Providence Announces Valedictorian and Salutatorian for Class of 2020
Providence Catholic High School Principal, Dr. John Harper, announced Christopher Cokinos as the Class of 2020 Valedictorian and Ryan Hilty as Salutatorian. “We are very proud of these academically gifted students who are very strong leaders among their peers both in and out of the classroom. We know they have very bright futures,” offered Harper.
Valedictorian Christopher Cokinos is the son of Peter and Tracy Cokinos. He is a graduate of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School (Orland Hills), a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Orland Park), and a resident of Frankfort. Cokinos will attend Villanova University and will study Political Science. Christopher has been a member of the Providence Catholic high honor roll all semesters and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is an Illinois State Scholar and received numerous academic subject awards from the school including English 1 Honors, Algebra 1 Honors, Biology Honors, Spanish II, AP United States History, AP Government, AP Language, Chemistry Honors, Pre-Calculus Honors, and Geometry Honors. Outside of the classroom, Christopher is active in the Scholastic Bowl, Mock Trial, Augustinian Youth Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, Student Augustinian Values Institute (SAVI), and served as a Sacristan.
“My teachers here have pushed me to go above and beyond the typical classroom expectations to truly get me to be ready for college. Not only am I challenged here, but I am also given the skills to be successful in college and whatever comes next,” says Christopher.
Salutatorian Ryan Hilty is the son of Dave and Carleen Hilty. He is a graduate of St. Mary Catholic School (Mokena), a parishioner at St. Mary Catholic Parish (Mokena), and a resident of Mokena. Hilty will attend Saint Louis University and will study Biomedical engineering with a plan to go into dental school after getting an undergraduate degree. Ryan has been a member of the Providence Catholic high honor roll all semesters and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is an Illinois State Scholar and received numerous academic subject awards from the school including Geometry Honors, Algebra II Honors, AP Scholar with Distinction, and National Merit Scholar Commendation. Outside of the classroom, Ryan has been active on the golf team, has served as Golf captain, and was a golf state qualifier his senior year. In addition, he was active in the Augustinian Youth Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, Math Team, Scholastic Bowl, Theatre, and the Spanish National Honors Society. Ryan also served as a Sacristan, Eucharistic Minister, and Kairos leader during his time at Providence Catholic.
“Providence has provided me with the knowledge to succeed in more ways than one,” says Ryan. “The classes and teachers here have really helped me to discover what I truly enjoy doing and what I want to do with my life. High school is a challenge, but Providence has found a way to academically push me in a way that will help me to thrive at the next level of education. It has really helped me feel like I am ready to learn even more as I prepare for my future.”