Providence Catholic Announces 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Providence Catholic High School is proud to announce that Daniel Shusharin has been named Valedictorian and Celia Minonne has been named Salutatorian for the Class of 2026. These prestigious honors recognize the outstanding academic achievements, leadership, and dedication of both students throughout their years at Providence Catholic.
“Our Celtic community takes great pride in Daniel and Celia,” said Principal Paul Houston. “They are dedicated, talented individuals who have made a lasting impact on our school. As respected leaders among their peers, they are well-positioned for success in whatever paths they choose. We are excited to see all they will achieve in the years ahead.”
Valedictorian Daniel Shusharin, son of Alexander Shusharin and Victoria Shusharina, is a graduate of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School. He will attend Northwestern University, where he plans to major in Applied Mathematics.
Throughout his four years at Providence Catholic, Daniel has been actively involved in a number of academic and extracurricular activities. He is a four-year member of the Math Team and Coding Club, and he participated in Scholastic Bowl sophomore through senior years. In athletics, Daniel was a member of the volleyball team.
Daniel earned several academic distinctions, including Math Team Regional Champion (sophomore and junior years), Math Team State Champion (junior year), and the AP Calculus BC Award (junior year), highlighting his strong aptitude in mathematics and analytical thinking.
“Providence challenged me to think critically about my studies in my four years here,” said Daniel. “Academically, I was exposed to various viewpoints in my English classes, taught challenging mathematics that will become useful in the fast-paced environment of college, and given real hands-on experience in my science classes that will prepare me for the difficult labs in college.”
He added, “I am very fortunate to have many outstanding teachers at Providence, but I would like to specifically mention Ms. Gura for challenging me academically and pushing me to become the best writer possible. Even though math and science are what I am planning to focus on in college, I feel the work I did in my English classes made me a more well-rounded student overall.”
Salutatorian Celia Minonne, daughter of Francesco Minonne and Bernadette Cruz, is a graduate of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School and a parishioner at St. George Parish. She plans to pursue a degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Music.
During her four years at Providence Catholic, Celia has been a highly involved and well-rounded student. She is a four-year member of Band, Proviscope (student newspaper), Scholastic Bowl, and the Illinois Music Honor Society, and she participated in Math Team sophomore through senior year. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and is the founder of the Creative Writing Club. In addition, Celia served as a Sacristan and Eucharistic Minister, and senior year she was involved in both Theatre and Dungeons & Dragons Club.
Celia’s academic excellence has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Music Appreciation Award (freshman year), Geometry Honors Award (sophomore year), Algebra II Honors Award (junior year), and AP English Language and Composition Award (junior year). She also earned several distinguished music honors including the Woody Herman Jazz Award, Quincy Jones Musicianship Award, and Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. Celia was named a National Merit Commended Scholar, an Illinois State Scholar, and earned the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy. Additionally, she received six Superior ratings at the IHSA Solo and Ensemble Contest and was awarded the Augustinian High School Scholarship to Villanova University.
“Being at Providence these past four years has pushed me in so many more ways than I could have ever imagined. Both in and out of class I have had the wonderful opportunity to learn and grow alongside so many amazing people who have taught me so many priceless lessons, whether academic, spiritual, or social. Without Providence, I would not be the person that I am today,” says Celia.
She added, “I’ll always be grateful for the love and support I’ve received from everyone at Providence over these past four years. From my teachers and peers who always pushed me to work harder and learn more to my family and friends who cheered me on every step of the way, I could never have made it this far without them.”
