearman Salutatorian Award is Jee’Von Pratt. Jee’Von made a mark early in his high school career by winning the Bahamas National Spelling Bee in 2017 while in the 7th grade. He went on to represent the Bahamas at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. later that year.  An aspiring mechanical engineer, Jee’Von was a member of SAC’s Google CS Club and travelled with the team to Dubai to compete in the First Global Robotics competition.   He was also a member of the St. Augustine’s College Debate Team, and won ‘Best Speaker’ on several occasions, helping the team to win the national championship titles in 2021 and 2022. A impressive 1440 on the SAT put him among the 5th percentile of those who sat the test this year, helping him earn a scholarship to attend Howard University this fall. His academic success also earned him a feature on ZNS, highlighting his achievements.    Earlier this month, Jee’Von was named co-salutatorian at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter Honours Day Convocation, which recognizes the top male students at various schools throughout the Bahamas. In addition to receiving an Overall General Excellence award, Jee’Von also won subject awards for English Literature, Computer Studies, Advanced Placement Mathematics, and Geography. Congratulations to Jee’Von Pratt, our 2022 salutatorian! 
27 Jun, 2022
This year’s recipient of the Sisters of Charity Valedictorian Award is Alexis Godet, an honor student in every sense of the word.
24 May, 2022
Last week, on Monday, May 16, 2022,  St. Augustine's College began its celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Administration showered teachers the entire week with prizes such as car washes, and gift certificates to Fusion and the Prescription Parlour to name a few.  They were also treated to breakfast and lunch on several occasions, while parents and students also expressed gratitude by giving a variety of gifts to their teachers. On Sunday, May 22, 2022,  Teacher Appreciation week culminated with a church service and brunch. Staff worshipped at Ct. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, where Monsignor Simeon Roberts was the celebrant. Monsignor Roberts is no stranger to SAC, as he has assisted in numerous staff development seminars, providing spiritual guidance with his usual humorous candor. We thank Monsignor Roberts for his warm reception at St. Cecilia’s. After mass, staff gathered at Fusion for brunch where they fellowshipped with one another. Our teachers represent one of the pillars that hold this institution up. They are dedicated, hard-working, and committed! Without them, we could not offer the world-class education that St. Augustine's College is known for. We thank them for the constant sacrifices they make to continuously show up for our students, especially given the stark changes that have been made to learning over the past two years. We also thank Nurse Donna Saunders, our veteran school nurse, who spearheaded the organization of events. See more photos of the week's events here and here. 
02 May, 2022
Congratulations to St. Augustine's College seniors, Kobe Forbes, and Jee'Von Pratt, who were awarded at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter Honours Day Convocation on Sunday, May 1, 2022. Jee'Von was named co-salutatorian, and Student Council President, Kobe Forbes, was named valedictorian! Kobe has a 3.88 GPA, while Jee'Von has a GPA of 3.93. Jee’Von also received a prize for scoring the highest in the math test. The Alpha Phi, Inc. Honours Day Convocation highlights the top male students from high schools throughout The Bahamas. Well done, gentlemen! You have made us proud!
02 May, 2022
On Wednesday, April 27, 2022, the St. Augustine's College track team traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia to compete in the Penn Relays.  They were accompanied by Dawn Johnson, Team Manager, Jason Edwards, Athletic Director, Coach Dianne Woodside, Coach Je'Vaughn Saunders, Acting Principal Marici Thompson, and Outgoing Principal Sonja Knowles.  Senior, Brandon Hutchinson, jumped 14.30m, to claim the bronze medal in the high school boys' triple jump.  The girls 4X100 relay team of Zaria Stapelton, Lacarthea Cooper, Nya Wright and Amari Pratt finished in 12th position out of 500 teams with a time of 48.68. The girls 4X400 relay team of Lacarthea Cooper, Nya Wright, Amari Cooper and Reshae Dean finished in 16th position out of 451 schools with a time of 3:55.82. The boys 4X100 relay team of Johnathan Fowler, Tumani Skinner, Joshua and Otto Laing finished 25th out of 521 teams with a time of 42.86. The Boys 4X400 relay team of Clinton Laguerre, Jayden Plakaris, Tumani Skinner and Shimar Bain placed 12th out of 419 teams with a time of 3:17.30. Zaria Stapleton, Lacarthea Cooper, Nya Wright, and Amari Pratt tied for first place in the International Schools 4x100m Relay with a time of 48.26. Johnathan Fowler, Tumani Skinner, Joshua Miller and Shimar Bain placed third in the International Schools 4x100m Relay. Well done, saccers. We are proud of you all! 
29 Apr, 2022
On Friday, April 29, 2022, St. Augustine's College competed in the BAISS Swim Meet which was held at the Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex in Nassau, Bahamas.  Our swim team placed third, and we are extremely proud of their efforts and would like to thank them for representing the Big Red Machine. We also thank Coach Daria Adderley '88 for organizing our student-athletes for the event. See more photos here. Further, we would like to extend congratulations to those who won their respective events: Caleb Ferguson - Butterfly - First Place; 50m Freestyle - First Place (13-14) Maxwell Daniels - Butterfly - Second Place (12 and Under) Aiden Kemp - 50 Freestyle - Second Place (13-14) Myles Saunders - 100 Freestyle - Third Place Morgan Dillet - Butterfly - Second Place; 50m Backstroke - Third Place Dayna Ingraham - Butterfly - Third Place Cairo Bastian - 50m Breaststroke - First Place Jarrod Charles - 50m Breaststroke - Third Place   Third in the 200m Freestyle Relay (Girls 15 and Over) First in the 200m Freestyle Relay (Boys 13-14) Third in the 200m Freestyle Relay (Girls 13-14) Second in the 200m Freestyle Relay - (Girls 12 and Under) Third in the 200m Freestyle Relay - (Girls 12 and Under) Second in 200m Mixed Medley Relay (Boys 13-14)
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