OFHS's Valedictorian and Salutatorian Headed to Notre Dame

Oak Forest High School Class is proud to announce that the Class of 2018's Valedictorian and Salutatorian, Meghan O’Keefe and Ryan Jerkins, are heading to the University of Notre Dame in the fall. Meghan plans to study biomedical studies and mathematics and Ryan will study biochemistry. The University of Notre Dame is a highly selective university and is not easy, even for the most talented students to gain admittance. According to the University of Notre Dame Admissions page, "Notre Dame’s incoming Class of 2018 comes to campus from the University’s highest-qualified applicant pool." Don Bishop, Associate Vice-President for undergraduate enrollment, said that although Notre Dame received 17% more applications this year from students ranked in the top 1% of the nation academically, the admissions committee also prioritized personal qualities and factors beyond the numbers. As a Valedictorian, it is assumed that a person works diligently in the classroom. Dr. Sikora said at Senior Honors Night that Meghan O'Keefe has “truly embraced the motto of Oak Forest High School: Academics + Activities = Excellence.” She attained academic excellence by earning a 6.26 GPA. She also was the Student Council President and has been involved in many activities such as Mathletes, Scholastic Bowl, and Science Club. Meghan is also a well-rounded student in that she has also participated in sports as well by being a part of the volleyball team. Meghan’s guidance counselor, Eric Boyer, credited Meghan’s success to the incredible amount of hard work she did this year. He said, “All the credit really goes to Meghan, her family, and her teachers. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice in order to be as successful as she has been both in the classroom and the community. Meghan truly embodies what it means to be a Bengal, and is a great example of the kind of student and person Notre Dame is looking for.” The Salutatorian, Ryan Jerkins, also attained academic excellence by earning a 6.22 GPA. He has also been extremely involved at OFHS, participating in Pep Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, World Language National Honor Society, Mathletes, and Scholastic Bowl teams. Ryan said, “I was very shy when I came to OFHS but I felt that by the time I left I could talk to anyone.” Ryan decided to apply to the University of Notre Dame in October and used the Common App to do so. Ryan’s Guidance Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Ambrose, said, “I worked with Ryan to help him navigate the application process using the Common App.” They worked through the different type of college admission options including Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling, and Regular, to name a few. Ryan committed to going to the University of Notre Dame in April. Meghan and Ryan are two examples of what it means to be a Bengal. Best wishes to Meghan and Ryan and all of our Class of 2018 graduates!