Congrats to our grads! The best is yet to come.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

As we bring another school year to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight our 2021 Julie Billiart Schools graduates. This school year has certainly challenged everyone in our community but our 8th graders persevered and finished their JB education with strength, resilience, and hope for the future. Please enjoy getting to know our graduates just as much as we’ve enjoyed their time at JB!

Julie Billiart Akron

Rhiannon Kasunic - Heading to Lake Catholic High School
One thing we have learned about Rhiannon is how passionate she is about school and helping others. During her time at JB, she has really embodied what it means to be part of the JB family. Some of her favorite things since she joined us in 7th grade have been meeting her teachers, making new friends, getting good grades, and learning new things. She would like to thank Mrs. Goler and Mrs. Katsilis for taking the time to get to know her, help her figure out the JB way to learn, and ultimately gain confidence as a student. She is obsessed with science! It’s her favorite subject because she gets to learn and do science experiments. She loves science and helping people so much that she wants to be a nurse practitioner when she grows up. We can’t wait to see how Rhiannon helps others in the future!

Lisa Hilton - Heading to North Royalton High School
Lisa loves the playground, art therapy, and bunnies. At school she also enjoys learning about science and the solar system. Looking back on her time at JB, she is going to miss her teachers and Sydney (the JB Akron therapy dog). She’s excited to see her very best friends and make new friends in high school. Lisa wants to thank her teachers for everything they have done to help her become the student she is today, specifically Ms. Lilley, Mrs. Goler, and Mrs. Katsilis. An important thing for Lisa is being a good person and her friends inspire her to do good every day. When she grows up she wants to be an inventor, a scientist, or a designer. She also wants to be a mom. We know regardless of what career she chooses, her creativity will certainly shine through.

Julie Billiart Lyndhurst

Darren Robinson - Heading to Lawrence School
Darren has been with the Julie Billiart Schools family since starting Kindergarten in 2012. Over his academic career, he has enjoyed making friends, learning, dance parties, field day, and Boo Breakfast. He’s really excited about making new friends and playing sports in high school but he will certainly miss all of his friends from JB. Inspired by his dad, who is a police officer, Darren would like to be a firefighter when he grows up. He would like to thank his parents, his friend Nico Varanese, and all of his other friends at JB for always supporting him. We know Darren would make a great first responder and wish him all the best!

Ava Sturznickel - Heading to Our Lady of the Elms
Ava joined JB in the 4th grade and has really enjoyed her time here. She is sad to leave behind all of the friends she’s made and her incredible teachers but she’s very excited to start high school. She is looking forward to making new friends, bowling, and playing volleyball. One of her favorite things at JB is art, so much so that she wants to be an artist when she grows up (her medium of choice is paint). Some of her favorite things outside of school are her pug named Henry because he’s cute and Taylor Swift because she’s kind. She would like to take a moment to thank her mom. According to Ava, she is the reason Ava was able to come to JB and she does everything she can for Ava and her brother. Ava is grateful to be her daughter. We are excited to see Ava’s future masterpieces!

Nico Varanese - Heading to Mayfield High School
Nico enjoyed his time at JB because of how easy it was to make friends, how much he has learned, and all of the teachers who made learning fun along the way. There are many people and things that inspire Nico, so his future career plans could include anything from a professional boxer or mechanic to an architect or even a computer software specialist. He is really grateful for all of his friends but especially his friend Darren (who is also graduating this year). Darren has always been there for him, helped him when he was stuck, and is just a great person, so he wants to thank him for his friendship. We wish him the best of luck in high school as we know he’s looking forward to continuing school and making new friends!

Lander Austin-McManamon - Heading to Lawrence School
Though Lander has only been at JB since the 7th grade, he has had an incredible experience in the past couple of years. Science and math are two of his favorite subjects, specifically when the lessons are on biology or complex numbers. He really enjoys working with all of his teachers and all of the friends he has made. In high school, he’s most excited about all of the new topics he will get to learn. He can solve a Rubik’s cube in under a minute! He finds motivation and inspiration in all sorts of places and he enjoys meeting new people and finding new things that inspire him. He would like to pursue a career as a scientist, biologist, computer coder, or electrical engineer. We have no doubt that whatever career path he takes, he’s going to change the world. He wants to thank his mom and his dad for always taking care of him, being there for him, and helping him to get to where he is.

