Due to the COVID-19 situation, the IHSAA is allowing physicals from the 2019-2020 school year (those physicals dated after April 1, 2019) to carry over to the 2020-2021 school year. Therefore, a student-athlete who played last school year, the physical from last year’s sports season can apply for this coming year’s sports season. However, new student-athletes who do not have a previous physical on file with the school will be required to have a sports physical dated after April 1, 2020 to play for this school year. Click here to access the 2020-2021 form if you need it. Please double check your student’s “Register My Athlete” account to make sure you have a physical on file for your student-athlete; you may have to reload last year’s physical if it’s not showing in your student’s athlete profile. 

Physicals are required to be on file in “Register My Athlete” by Monday, August 3 (Friday July 31 for Penn Girls Golf).

Student-athletes are also required to fill out the “2020-2021 IHSAA Health History Update Questionnaire and Consent & Release Certificate.” You can click here to download, print and complete the form. The form must be scanned and uploaded into your student’s “Register My Athlete” account no later than Monday, July 6, 2020. You can also access the IHSAA Questionnaire and Certificate from your “Register My Athlete” account.

Don’t have a “Register My Athlete” account? Click here for information on how to set up an account for your student-athlete. All student-athletes are required to have an account in “Register My Athlete” to manage the upload of all necessary forms and extracurricular fee payments.

Penn’s 2020 Football Cheerleading tryouts originally scheduled for late March were canceled because of the school closure due to COVID-19.

The Fall 2020 Football Cheerleading tryouts will now be held

July 13, 14, and 15

4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Penn High School

This will be for all Penn High School grade levels (including entering Freshmen girls).

If you are interested in trying out, please contact Coach Rita Szweda for more details and information at rszweda@phm.k12.in.us. 

On Friday, May 29, we hosted our Sixty First Commencement online recognizing more than 700+ graduating seniors. The pre-recorded ceremony debuted live on P-H-M District’s YouTube and Facebook channels starting at 7:00 p.m. Friday night (the time the originally scheduled in person ceremony was supposed to begin at on the campus of Notre Dame). You can click below to watch an archive of the video on YouTube. The virtual ceremony portion lasts approximately 2 hours and is preceded by a 30 minute  picture slideshow of some of the seniors with their yard signs and picking up their caps and gowns. Upwards of nearly 1,500 people, between YouTube and Facebook, tuned in the evening of May 29 to watch this one of a kind event!

Click here to view a gallery of photos we collected of the senior sign delivery that took place on Friday, May 15.

Plans of an in-person Commencement for the Class of 2020 are progressing. The event will be held at Penn High School in late July. More details will be shared with students and families in the coming days.

How to watch the Virtual Commencement

We are excited to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of Penn High School’s Class of 2020 in the Sixty First Commencement to be held online on Friday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.  You can tune in as early as 6:30 p.m. to watch a picture slide show of seniors with their yard signs and picking up their caps and gowns (please note every senior may not be pictured; this was created with pictures that either we took or shared with us). Click here to download and view a PDF copy of the program booklet. Click to learn more about the great achievements by this year’s graduating class.

To watch this live event, make sure to tune to P-H-M District Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/phmschools or P-H-M District YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/pennharrismadison

*Please note these are PHM District social media pages, not Penn High School’s

**You do not have to have a Facebook or YouTube account to tune in watch. However if you would like to post congratulatory messages or pictures of your graduate in the live comments, you will have to have an account on that social media platform.

We invite graduates to wear their cap and gown while they watch the live feed of the Virtual Commencement with their family and loved ones. As you watch, we invite family and friends to post congratulatory messages in the live comments & post a picture of your senior in their cap & gown using the hashtag #​Kingsmen2020 to help us collect and see all your pictures (pictures can only be posted in comments on Facebook).

