Head of School Letter: Celebrating the Class of 2023

Tomorrow morning we will celebrate and honor the Centennial Class of 2023 as they become Shorecrest’s newest graduates. Their achievements reflect the hard work and vast talents of this diverse group of 91 individuals. As Shorecrest continues to celebrate its centennial and embark on a second century of creating lifelong learners who value academic excellence, physical well-being, creative achievement and a commitment to social responsibility, I want to share some of the impressive accomplishments of the Class of 2023. 

These seniors have challenged themselves academically throughout their Shorecrest careers. This month they took a total of 182 Advanced Placement Exams; and throughout their four years at Shorecrest most have participated in Honors and Advanced Placement courses. A number of students elected to be a part of Shorecrest’s Signature Programs; three Chargers will graduate with their Global Scholars Initiative (GSI) diplomas and nine seniors will earn STEAM certificates. Ten students created Independent Studies in subjects such as Vietnam Through Many Eyes, Advanced Spanish V, Intro to C# computer programing, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Transplant Medicine, Robotics, and World Religions, among other topics.

100% of the graduates of the Class of 2023 were accepted into a college of their choice. The 91 members of the Class of 2023 were accepted by a total of 173 different schools and will attend 51 colleges in 22 different states. The acceptance rate for this class’s applications into colleges and universities was an impressive 63%. Fifty members of the graduating class are choosing to attend college outside the state of Florida and 36 students will be the only Shorecrest student to attend their college or university. Nearly 20% of the senior class applied and was accepted Early Decision into their chosen college or university. A number of students will enter the Honors programs at their colleges, entering their universities as designated Scholars, selected for special talents and skills. In addition, thus far the Class of 2023 has earned over $9.5 million dollars in scholarships for their college careers, with additional scholarship funds still being awarded for this fall. 

Three Shorecrest seniors were named National Merit Finalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and two of these three students are receiving college-sponsored scholarships. Seven members of the Class of 2023 were awarded National Merit Commended Scholar status and three seniors also received National Hispanic Recognition Awards. 60% of the Class of 2023 were eligible to receive a FL Bright Futures Scholarship: 36 qualified as Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholars and 16 earned the distinction as Florida Bright Futures Medallion Scholars. 

The Class of 2023 includes numerous talented athletes who have been role models for the school’s younger students. Their involvement has supported the Shorecrest athletic program; their sportsmanship and participation leave a positive legacy. This class has athletes who over their four years of interscholastic competition have been leaders in highly competitive athletic programs such as the state championship Football team, Boys & Girls Soccer, Swimming, Golf, Tennis and Track & Field. Five seniors will be pursuing NCAA sports as they move into their college athletic careers. We will miss their talents at Shorecrest and wish them well as they compete on the collegiate level.  

Artists abound in the Class of 2023! There are thespians who earned recognition and awards for their talents in the class. Just this year alone, six seniors earned accolades from the Broadway Star of the Future program, which honors artistic excellence in Tampa Bay and is presented by the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Visual artists in this class also earned distinctions from the 2023 Pinellas County Art Region of The Scholastic Art Awards program, including a Shorecrest recipient of the National Gold Scholastic Art Award. Student musicians performed in groups and individually for the community throughout the school year, and dazzled their audience with their talent. A number of students will continue their artistic career in performing and visual arts on the collegiate level. We are delighted with their artistic pursuits and look forward to their successes on the stage and in galleries. 

Service learning is an important component of Shorecrest’s educational mission. This year’s Senior Class completed over 10,000 service hours. They traveled locally and across the nation for their Service Week commitments. Some notable or popular nonprofit organizations served by Shorecrest students include The Kind Mouse, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Ronald McDonald House, Feeding Tampa Bay, Teen Court, church youth groups, synagogues, Special Olympics, and the St. Pete Free Clinic.

Family connections are an important component of community-building here at Shorecrest. The Class of 2023 includes seven legacy students, with at least one parent who attended Shorecrest in the past. In addition 22 students are “lifers” at Shorecrest. This senior class also includes three students who are children of current faculty/staff members. And there are six sets of twins in the Class of 2023, a first for Shorecrest!

Near or far, we know that the Shorecrest Class of 2023 will remain Chargers, committed to lifelong learning and to making a positive difference in the world. We are so proud of these accomplished individuals and look forward to watching them excel not only in colleges and universities, but also in their professional and personal adult lives.  

Well done, Class of 2023! We are proud of you and send congratulations to you and your families on this milestone occasion. 

All the best, 

Nancy

Learn more about the Class of 2023 or stream Commencement live online at www.shorecrest.org/2023. 

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