Connor Clink - Heading to St. Edwards High School
Connor is a big cat fanatic - he is your go-to resource in the 8th grade for everything lions, tigers, cheetahs, you name it! He’s so inspired by animals that he wants to be a Zoo Keeper when he grows up. Throughout his many years at JB, he has enjoyed making friends, getting to learn from his teachers, spending time in the library, reading, and seeing his mom at Aftercare. One of his favorite memories at JB was going to the zoo with Sr. Sharon, and he will certainly miss spending time with her. Lastly, when asked who helped him get to where he is today, he wanted to say thank you to everyone. We wish him the best of luck at St. Eds!

Londyn Taylor - Heading to Beaumont School
Londyn is our in-house movie buff. She enjoys all kinds of movies from ones that are recent to movies like Sweet Home Alabama and The Notebook. She has impeccable taste in movies. Her passion for movies has inspired her so much that she wants to go to Princeton to be a Director when she grows up. She came to JB in the 1st grade and has made a ton of memories since she arrived. She really enjoys spending time with her friends and Mrs. Davis-Frecker. One of her favorite memories is getting the opportunity to be the Julie Billiart School Lyndhurst Ambassador and attending a donor meeting in 5th grade. Looking back on her years at JB she really wants to thank all of her friends she’s made, Mrs. Davis-Frecker because she really inspires her to work hard, and her teachers. We know she is destined to do great things!

Lilia Hoffman - Heading to Shaker Heights High School
Lilia’s imagination makes every day special at JB. She joined us in 6th grade and fit into the JB family right away. She has a passion for reading and writing, and even enjoys writing her own science fiction short stories. Her love for reading led her to spend a lot of time in the library reading and helping Mrs. Bennett. When she takes her next steps into high school, she’s excited about having access to new books, resources, and clubs. Throughout her years here, she has always felt like she belonged. Lilia said, “everyone here is a little different, and we all know and accept each other for who we are. Everyone understands what it’s like to be different, and we know that’s what makes us special.” Lilia wants to thank her teachers, family, and friends for helping her get to where she is. She hopes her passion for knowledge leads her to a career in biology and nature conservation. We know wherever she sends up, she is going to make a difference!

Colton Mazey - Heading to St. Edward High School
Colton, who came to JB in 5th grade, has enjoyed his time here and will miss all of his friends when he goes to high school. As a huge technology enthusiast, he loves to spend time in computer class. He enjoys learning about new technologies and playing computer and video games. When asked about his favorite memories or what he really enjoys about school, his answer was simple: his teachers. According to Colton, “they are really nice, they help him when he’s struggling, and they are really really funny.” His teachers are the people he would thank for helping him make it to high school. At St. Ed, he’s looking forward to learning more, making new friends, and getting involved in extracurricular activities like bowling. He wants to be a Cedar Point ride operator and has dreams of one day helping with the design and creation of roller coasters. With his determination and passion for knowledge, we know he will be building coasters in no time!

Melia Markley - Heading to Riverside High School
Melia has always enjoyed school and learning, with her favorite subject being science because she loves to learn about plants and cells. Throughout her time at JB, her favorite memory was and will always be spooky library and boo breakfast (very popular amongst our 8th graders). She will miss her friends, teachers, and everything about JB when she graduates. She would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. C, Ms. Hopson, and Ms. Larson for helping her get to where she is today. She hopes her passion for science leads her to owning her own plant shop and maybe even becoming an arborist. We know she’ll be a big dill wherever she ends up, Good luck Melia!

Colin Bryant - Heading to Twinsburg High School
Colin is always making people laugh and smile and his bright personality and sense of humor will be missed next year. He really enjoys school and his favorite subject is math. He will miss his teachers, friends, and picnics after graduation but is excited to make new friends and memories in high school. He hopes his career leads him down the path to owning his own playground business. At JB, he would like to thank Mrs. Zenobi and Mrs. Johnston for always being there, helping him, and getting him to where he is today. His parents are his biggest inspiration. Best of luck at Twinsburg, we know you’ll achieve whatever you put your mind to!

Our students hit the books and made the most out of this unprecedented year and we are so proud of them. So here’s to the graduating class of 2021 - you did it! We cannot wait to see the amazing things you accomplish in the future. Please know that you are always a part of the JB Family.

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