If you plan on on watching the Virtual Commencement on P-H-M District YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/pennharrismadison) follow the directions below for the device you will be using to watch the broadcast on YouTube:

1.  Laptop/computer: Please make sure to change your quality settings to view the program in 1080pHD. Look at the screengrab instructions below to change your settings …

2.  via app on a Smart TV: If you are going to be watching the program through the YouTube app on your Smart TV, follow the screengrab instructions below to go into your settings and change it to 1080pHD …

3. via app on a Smartphone: The quality setting may default to 480p. Some smartphones will automatically change the setting to 1080p the longer the video plays. However if you notice that the lip sync seems to be off, follow the screengrab instructions below to go into your settings and change it to 1080pHD …
    

Penn High School’s Girls Basketball Coach Kristi Ulrich was named among this year’s recipients selected to the 2020 Michiana “Forty under 40” class. The announcement by the South Bend Regional Chamber, in collaboration with the Young Professionals Network (YPN) South Bend, was made yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, May 26).

The Michiana Forty under 40 program recognizes young adults, professionals, executives and leaders, under the age of 40 (on May 15), achieving outstanding professional success while also engaging in his/her community through charitable and civic involvement.

Coach Ulrich is a phenomenal teacher and coach. She has been with Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation for approximately 12 years. She leads her student-athletes with integrity and brings value and success to the Penn High School Athletic program, enriching the lives of hundreds of her students.

Coach Ulrich’s highlights of excellence include:

• Overall Coaching record 256-32 .889% win percentage in 11 seasons (highest % in the State of Indiana for active Girls Coaches)
• All-time winningest coach for Penn High School Girls Basketball – 256 wins

• NIC Record 105-3 in 11 seasons

• 1 State Championship

• 3 Semi-State Championships

• 6 Regional Championships

• 9 Sectional Championships

• 9 NIC Championships

• 23 Different Players Selected to All-Conference Teams (multiple players selected more than one time)

• 3 Conference MVP’s (1 2x in a row)

• 4 Indiana All-Stars

• Produced 22 Collegiate Basketball Players

Off the court, she leads her players in community service projects such as the Penn Girls Basketball Adopt a Family for Christmas. She also runs community basketball camps and fall leagues for K-8 students in the district.

“Coach Ulrich’s leadership and commitment is truly inspiring,” said P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jery Thacker.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's honorees with a Celebration Video, rather than present a luncheon. The video will premiere on June 26 on the michiana40.com, South Bend Regional Chamber, and YPN South Bend websites. The South Bend Tribune will also feature a special Michiana Forty under 40 section in their June 28 issue.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, May 27) at 4:33 p.m. EDT the next stage of the United States space program will blast off, in a small part due to the engineering efforts of a 1997 Penn High School alum!

Jon Edwards is a “Kingsmen Making a Difference” in the world of aerospace engineering and space travel as the working for SpaceX as the Vice President of Falcon Launch Vehicles. SpaceX is only one of two commercial companies (Boeing being the other) NASA contracted with to build private “space taxis” to fly its astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is a turning point for America’s future in space exploration that lays the groundwork for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”

The Falcon 9 rocket will launch late Wednesday afternoon from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, FL (rain days are Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. EDT, and Sunday, May 31 at 3:00 p.m. EDT) carrying NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board the Dragon spacecraft. The Demo-2 mission is the “final major test for SpaceX’s human spaceflight system to be certified by NASA for operational crew missions to and from the International Space Station.” Coverage for the historic launch will begin about 4 hours before liftoff. Click the links for more information on watching the launch LIVE on NASA TV and to participate in the events virtually. There are lots of educational components for students.

Jon was promoted to Vice President of Falcon Launch Vehicles in February of this year. Last July, we reached out to Jon via email to ask him about his role at that time in this historic space mission and joint project with NASA. At the time of the interview, Jon was the Senior Director of Falcon Engineering and Falcon Product Director. He described his role then as leading a team of 100 engineers in the development and operation of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. He stated then that he was “responsible for all Falcon related development projects during all phases of the vehicle life cycle including: design, development, qualification, and operation.” SpaceX.com describes the Falcon rocket as a “reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket.” Throughout the course of SpaceX’s development and testing of the Falcon 9 rocket, the Penn grad provided briefs and updates to SpaceX CEO/CTO Elon Musk and President Gwynne Shotwell. Jon also works closely with SpaceX’s commercial and government customers including the United States Air Force and NASA.

