Silas G., an eighth-grade Honor Roll student at St. Martin de Porres Catholic School (SMdP), had no shortage of scholarship offers from top Catholic high schools—four of them, in fact. He gladly accepted the Affinity Award Scholarship from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School.
Silas’s parents were thrilled. His mom, Selena Gilbert, shared, “St. Joseph’s Prep alumni came to the house to present Silas with his acceptance envelope! They put a sign in our yard saying ‘Accepted to The Prep’! I had tears of joy because I know The Prep is the top private Catholic high school in Philadelphia.”
A Student Council member, Ambassador, and Citizenship Award winner at SMdP, Silas dreams of becoming an engineer and playing professional basketball or baseball.
Silas earned straight A’s from 1st through 8th grade at SMdP. His academic success was a result of hard work and dedication, paired with the personal interest and support of his teachers.
His math teacher, Susan Edelman, says, “Silas is an exceptional student who enjoys solving challenging math problems and thinking outside the box. The other day, I wrote a difficult equation on the board. I expected the class to take 10 minutes or so to solve it. As soon as I finished writing, Silas raised his hand. He had mentally calculated the answer!”
She adds, “With excellence in both academics and behavior, Silas is an outstanding representative of St. Martin de Porres School!”
Silas’s parents, Selena Gilbert and Steven Griffin, expressed their gratitude to all his teachers throughout his eight years at St. Martin de Porres: “Thank you for your dedication, commitment, support, encouragement, and caring for our son, which has inspired him to be the best person he can be.”
Silas agrees: “All my teachers were instrumental in my academic success. They gave me the necessary tools and skills to help me grow and excel tremendously in all my developmental areas, which allowed me to become a true leader for my peers, more well-rounded, versatile, and congenial with others.”
Mom is justly proud of his effort and his gifts. “My son Silas works hard, he gives his best, he is highly intelligent, polite, and an innovative thinker,” she says, predicting, “He will continue to excel and achieve new heights as he represents himself and others wherever he goes.”
All of us at IMS are proud of you, too, Silas!