Malvern Prep’s 113 members of the senior class were honored Monday during their final chapel service at the school. The ceremony was an opportunity for the underclassmen to spend time with and acknowledge the Class of 2008, as the seniors departed later in the day for two weeks of Christian service prior to their graduation on June 5.

At the Senior Tribute and Final Chapel Service, the Malvern community paid tribute to the academic achievements of the graduating class, first bestowing upon them the Class of 2008 medallions, and then honoring the many individual achievements of the seniors. Malvern’s three National Merit Finalists and four Commended Students were acknowledged, and the school’s 34 National Honor Society Members received their gold recognition cords.

Highlighting the service was the presentation of the Kevin J. Fitzpatrick ’81 Senior Class Award to Alonso Guerra-Garcia. This award was voted on solely by the seniors and recognizes a senior who represents kindness, friendship, leadership and loyalty to his class and Malvern Prep. The senior tribute ceremony also saw the recognition of Malvern’s ROTC Scholarship recipients, Ryan Kelly, Ryan McGuckin and Matthew Thomas.

In addition, outgoing Student Council President John Pignatelli addressed his fellow classmates and passed the Student Council Gavel to President-Elect David Bemer.

Another highlight of the senior tribute service was the 2008 Malvernian dedication. Editor Andrew Kennedy offered this year’s yearbook dedication to Leo Kindon, a computer science teacher lauded for his enthusiasm for teaching, kindness and spirit of brotherhood. Prior to the dedication, Kennedy presented the 2008 Malvernian to David Galvin, son of the late Dennis Galvin, longtime Malvern Director of Maintenance who passed away this year.

In the next two weeks, Malvern seniors will be scattered across the world on Christian service trips. Seniors are performing service as close as the local community to Appalachia and as far away as Peru and South Africa.

Malvern Prep will be holding a Senior/Parent Awards Breakfast on June 4, and will hold its graduation ceremony on June 5 at 10:00 a.m. at Wolfington Plaza on the Chapel Lawn on the school’s campus.

More photos from the Senior Tribute are available in the Academics section of thePhoto Gallery.