We asked Jon about his time as a Penn High School student. Obviously his favorite subject was Physics, but we were also curious as and asked him … Who was your favorite Penn teacher and how did they influence you?
“My absolute most favorite teacher ever was Mr. Jim McPhee. He was my AP Physics I and II teacher back in '96 and '97. Mr. McPhee was fantastic at getting the class excited about the way the universe works. He would often start the class by beginning to discuss the normally scheduled topic, but if the class asked a question that took the discussion in a different direction, he was more than happy to spend the rest of the class exploring the tangential topic. We used to explore questions such as ‘what would happen if you jumped into a tunnel that went all the way through the earth?’ and even dove into discussions about astrophysics and electromagnetism. The discussions we had in class were so exciting to me I would often read ahead in my physics book and seek out other physics media such as Carl Sagan's Cosmos documentaries and Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. There is no doubt that Mr. McPhee inspired me to pursue a career in aerospace. I even think about becoming a high school physics teacher someday in the hopes that I might inspire kids in the same way.”

After Jon graduated from Penn in 1997, he attended Purdue University’s School of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 2001, and later a Master of Science degree in 2004. Jon also earned his MBA from Kelly School of Business at Indiana University in 2012.

Jon started at SpaceX in 2004. His career highlights over the years at SpaceX include:

• Lead Engineer for the Kestrel rocket engine and Responsible Engineer for the Falcon 1 2nd Stage (2004-2009)

  • Falcon 1 became the first ever privately funded liquid fueled rocket to achieve earth orbit in September 2008

• Responsible Engineer for the Falcon 9 2nd Stage (2009-2010)

  • Falcon 9 successfully reached orbit on its first launch attempt in June 2010

• Promoted to Manager of Falcon 9 Propulsion Systems Engineering (August 2010)

• Promoted to Director of Falcon 9 Propulsion Systems Engineering (May 2013)

• Promoted to Falcon Product Director (May 2014)

  • The Falcon 9 1st stage booster successfully landed after performing an orbital launch on December 22, 2015; the first time an orbital class rocket has ever successfully landed propulsively (with propulsion force) 

• Promoted to Senior Director of Falcon Engineering (January 2016)

  • Successful reflight of recovered Falcon 9 booster on March 30, 2017, proving orbital class rocket reusability.

  • Successful inaugural launch of the Falcon Heavy in February 2018. Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket in operation today. 

• Promoted to Vice President of Falcon Launch Vehicles (February 2020)

Jon received the Purdue Outstanding Aerospace Engineer award in April 2017–the school's highest honor to recognize the school's most distinguished alumni!

Jon Edwards is not the only Penn graduate involved in our nation’s efforts to return humankind to space. Last summer during the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, we told you about 2010 alumna Sadie Holbert–a government contractor for Leidos working as a flight controller in mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.  Sadie, also a 2015 graduate of Purdue University, is involved in NASA’s “Explore Moon to Mars” missions that will send humans back to the moon. 

Sadie is on the Guidance, Navigation, and Control team for the first Orion mission. The Orion capsule will fly out around the moon and back, testing the vehicle before NASA flies humans on the capsule for deep-space missions to mars and possibly beyond. The project was delayed because of COVID-19 and is now projected for November 2021, with the goal of flying astronauts around the moon on the second SLS/Orion flight in late 2022 or early 2023. Click to read the full “Kingsmen Making a Difference” profile on Sadie Holbert here.

Penn High School Principal Sean Galiher announced that 17 students have earned Valedictorian honors for the Class of 2020.

Elisabeth Casetti, Richard Chapple, Abbie Clay, Rajeev Datta, Andrew Kaboski, Vishrut Khandelwal, Michelle Kwok, Darbie Kwon, Lyvia Li, Yewon Oh, Mia Schwartz, Courtney Sharpe, David Simonetti, Seunghoon Sun, Emma Tornquist, Karen Wang and Peter Yang represent the Class of 2020 at the Virtual Commencement Ceremony, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, May 29.

Click here for details on the Virtual Commencement Ceremony.

"We are extremely proud of our valedictorians and applaud their accomplishments,” Galiher said. “Each valedictorian will make a difference in their chosen path and will contribute positively to the school and learning environments they are a part of."

ELISABETH CASETTI

Parents: Jennifer Casetti and Alfredo Casetti.

Elementary School: Northpoint.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: Purdue University to study Engineering.

Career plans: Disney Imagineering, Broadway Set Design.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: National Honor Society, Key Club, Academic All-Star Nominee, Tennis Captain. Freshmen Mentor Executive, TEAMS (Tests of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics and Science), Indiana Math League, Mathematics Internship at Notre Dame, Praise Team (Youth Choir at Church) Coach.

