Marquette Catholic High School announced Friday the summa cum laude members of its Class of 2026. 23 seniors earned cumulative grade-point averages of 4.00 or higher during their tenures and will therefore graduate with the highest academic honors attainable when the school celebrates its commencement on Wednesday, June 10th. This year’s summa cum laude graduates combined to earn 1,131 dual credits, an average of over 49 dual credits per student.

The Class of 2026’s summa cum laude cohort is headlined by valedictorian Aleksandar Pecoski and salutatorian Enrico V. Ortega-Chick, who amassed the highest and second-highest cumulative grade-point averages of their class, respectively. 

Pecoski, who will attend Indiana University to study neuroscience and psychology with a minor in business, will depart Marquette with an impressive 63 dual credits. He currently serves as vice president of student government and was heavily involved in National Honor Society, DECA, and peer tutoring in the classroom. Outside the classroom, Pecoski starred on the tennis and basketball courts and is currently on the baseball team. Furthermore, he is on track to achieve 200 volunteer hours.

Ortega-Chick, who is deciding between Hope College, Butler University, and Indiana University, has accrued 75 dual credits during his outstanding tenure at Marquette. He served as a class representative in student government while remaining highly active in DECA, National Honor Society, La Porte County Leadership Program, in addition to roles as a peer tutor, student ambassador, and group leader during the freshman retreat. He also participated in theatre, baseball, basketball, and track and field. Ortega-Chick, who plans to study finance, took part in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition.

The 23 summa cum laude honorees and the colleges they plan to attend are:

Aleksandar Pecoski (Indiana University) 

Enrico V. Ortega-Chick (undecided)

Nathan Bakota (Purdue University)

Leah Bartnicki (University of Indianapolis)

Eleanor Crane (Saint Mary’s College)

Jamie Herrin (undecided)
 
Andrew Hoang (Purdue Northwest)
 
Ruby Hook (University of Vermont) 

Grace Johnson (undecided)

Cypriana Kerwin (Purdue Northwest)

Delaney Kruis (Indiana University) 

Leighton Kurtich (undecided) 

Lyla Lanovich (undecided)

Johnathan Madura (Valparaiso University)

Trenton Moyer (Indiana University)

Liam Neary (Indiana University)

Maxwell Olesker (Purdue University)

Addison Penziol (Holy Cross College)

McKenzie Pitchford (Michigan State University)

Kaitlyn Rivera (Purdue University)

Yiru Wang (University of Washington)

Della Wittorp (Purdue University)

Xinyi Zheng (Simmons University)