"Hillside Catholic Academy Class of 2010 A Class Act”

Hillside Catholic Academy conducted its Sixth Annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday June 11, 2010 at Christ the King Church. Mrs. Maddalena Speer , Grade 8 teacher, announced the class had been awarded $33,500 in scholarship money to local Catholic high schools. This bring the total awarded to graduates of Hillside Catholic Academy to over $200,000 since the school opened in 2004.

Members of the Class of 2010 will be attending the following Catholic high schools;

Benedictine Academy

Roselle Catholic Regional High School

St. Mary's of the Assumption, Elizabeth, New Jersey

St. Vincent Academy

Union Catholic Regional High School

In addition two member of the Class of 2010 will be attending the Union County Magnet High School.

The Commencement Speaker was Detective Steven McDonald. Detective McDonald, a legendary figure in the New York City Police Department. He told his own story of how he came to forgive the young men who shot and paralyzed him. He also spoke of the need to keep God in one’s life. “Keep close to God and pray daily,” he advised the students.

McDonald also provided each member of the class with a copy of Johann Christoph Arnold’s , “Why Forgive?” McDonald wrote the foreword for the book.

The following comprised the Class of 2010

Ana Alves Paul A. Hakk Jr.

Denisha Raven Canady Michael Dwayne Herron Jr.

Teresa Marie Correia Tyrone W. Hodge Jr.

Kathleen Anne Cuff Kyle Gabriel Dela Cruz-Ramos

Brandon De Oliveira Shanae Allissa Smith

Ashton Malone-Dunson Zhiry N. Thompson

“They were an outstanding group of young men and women who bonded so nicely as a class,” stated Speer. “They worked hard all year and were a pleasure to teach."

The following members of the Class of 2010 won academic awards;

Art - Paul Haak

Language Arts - Teresa Marie Correia

Science - Teresa Marie Correia

Math - Kyle Gabriel Dela Cruz-Ramos

Physical Education - Michael Dwayne Herron Jr.

Social Studies - Kathleen Anne Cuff

Religion - Brandon De Oliveria

The Luke Porcopio Award for outstanding performance in Music was won by Denisha Canady.

The Valedictorian was Teresa Marie Correia. The Salutatorian Ashton Malone Dunson .

In her address Teresa Correia spoke of her experience at the school and why she enjoyed her time there so much. “There have been so many memories,’’ she stated. She then listed all of her teachers and what each one meant to her. “All of our teachers cared so much for each one of us.”