NEW LENOX (May 8, 2025) – Providence Catholic High School is proud to announce James Piko has been named Valedictorian and Katherine Timm has been named Salutatorian for the Class of 2025. These prestigious honors recognize the outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and dedication of both students throughout their years at Providence Catholic.
“Our Celtic community is extremely proud of Jimmy and Katherine,” said Principal Paul Houston. “They are talented, hard-working individuals who have made significant contributions to our school. As strong leaders among their peers, they have bright futures ahead of them, both in and beyond the classroom. We look forward to seeing all they will accomplish.”
Valedictorian James Piko, son of Susan and Jim Piko, is a graduate of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School and a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. He will pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business at the University of Notre Dame. He is an Illinois State Scholar and achieved a perfect 36 on the ACT, a highlight of his academic achievements.
Throughout his four years at Providence Catholic, James has been actively involved in academics, service, leadership, athletics, and faith life. He served all four years in the Augustinian Youth Ministry (AYM), participating in service projects such as Feed My Starving Children, youth camp counseling, and various food and clothing drives. A dedicated student, James is a member of the National Honor Society and served as President during his senior year. He is also a member of the IALAC 2.0 Inclusion Organization, Habitat for Humanity, and the Spanish Honor Society.
James has been deeply involved in his faith community at Providence, serving as a Sacristan and helping prepare for All-School Masses during his junior and senior years. He is also the co-founder of the Chess Club.
Among his many academic honors, James was named a 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Candidate, received the Award of Academic Excellence and Celtic Scholar Award with Distinction all four years, and earned the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish.
In athletics, James has been a four-year member of the Providence Catholic Varsity Soccer Team, serving as Captain for the last two years. He was named Varsity MVP in his junior and senior seasons and earned All-Conference honors all four years. He was recognized as All-Sectional Honorable Mention as a junior and All-Sectional as a senior. During senior year, James was named All-State by chicagolandsoccer.org, selected for the Herald News All-Area team, the Daily Southtown All-Area team, and honored as the CCL Co-Player of the Year. James also played on the freshman basketball team and has been a long-time player with the Chicago Fire Juniors and Chicagoland United Club Soccer Team since 2012.
Beyond school and sports, James has worked as a golf caddie at Crystal Tree Country Club since 2023. He also broadened his academic interests by attending the University of Illinois Engineering Camp and was selected to participate in the Illinois Youth Leadership Seminar in 2023.
“Providence provides a rigorous schedule that mirrors the challenging curriculum of college more closely than the majority of other high schools. I am grateful for the challenging nature of my schoolwork as I believe it will spare me the shock of the demanding workload college will throw at me. I have the confidence to face the challenges of college head on because of my time here at Providence,” says James. “I would like to thank my parents and all of my teachers, but a special thank you to Ms. Gura, Mrs. Begeske, Mr. De Vivo, and Mr. Potempa for going above and beyond to pique my interest in the classroom and help me with whatever I needed outside of it.”
Salutatorian Katherine Timm, daughter of Margo and Kevin Timm, is a graduate of St. Joseph School in Lockport and a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish. She will attend the University of Chicago, where she plans to major in History and minor in Mathematics. Katherine is recognized as both an Illinois State Scholar and a National Merit Scholar and achieved a perfect 36 on the ACT – honors that reflect her outstanding academic ability and accomplishment.
During her four years at Providence Catholic, Katherine has been a well-rounded and highly engaged student, contributing to a wide variety of academic, extracurricular, and service-oriented activities. She has been a dedicated member of the Band, Math Team, and Scholastic Bowl Team all four years, serving as Captain of Scholastic Bowl junior and senior years. She is a four-year member of Tri-M/Illinois Music Honor Society, serving as Treasurer her senior year. Katherine’s passion for writing and journalism is evident through her four-year involvement with the Proviscope student newspaper, where she currently serves as Editor. She is also a member of the Creative Writing Club.
Her extracurricular involvement also includes Forensics Club (sophomore year), Girls Support Girls (junior year), and the Student Augustinian Values Institute (SAVI) from sophomore through senior year. Katherine is a member of the Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society, both during her junior and senior years. She served as a Sacristan and was selected as a Kairos Leader in her senior year, demonstrating leadership in faith and service.
Katherine’s academic excellence earned her numerous honors and awards throughout her high school career. These include Social Studies Student of the Month (sophomore year), Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy (earned from sophomore to senior year), AP Scholar (junior year), and several top placements in competitive mathematics, such as 7th Place in the Illinois State Math Competition for Geometry (sophomore year) and 2nd Place Individual in the Chicago Math Teachers’ Association Competition (senior year). She was awarded the Sullivan Family Mathematics Scholarship and earned a Perfect Score in the IHSA Solo Music Competition during her senior year.
In addition, Katherine consistently received Academic Awards in a wide range of subjects, including Health, Cadet Band, Spanish 1, Introduction to Technology, Geometry Honors, English 1 Honors, Algebra II Honors, Chemistry Honors, Band, English 2 Honors, AP U.S. History, New Testament, Church History, AP English Language, Pre-Calculus Honors, AP U.S. Government, and Band Honors.
“At PCHS, all my teachers pushed me to work hard, think critically, and solve difficult problems. During my time here, I read fascinating books, debated important issues, and created projects of which I am extremely proud. In short, I would say Providence prepared me for college by encouraging me to learn all I can about the world and to be creative as I do it,” says Katherine. “I would like to thank my family, my friends, and my teachers, especially Ms. Gura, who made me a better writer, Mr. Freeman, who encouraged my passion for history, Mrs. Begeske, who taught me how to solve problems creatively, and Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Potempa, who showed me kindness both throughout my time and Providence and by helping me write my graduation speech.”