RICHARD CHAPPLE

Parents: Renee Chapple and Mike Chapple.

Elementary School: St. Pius X Catholic School.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame.

Career plans: Business Analytics.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Penn Hockey, Penn Track, DECA, National Honor Society, TEAMS, Key Club.

ABBIE CLAY

Parents: Allison Clay and Jefferson Clay.

Elementary School: Meadow’s Edge.

Middle School: Grissom.

College plans: Indiana Wesleyan University, studying chemistry, math, and pre-med.

Career plans: To become a medical missions doctor.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Four-year Varsity letter-winner in Penn Girls Soccer and in Penn Girls Track, National Merit Finalist. Two-time DECA International Competition qualifier. Penn DECA Chapter President, FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) leader, Rhapsody (Penn's Show Choir) and Concert Choir member. Other clubs: Kingsmen Against Cancer, Kingsmen Kids Coalition, Handwritten Hearts, Key Club, National Honor Society, 2019 Penn Girls Soccer Pillar Award winner and scholarship recipient. 2018 and 2019 ISACA (Indiana Soccer Coaches Association) High School All-Academic Award. Five-time gold medalist at ISSMA Solo and Ensemble competition. Three overseas mission trips through St. Mark’s Church.

RAJEEV DATTA

Parents: Anjuli Datta and Suman Datta.

Elementary School: Park Forest Elementary School (State College, Pa.).

Middle School: Park Forest (State College, Pa.) and Discovery.

College plans: California Institute of Technology.

Career plans: Double major in Computer Sciences & Business, Economics, and Management (BEM) to become either a tenured professor, an entrepreneur or a quantitative analyst on Wall Street.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Deep Learning Research at Notre Dame, National Merit Finalist, National AP Scholar, JV Tennis, Science and Math Academic Super Bowl, TEAMS State Champions & fifth in Nationals, National Honor Society Academic Chair, Kingsmen Tutor Leader, Kingsmen Court Representative, Chemistry Olympiad, I-Ball Team Captain.

ANDREW KABOSKI

Parents: Juhi Kaboski and Joseph Kaboski.

Elementary School: Northpoint.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: University of Chicago, majoring in Chemistry.

Career plans: Attend graduate school and pursue a career in academia.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Chemistry Olympiad, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Honor Society, National Merit Scholarship finalist, Candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, University of Notre Dame Research Assistant, Saint Vincent DePaul Society Food Pantry Volunteer.

VISHRUT KHANDELWAL

Parents: Meenu Garg and Kapil Khandelwal.

Elementary School: Kennedy Primary Academy.

Middle School: LaSalle Intermediate Academy.

College plans: Notre Dame University to study Finance and Applied Math.

Career plans: Undecided.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: TEAMS, Key Club, National Honor Society.

MICHELLE KWOK

Parents: Chau Kwok and Chu Kwok.

Elementary School: Fred J. Hums Elementary School.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame.

Career plans: Physics.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Kingsmen Court Executive, Social Studies and Science Academic Super Bowl Captain, National Honor Society Vice President, Robotics, Mathnasium Instructor, Freshmen Mentor, Key Club, Quiz Bowl, Model U.N., TEAMS, Lilly Endowment Scholar.

DARBIE KWON

Parents: Eunyoung Park and Daekun Kwon.

Elementary School: Walt Disney.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame.

Career plans: Biochemistry.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: National Honor Society, TEAMS, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition-Geoffroy Prize Winner, South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra.

LYVIA LI

Parents: Jing Xu and Gang Li.

Elementary School: Northpoint.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame.

Career plans: Aerospace Engineering.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Speech and Debate Team Captain, National Speech and Debate Association, Academic All-American, Girls Golf Team Captain, Girls Golf Northern Indiana Conference MVP, Girls Golf IHSGCA All-State Team, Math Academic Super Bowl, Discovery Math Counts Coach, Lilly Endowment Scholar, National Merit Finalist, National Honor Society Tutoring Co-Chair.

YEWON OH

Parents: Eunhee Park and Heungil Oh.

Elementary School: McKnight.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: Undecided.

