On Saturday, May 20th, at the Memorial Auditorium, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s class of 2023 will gather for their graduation. Two seniors, Charles Sander ’23 and William Gillick ’23, received the distinct honor to speak on behalf of their classmates, serving as the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the 2023 senior class.

Charles Sander, the valedictorian, will deliver a speech to commemorate the class of 2023’s time at Jesuit, and William Gillick, the salutatorian, will deliver the invocation, a meaningful prayer, to bless the class of 2023 as they celebrate their graduation. 

Through the many activities Charles has participated in, and the great contributions he’s made to the school, Charles has left a meaningful legacy that will always be remembered as he moves on into the next stage of his life. Mr. Colin O’Connor ’04 sees Charles’s dedication expand beyond the classroom and is impressed by his level of versatility and commitment. 

“ I’d be hard pressed to think of a student who I have continued to be surprised where I see him involved on campus,” Mr. O’Connor said. “We’re talking about a student who yes, definitely, is one of the top students in his class in terms of his GPA, but he’s also a member of the student council, he’s a cheerleader, he’s a thrower for the Track and Field team, he’s a leader in his Echelon Catapult program that he helped build I think when he was a sophomore.”

Charles gratefully accepts the meaningful award, but recognizes that the experiences with the rest of his class hold some of his most valuable memories at Jesuit, and he eagerly awaits to celebrate their legacy at graduation through the presentation of his speech. 

“I feel like my best memories and experiences of Jesuit high school have been my 4 years here, not necessarily just the award itself, but I’m honored to be able to share my thoughts with my class at graduation,” Charles said.

Mr. O’Connor also commemorates William for his faithful devotion and involvement on campus. He sees Will’s values to be authentic not only to the academic standards of Jesuit, but also to the spiritual and moral values that are taught. Mr. O’Connor is sure that Will’s vast leadership skills will be very helpful in his bright future.

“Will is one of the most prominent voices and figures for campus ministry on our campus,” Mr. O’Connor said. “He’s also a fantastic speech and debate team member and leader, especially these last couple years. He can do all kinds of different things, so I’m really curious to see what college life is going to be like for Will because he’s a rock-solid student with immense leadership potential and leadership practice in his senior year, so a lot of good things on the horizon for Will.”

Will is grateful to have been selected by his peers and teachers to become the Salutatorian due to all of his diligent spiritual work on campus, and he’s proud to have his faith and devotion recognized.

“It was cool because it was nice to know that my peers and my teachers who I’ve been with for four years had recognized me as somebody who’s a leader and a good religious moral compass,” Will said.

Although it is an amazing feeling to be honored and recognized with awards, Charles Sanders encourages current and future students to pursue what they’re passionate about, regardless of if they will be recognized or not.

“I don’t really think being valedictorian is something specifically you should strive for, but I’d just say do what you love and that’ll get you where you should and want to be regardless of whether or not you get an award,” Charles said. 

The time Charles and Will spent at Jesuit has not only been meaningful but has also left an indelible mark on the school because of their fidelity and dedication to the multiple activities they pursued. The Valedictorian and Salutatorian awards were given to two brilliant young men who undoubtedly possess bright futures in whatever path they choose.