Starting new can never be easy. You don’t know anyone, you  have to learn everything over, and you have to step out of your comfort zone. Salutatorian Katherine Jerge had to do all of this and more when she entered Bishop Noll as a freshman four years ago. She was the only one from her middle school, Wilbur Wright in Munster, to come to Noll, so she had several major adjustments in which to acclimate: wearing a uniform, adjusting to a Catholic school experience, and meeting new people.. However, that didn’t stop her quest for success.

  When I first came to Bishop Noll, I didn’t know anyone.  It’s been a wonderful experience to meet and form friendships with kids from various schools,Jerge said  “I have always enjoyed getting to know the faculty that I have been blessed to have as teachers.”

  “At the time, my mom had a cousin who was teaching at Bishop Noll.  He had always attempted to persuade me to attend the school, and I finally agreed to come to one of the open houses.  Once I was in the school, getting to experience the atmosphere, I was hooked.” Jerge said.

   Jerge came out on top, though. She started to excel in her classes, especially math and science, which helped guide her decision to go into health care at Valparaiso University.    Jerge chose Valpo for its small-school atmosphere after watching her older brother, who will be a senior there next fall, enjoy his experience as a college baseball player. She grew up being familiar with the school. “I also liked the feeling of a small, private school over a larger, public one,” she said.

  Like her older brother, Jerge excels in athletics in addition to academics. As an outside hitter, she went down to state with the volleyball team during her junior year. She attributes most of her success to her her parents.

  “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to attend Bishop Noll.  They’ve been extremely supportive in helping me always stay positive with my classes and reassuring me when my classes weren’t always the easiest,” she said.

  Her family is also her biggest support system. hey always let her know how proud they are of her.

 “I just wanted to make my teachers and particularly my parents proud.  They sacrificed to send me to school here and the most that I could do was work my hardest for them,” she said.I didn’t want to take any of their sacrifices for granted.I really had to manage my time and learn how to put my priorities first.”

  It came as a surprise to Jerge when she found out she was the salutatorian.

 “There are many intelligent peers in my grade who I always looked up to as being potential salutatorians or valedictorians,” she said.

  But the studying and time she put into her classes really did pay off. Now, she’ll be giving a speech to her entire graduating class, something Kat is both excited and frightened about.

  “I’m most nervous about actually having to deliver the speech,” she said. “Unfortunately, I am not gifted with the skill of public speaking.  Once I get over all the nerves, I’m sure I will be okay though.”

   “My advice for current Noll students is Never stop trying!  I wish I could say that all subjects are going to be easy, but that wouldn’t be fair of me to say.  No matter how hard something may be to learn, don’t give up hope until you’ve found your answer.”