Career plans: Study Computer Sciences to become a Software Engineer.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Spell Bowl and Academic Super Bowl, TEAMS, National Honor Society Academic Chair, Key Club, Girls Who Code (Founder and Executive), Freshmen Mentoring, Fencing, Indiana All-State Orchestra, National Merit Semi-Finalist, AP National Scholar with Distinction, Spell Bowl State Champions ninth grade, Fischoff National Chamber Music Assoc.-2018 Geoffroy Prize winner, South Bend Youth Symphony-Principal Violist, Indiana All-State Orchestra-Assistant Principal Violist, English Academic Super & Spell Bowl Captain, Mathnasium Instructor, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Volunteer, St. Pius X Catholic Church Volunteer.

MIA SCHWARTZ

Parents: Jennifer Schwartz and Dr. Bruce Schwartz.

Elementary School: Northpoint.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: University of MInnesota to study Environmental Sciences, Policy, Management and Urban Studies.

Career plans: Study Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management to do work involving environmental planning and historic preservation.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Technology Student Association, German-American Partnership Program, Orchestra, Quiz Bowl, Penn Advocates for Thinking Healthy, National Merit Commended Scholar.

COURTNEY SHARPE

Parents: Nanette Eash and Joey Eash.

Elementary School: Northpoint.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame to study business & biochemistry.

Career plans: Forensic Scientist.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, Mathematics Instructor at Mathnasium Learning Center, National Honor Society, Key Cub Member, Commended National Scholar, Cellist in Penn's Symphonic Orchestra, Freshmen Mentor, President of 411 Chapter at DMS, Penn Girls Soccer.

DAVID SIMONETTI

Parents: Stefanie Simonetti and Antonio Simonetti.

Elementary School: Mary Frank.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame to study Computer Science.

Career plans: Software/AI Development.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Robotics, Math and Science Academic Super Bowl, National Honor Society President, National Merit Finalist.

SEUNGHOON SUN

Parents: Hyeran Yim and Daewon Sun.

Elementary School: Northpoint.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame. 

Career plans: Biology Professor.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Cancer research at the University of Notre Dame, National Merit Finalist, Vice President of Key Club, Captain of Math and Science Academic Super Bowl.

EMMA TORNQUIST

Parents: Heidi Tornquist and Craig Tornquist.

Elementary School: Elm Road.

Middle School: Grissom.

College plans: Purdue University.

Career plans: Exploratory Studies Program.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Varsity Cheerleading, Unified Track & Field, National Honor Society, Key Club, Champions Together.

KAREN WANG

Parents: Bi Lin Ni and David Wang.

Elementary School: Walt Disney.

Middle School: Schmucker.

College plans: Yale University.

Career plans: Studying comparative literature and sociology and continuing into law school.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Executive of Kingsmen Court (Student Council), co-founder of Penn Advocates of Thinking Healthy, cellist in Symphonic Orchestra, TEAMS, English Academic Super Bowl, National Merit Finalist.

PETER YANG

Parents: Chengxu Yin and Xiaoshan Yang.

Elementary School: Prairie Vista.

Middle School: Discovery.

College plans: The University of Notre Dame.

Career plans: Undecided.

Activities, Honors, Team Memberships: Piano competitions & compositions, Varsity Tennis, National Merit Finalist, Worked for Notre Dame Innovation Team, Key Club.

Penn High School will graduate approximately 820 students on Friday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m. in a Virtual Commencement will premiere LIVE on P-H-M District’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Click to preview a pdf copy of the 2020 Commencement program (a version will be printed and given to graduates when they receive their diplomas at a later date).

The Class of 2020’s Senior Recognition was held online this year due to the pandemic that shutdown schools. Instead of a Recognition Night ceremony seniors were recognized on Penn’s Facebook and Twitter accounts academic excellence, scholarships, leadership, service to school and community, citizenship, attendance, athletic accomplishments, Academy awards and many other accomplishments. Click here for a full listing of this year’s Academy award winners. Many of the award winners will also be recognized during the Virtual Commencement on the 29^th.

This year’s graduating class seniors have earned more than $9 million in scholarships!

