Montgomery Catholic has 21 Seventh Grade Duke TIP Qualifiers

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School has 21 seventh graders who have qualified for the The Duke University Talent Identification Program or Duke TIPS program for the 2013-2014 academic year. The 7th Grade Talent Search, which focuses on the identification, recognition, and support of high-ability students, offers qualifying seventh grade students the opportunity to take college entrance exams alongside high school students. Many 7th Grade Talent Search participants go on to earn exceptionally high scores.  Those who qualified are: Annie Bach, Anna Katherine Barranco, Erica Blackburn, Jacob Flowers, Jonah Gier, Anna Mary Gilbert, Dylon Godwin, Reagan Herbek, Grace Leslie, Madeline Losik, Ethan Macchia, Thomas McLaughlin, Demetrios Philippou, Zoe Rutland, Drew Smith, Chloe Smith, Sydney Sprowl, Emily Talbot, Hunter Vaccaro, Grant Walker, and Benjamin Wilke.

Montgomery Catholic's Ravelo Spends the Summer at Duke

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Senior Guillermo Ravelo attended The Futures Institute: Shaping Tomorrow Now at Duke University for two weeks over the summer. Guillermo was challenged to develop the critical skill set of Futures Thinking and to apply that skill set to his personal development, academic direction, and life goals. The Duke TIPS program allows students to discover emerging trends in sustainability, nanotechnology, urbanization, biotechnology, medicine, artificial intelligence, robotics, brain science, and digital communication, create working strategies and bold responses to real world questions, helping to establish global transformation and solve planetary dilemmas, develop critical thinking that puts you on the cutting edge of social change and human development and helps develop a deeper understanding of the driving forces that are producing a rapidly expanding, volatile, and increasingly complex future.

A major focus of the course was to help students to recognize patterns, systems, emerging issues, and weak signals of change across social, economic, environmental, technological, and political domains. The week ended in team projects that explored innovations that were designed to be of benefit to future residents of megacities in emerging economies. According to his evaluation, Ravelo had a "meticulous eye for detail, intellectual curiosity and analytical skills"  that added to the course. "Guillermo lived up to the very high standards that are set for the students at the Futures Institute. He is clearly an astute observer of the world around him. His desire to learn and his intellectual focus will aid him in whatever he decides to pursue."

Guillermo is a member of the Loretto Chapter of Nation Honor Society at Montgomery Catholic, and the son of Marta and Cesar Ravelo of Montgomery, Ala.

Two Montgomery Catholic Students Give a Gift to those in Need

Ninth Grade MCPS student Ansley Rhode,
with her donation for Locks of Love.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory Students continue to give to those in need outside of school. This summer ninth grade student Ansley Rhode and first grade student Sophia Lopez both chose to cut their hair and make a donation to Locks of Love.

Locks of Love's mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.

Ansley has been growing her hair out for three years in order to donate to Locks of Love. On Wednesday, July 10 she got 10 inches of her hair cut at Salon Couture by Marty Mueller. Although a bit nervous, Ansley knew this would make a difference in someones life, and the made it worth it for her. Ansley was inspired to donate to Locks of Love by her sister Abby who donated her hair 2 years ago. She and her sister both plan to continue donating their hair in the future. Ansley is the daughter of Brenda and Chuck Rohde of Montgomery.

First Grade MCPS student Sophia Lopez, donates for the first time.

Sophia was excited to get short hair and bangs!  She was equally as excited when she learned she could make someone who is very sick "happy" again by donating her long hair to be made into a wig. Her mother Julie Lopez said, "it was a proud parenting moment, and one that illustrated and conveyed love far better than words ever could." Sophia went to Voila! Salon in Pike Road to have her hair cut by Maegan Humphries in July. Sophia loves her new, sassy, grown-up 'do. Her parents, Julie and Rod Lopez of Montgomery, are very proud of her.

Visit www.locksoflove.org for more information on donations to Locks of Love.