The Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony for Our Lady of the Angels Academy was held June 8 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Nesquehoning.

The Rev. Francis Schoenauer was the presider, the Rev. Kenneth Medve served as homilist, and the Rev. James Burdess distributed the awards.The following students received diplomas: Anthony Costello, Seth Feisel, Adam Gilbert, Jakub Kantyka, Keith McCall, Jacob McLaughlin, Zachary Trubilla, Maxwell Vermillion, Sarah Giordano, Courtney Kovatch, Alexa Sandefer and Antonina Zeleniak.Awards for Excellence in the major subject areas were given as follows: Religion, Courtney Kovatch; Mathematics, Antonina Zeleniak; Science, Sarah Giordano; Language Arts, Alexa Sandefer; Social Studies, Keith McCall; Literature and Reading, Seth Feisel.An award for scholarship for the highest general average in the eighth-grade class was presented to Maxwell Vermillion. An award for scholarship for the second-highest general average in the eighth grade class was presented to Keith McCall.The President's Education Awards Program was initiated in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan to recognize the nation's students for their outstanding academic performance and achievements.Each recipient of the President's Award for Educational Excellence must have earned a grade-point average of 90 on a 100 point scale through grades six, seven, and during the first semester of grade eight and a high achievement on a standardized test battery score in math or reading.The following graduating students have met these criteria and are awarded the President's Award for Academic Excellence: Seth Feisel, Keith McCall, Maxwell Vermillion, Courtney Kovatch, and Alexa Sandefer.Other awards presented were as follows:Principal's Award: Keith McCall.Diocese of Allentown Bishop's Scholarship: Seth Feisel, Jacob McLaughlin, Courtney Kovatch, Alexa Sandefer and Antonina Zeleniak.Connell McCall Memorial Grant: Anthony Costello.Paul J. Nester Jr. Scholarship: Seth Feisel.The Margaret Shober Scholarship: Jacob McLaughlin.IHM Math Contest certificates were awarded to: Antonina Zeleniak, first place; Alexa Sandefer, second place; and Sarah Giordano, Courtney Kovatch, and Jacob McLaughlin, third place tie.The Home and School Association presented each graduate with a rosary as a graduation gift.