This year’s graduating class includes 17 valedictorians: Elisabeth Casetti, Richard Chapple, Abbie Clay, Rajeev Datta, Andew Kabowski, Vishrut Khandelwal, Michelle Kwok, Darbie Kwon, Lyvia Li, Yewon Oh, Mia Schwartz, Courtney Sharpe, David Simonetti, Seunghoon Sun, Emma Tornquist, Karen Wang, and Peter Yang. This year’s valedictorians have an average GPA of 4.4 on a scale of 4.0.

There are three salutatorians with an average GPA of 4.3 on a scale of 4.0. This year’s salutatorians are Jack Dinnon, Jeffrey Du, and Josiah Railton

The Principal’s Leadership Award is presented annually to students who contribute their talent, time, energy, and motivation to the leadership of Penn’s student body. Haley Sidorowitz  and Aidan Meuninck were honored for helping to make a difference in the culture of Penn on behalf of their classmates. 

The Principal’s Citizenship and Service Award was presented to eight Penn High School students who have selflessly donated many hours to make sure that Penn High School is well represented in whatever service project they’re involved in. The winners of the 2020 Principal’s Citizenship and Service Award were: Elisabeth Casetti, Caroline Dell, Jada Edison, Michelle Kwok, Abigail Nush, Megan Rach, Rachel Santosh, A.J. Tu, 

Every year since 1967, Penn’s faculty vote to recognize an outstanding member of the graduating class based on service, character and leadership; the student must also, at the end of seventh semester, be in the top 10% of their graduating class. The senior selected is awarded the Paul H. Schmucker Award in memory of the distinguished member of Penn High School faculty from 1960-1967. This year’s recipient is Abbie Clay.

The graduating class also nominates a classmate who best exemplifies the qualities of service to his/her school community, school spirit, respect for classmates and Penn High School for the Kingsman of the Year Award. A tradition since 1970, the recipient is recognized for his/her leadership and willingness to accept challenge and is a great honor and show of respect from the recipients fellow classmates. The Class of 2020 Kingsman of the Year Award winner is Karen Wang.

Some P-H-M elementary or middle schools award scholarships to students who attended those schools. Click to see this year’s P-H-M school scholarships on Penn’s Facebook page. Scholarships for the Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Thacker Scholarship and the Larry Beehler Scholarship are also awarded every year. Dr. Jerry Thacker is Superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and Mr. Larry Beehler is a longtime member of P-H-M’s Board of School Trustees. Anna Madlem received the Larry Beehler Scholarship; and Abbie Clay won the Dr. & Mrs. Jerry Thacker Scholarship.

Here are some other points of excellence from the Class of 2020:

• 374 students graduating with Academic Honors Diplomas (3.0 GPA)
• 31 students graduating Summa Cum Laude (4.25 GPA)
• 83 students graduating Magna Cum Laude (4.0 GPA)
• 103 students graduating Cum Laude (3.75 GPA)
• 303 students graduating with High Honors (3.5 GPA)
• 73 students graduating with Technical Honors
• 12 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, 11 were named Finalists, and five students – Richard Chapple, Lyvia Li, David Simonetti, Seunghoon Sun and Karen Wang were named National Merit Scholarship winners.
• 11 students Commended Scholars
• 5 Students were nominated for Presidential Scholars: Lyvia Li, Richard Chapple, Rajeev Datta, Andrew Kaboski, and Michelle Kwok
• Elisabeth Casetti was named Indiana Regional Academic All-Star, one of only 40 students across our state to be honored.  Elisabeth chose her Penn English teacher, Michael Coffee to be recognized along with her.
• Michelle Kwok, Courtney Sharpe, and Lyvia Li are being awarded the Community Foundation of Saint Joseph County Eli Lilly Endowment Scholarship based on their high academic merits and test scores. 
• David Simonetti was named one of four winners of the 2020 Governor’s STEM Team awards. David received the Technology award. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship, courtesy of the College Choice 529 Program.
• 11 students are enlisting in the military: United States Marine Corp, United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, and the United States Army National Guard
• Josh Temeles will be attending the Naval Academy
• 12 students competed Penn’s Cadet Teaching program

This is the 3rd co-hort for Penn’s Early College Academy. Here are the highlights from the Class of 2020:

• 100 graduates
• 19, earned 30 credits or more through Ivy Tech Community College
• 64, earned Associate’s Degrees

On Friday, May 22, approximately 130 teachers and staff from Penn High School and P-H-M staff and Administration, practicing safety precautions, delivered signs to the more than 800 seniors. Penn Principal Sean Galiher and P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker paired up to deliver some of those signs. See the pictures below. 

