Baccalaureate, commencement set for John Cooper Class of 2018

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The John Cooper School will celebrate Baccalaureate May 24 and Class of 2018 commencement May 25.

• Thursday, May 24
• The John Cooper School Baccalaureate
• Glenn Performing Arts Center • 7:00 PM

Jonathan Cardinal, youth ministry coordinator for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, will give the address at The John Cooper School Baccalaureate on May 24 at 7 p.m. in the Glenn Performing Arts Center on campus. A native of League City, Texas, Cardinal received a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Catechetics and a master’s degree in Catechetics and Evangelization from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

Music for Baccalaureate will be provided by Cooper’s StringSensation, under the direction of Nancy Theeman, and the invocation will be given by Mary and Theresa Dunlap, both members of the Class of 2018. Head of Upper School Stephen Popp will give the opening remarks and Head of School Michael Maher will give the closing remarks. Under the direction of Rae Moses, this traditional Baccalaureate will also feature the Upper School Choir singing “I Was Here,” an anthem that proclaims the singer’s desire to do something that will leave a mark on the world.

• Friday, May 25
• The John Cooper School Commencement
• Dunlap Gymnasium • 2:00 PM

Commencement for The John Cooper School Class of 2018 will be held in the Dunlap Gymnasium on campus on Friday, May 25 beginning at 2 p.m. Senior Carina Masuelli will sing the national anthem. Fellow seniors Marcus Smith will give the invocation, Gurtej Gill will share his thoughts as class speaker and Sreya Nalluri will present a senior class gift to the school. Obielumani Amudo will give the valedictory address and Chairman of the Board of Trustees David Dunlap will give a message to senior parents prior to the awarding of diplomas.

As is tradition, the Upper School Choir, under the direction of Rae Moses, will be joined by faculty and alumni to sing “An Old Irish Blessing” and the band will provide instrumental music under the direction of Tony Yarbrough. Following Commencement, faculty, administrators and trustees will form a welcome line to congratulate each of the 97 members of The John Cooper School Class of 2018. This Cooper tradition symbolizes the transition from high school to college and “from curiosity to wisdom.”

About The 2018 John Cooper School Valedictorian

Obielumani Amudo has been a Cooper student since her sophomore year and has been named valedictorian for The John Cooper School Class of 2018. Born in Brunei, Amudo has lived in Oman, Nigeria, Australia, South Africa and the United States. During her three years at Cooper, Amudo has excelled as a student, artist, athlete and leader. A skilled painter, she has won scholarships and awards for her art. As Class President her junior and senior years, she took leadership rolls coordinating spirit programs and a class-wide project through the local chapter of Meals on Wheels. A leader on the track and field team, Amudo set new school records in the long jump and triple jump, capturing first place in state and named All-SPC in the triple jump for the last two years. Amudo was named Top Scholar for each of the last three years and will be attending Harvard University in the fall.

For more information about The John Cooper School, visit www.johncooper.org.