St. Theresa Middle announces Students of the Year

St. Theresa Middle School has chosen its Student of the Year candidates in fifth and eighth grades.

Jack Rodrigue was selected as the fifth grade Student of the Year.  Jack is an active member in the St. Theresa Middle Robotics Club. This school year, his team won first place for the Engineering Project in the National Lego League WWII Robotics Challenge. He is also involved in Pack 65 Cub Scouts and has won awards for his participation in Pancake Campout Cooking Competition, Father/Son Cake Bake-Off, Pinewood Derby and Egg Drop Engineering Award.  

In 2022, Jack was awarded the Parvuli Dei religious emblem by the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He works with his peers to complete various tasks focusing on outdoor and survival skills, being a good citizen as well as service to God and community. Jack is an altar server and has served as a group leader at Vacation Bible School at St. Theresa of Avila Church. 

He has been honored on the school’s principal's list, as well as received the highest Scholastic Awards each semester at St. Theresa Middle. In his spare time, Jack participates in basketball, piano lessons and art lessons. He is the son of Brian and Sarah Rodrigue and brother to Cameron Rodrigue.

Jonathan Heintz was selected as the eighth grade Student of the Year. Jonathan is active in the St. Theresa Middle Robotics team, where serves is as the secretary for the club. He is an active member of Boy Scouts and currently serves as the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader of his troop. He has blessed his community by cleaning yard debris for the elderly, assisting with house repairs to structures damaged by hurricanes, sorting canned goods at the church food pantry, serving food at the Knights of Columbus Policeman Banquet, as well as fixing drainage at a National Guard base. 

In the past few years he has won the Parvuli Dei Award and Our Lady Award from Boy Scouts, Principal’s List, Patrick F. Taylor Award and Beta Club Award for scholastic achievement and several team awards through the St. Theresa Middle Senior Robotics Team. Jonathan enjoys hunting, spending time with his family, and experiencing new things.  He is the son of Jonathan and Jean Heintz and brother to Hallie and Peter Heintz.

Student of the Year is an award given to a fifth and eighth grade student each year. Each school in the Diocese of Baton Rouge recognizes students who have demonstrated excellence in the following areas: leadership, discipleship, citizenship and service. Students who are selected must create a portfolio to showcase these areas as well as write an essay. The students then compete at their grade level with students from other schools in the diocese.  

A panel of judges will review each student’s portfolio and select some to move on to the next part in the process, which is the interview. The judges will then select one fifth grade student and one eighth grade student to represent the Diocese of Baton Rouge as Student of the Year in his or her respective grade. Students chosen will then move on to compete at the regional and state levels.