By Eli Boudreaux
This week we would like to spotlight Holy Cross Senior Blake Ziegler. Blake has attended Holy Cross since the sixth grade and has always been a role mode for our school code of the Holy Cross Man. Academically, Blake is a member of the Brother James McDonnell, C.S.C. Scholars Program and is currently ranked 1st in the senior class. Along with his top-ranking, Blake is also a National Merit Finalist. To add to his academic achievements, Blake is the Chairman of the Holy Cross Debate Program and is a City, District and State Champion, as well as a national qualifier and a participant in the Lincoln Douglas Debate. He was also named District Student of the year and is recognized as 5th in the State for Debate.
Other than his devotion to the Scholars Program, Blake is an active member of the Holy Cross Student Council, where he works with other upper-classmen in organizing and supporting student events. On top of his other duties, Blake is a trumpet player with the Holy Cross Tiger Band, and has served as Brass Captain his Junior year, as well as Band Captain his Senior Year. When talking about his time in the band program Blake has said, “The camaraderie among other band members, shared love of music, and the creation of a beautiful performance will always be lasting memories of my time at Holy Cross.” Outside of Holy Cross, Blake has worked as a teacher’s assistant for his synagogue, the Gates of Prayer.
Blake would like to specially thank the Scholars Program for helping to mold him to be the Holy Cross Man that he is today. Blake has said, “The program (Scholars) has opened me up to discover my different interests and grounded me to find what I want to be.” Through the Scholars program, Blake, is now working on his Senior Thesis for his AP Research Class. For members of the Scholars Program their Senior thesis is one of their biggest projects that they will work on in their high school career. For Blake, his thesis is science based, focusing on a biofuel shift towards renewable energy. The ultimate goal for his thesis is to look for a way to reduce carbon emissions and to make fuel use more efficient.
For all his time here at Holy Cross, Blake would like to thank The Holy Cross Administration for their work to make his high school career, as well as all students’ high school careers, as successful, enjoyable, and productive as these years at Holy Cross have been for him. Blake would like to thank the teachers that have gotten him this far in his high school career, including, Mr. Arthur, Mr. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Ranner, Mrs. Chabreck, Coach Lindsey, Coach Westfall, Mr. Evison, and Dr. Karen.
After graduation, Blake plans to go to college and major in Political Science and Philosophy, with the hope of having a career in law. When I asked him what his ultimate life goal is he said that it would to be on the Supreme Court of the United States. So far, Blake has already been accepted in several Universities including: Mississippi State, Louisiana State University, Alabama University, Tulane, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Notre Dame, and Columbia University. The Holy Cross family would like to wish Blake well, as he will graduate in May with the class of 2019, we look forward to seeing what the next chapter in his life will bring for this Holy Cross Man.