To download high resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge!

The Food Service Department of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation is participating in the Summer Food Service Program for Summer 2020. The summer program will run June 4 – August 18 at nine locations. 

Our school year meal service at the three locations of Prairie Vista, Grissom and Penn will continue through June 3. Click here for details on those pickup hours. Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day and no meals will be available. However, we will be handing out food backpacks at Grissom and Penn Friday, May 22 during lunch. Each backpack will have enough food for two meals for two kids. More details can be found here. 

The summer meal program will operate Monday through Friday, June 4 – August 18 at nine locations. Each location has different hours and dates of service. Please click here for more information and a complete list of sites and dates.

All sites will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2020.

FREE MEALS will be available to children 18 years of age and under, or persons more than 18 who are determined by a state or local public education agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who participate in a public or non-profit private school program established for the mentally or physically disabled. 

Ryan Lynch of Penn High School has been named the Gatorade Indiana 2019-2020 Player of the Year for Baseball, Gatorade announced on Thursday, May 21, 2020.

A left-handed pitcher/centerfielder, Lynch signed a National Letter of Intent to play Baseball at the University of Notre Dame.​

“It means a lot to receive this award,” Lynch said. “It doesn’t just focus on what I’ve done on the field, but what I’ve done behind the scenes to help the community. I know there have been many great athletes who have won this award. It is an incredible feeling to be a part of those who have won before me.

“I am also glad to represent Penn High School,” Lynch continued. “The coaches and staff there have done so much for me and they deserve a lot of recognition.

“One of my biggest takeaways from my Penn baseball experience was learning how to play as a team,” Lynch said. “Being around great teammates and coaches helped me learn to play less selfish and do things for the better of the team. This lesson is something I will never forget no matter where life takes me.” 

Lynch, the son of Gregory and Diana Lynch, is now part of a 30-plus year legacy that includes past Gatorade State Player of the Year winners such as Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Karl-Anthony Towns and many other sports icons.

Penn High School Coach Greg Dikos, who has guided the Kingsmen to four state championships, said that Lynch has set a gold standard for his program.

“Without a doubt, Ryan is one of the most gifted athletes I have had the privilege to coach in my 40 years as a High School Baseball Coach,” Dikos said. “He not only has the respect of his teammates and the Baseball Coaching Staff, but he has the respect of our entire Athletic Department, Administrators, and our community as well.  He truly exemplifies excellence on and off the Baseball Field.

“I only wish I had one more chance to coach him on the Penn Baseball Field,” Dikos said. “I know deep in my heart that he would trade this award in a second if he could have his senior year back for one last run at the State Title alongside his team mates.”

The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes the nation’s most elite high school student-athletes not only for outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character.

Lynch’s sister, former Penn standout Kristina Lynch, was named the Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year in Indiana in the 2017-2018 school year. Kristina Lynch now plays women’s soccer for Florida State and helped the Seminoles win the 2018 National Championship.

Lynch will graduate with the Latin Academic Honors distinction Cum Laude (4.25 grade-point average or higher on a scale of 4.0), and he has been accepted to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he plans to continue his academic and baseball careers.

As a member of Penn’s Student-Athlete Leadership Council, Lynch has taken the lead in Penn’s commitment to education-based athletics, creating and implementing lessons such as social media responsibility and how to take care of yourself and your teammates. He has helped organize events ranging from building community to freshmen student-athlete mentoring.

Boasting a fastball consistently clocked in the 85-90 miles-an-hour range, Lynch posted a 7-0 record and had a 2.86 earned-run average as a Freshman in the 2017 season and helped Penn reach the State Championship Game. He hit .350 and drove in 26 runs.

In 2018, Lynch finished the season with an 8-2 record and a 2.07 ERA. Lynch hit .456 and drove in 44 runs.

As a Junior in 2019, Lynch was 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA. He hit .330 and drove in 20 RBI’s.

In his Kingsmen pitching career, Lynch was 20-3 in three seasons with a 2.18 ERA, striking out 201 and walking 79. He had a career batting averaging of .378 with 90 RBIs.