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Each month St. Rita of Cascia High School honors one student from each class to be the Mustang of the Month. In order for a student to be considered for the Mustang of the Month Award, he must excel or stand out in at least two of the following areas: academics, activities, athletics, spirituality or community service projects or programs. Nominees for Mustang of the Month are those students who are vital elements to what St. Rita of Cascia High School is all about and whose efforts, accomplishments and contributions to our community sometimes go unnoticed.

Nominations are open to all faculty and staff and final selection is determined by members of Administration and Student Life & Ministry.

Senior Mustang of the Month – Luis Treto

The member of the Class of 2019 selected to be our October Senior Mustang of the Month is Luis Treto. Luis is a graduate of St. Gall School, where he is also a member of the parish community.

Luis is currently a Big Brother and a member of St. Rita’s chapter of the National Honor Society. Outside of his time at St. Rita he is involved with volunteer work at West Lawn Park every Sunday morning where he assists with basketball clinics. He has been nominated for the Junior Citizen Award at West Lawn Park and most recently received the distinction of Summa cum Laude at St. Rita for his Caritas Project. Luis works hard at everything he does, especially his academics, as he has been a Heeney Award Recipient for straight As every semester of his high school career.

One teacher said of Luis, “Luis is one the finest and most dedicated students I know. He is an exemplary student striving to do his best in all his studies. I truly admire his work ethic and commitment to his studies. He is a kind, respectful and hospitable young man.”

Speaking about his experience as a Ritaman, Luis said, “St. Rita has impacted me in many wonderful ways. Along my years I have made many friends and great experiences that will always be remembered. St. Rita to me is a home away from home, and I will truly miss all the wonderful people that I have met along the way.”

Junior Mustang of the Month – Jake Kuska

Representing the Class of 2020 as our October Junior Mustang of the Month is Jake Kuska. Jake is a graduate of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School and is a member of St. Gerald Parish.

Jake is very active at St. Rita. He is one of the varsity football managers and is a member of the Swimming and Water Polo teams. In addition he is a Big Brother and a member of the Spanish Club. Currently Jake is working toward full induction into St. Rita’s chapter of the National Honor Society. In his spare time he is also involved in swimming outside of St. Rita. While being involved is important to Jake he also strives for success in the classroom and has been a recipient of the Heeney Award for straight As during his entire high school career thus far.

In his nomination the following was said of Jake, “Jake is a great student. In working towards becoming a member of NHS he has signed up for nearly every volunteer opportunity and he is always willing to do anything that is asked of him. He is just an overall nice person to be around.”

Jake spoke of his experience as a Ritaman by saying, “It’s been a lot of fun these past two years. I’ve made great friendships and I cannot wait to experience the next two years.”

Sophomore Mustang of the Month – James Rallo

Representing the Class of 2021 as our October Sophomore Mustang of the Month is James Rallo. James graduated from Eisenhower Junior High and is a member of Our Lady of Peace Church.

James is the goalie for the JV Hockey Team and is also a member of the St. Rita Band. James also plans to get more involved in the coming years and continue to do well academically as it is his goal to attend college at Boston University.

The following was said of James, “James is a funny, kind, and energetic student. He has a great enthusiasm for learning and for being a Ritaman. He works hard and helps encourage others to do the same.”

When asked to speak about his experience as a Ritaman, he replied, “St. Rita has been really fun so far. I have made a lot of memories and I cannot wait to make many more.”

Freshman Mustang of the Month – Patrick Swanson

The member of the Class of 2022 chosen to be our October Freshman Mustang of the Month is Patrick Swanson. Pat comes to us from St. Cajetan School where he is also a member of the parish community.

Pat just completed his first season of football at St. Rita and is also a member of the Stock Club. He plans to try out for basketball next week and baseball in the Spring. Pat also hopes to maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA throughout his entire high school career.

One member of our St. Rita faculty said, “Pat is a great student. He is always prepared for class and is an active participant. He is engaged in the class and is always willing to help out his classmates. He is very kind and polite.”

When asked about his experience as a Ritaman, Pat replied, “I have really enjoyed my time here and how welcomed I have been. It feels really good to genuinely enjoy coming to school every day and to be a part of a brotherhood like the one we have here at St. Rita.”

The first Minimester program of 2018-2019 school year, the Chicago Cultural Tour, led by Mrs. Kupiac and Mrs. Earley got off to a great start on Sunday, October 28.

They led their students through Pilsen on a walking tour, visiting murals, a tour of Day of the Dead exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art and the annual Day of the Dead festival. They were introduced to the symbolism and importance of day of the dead in the Mexican culture. This is the first cultural stop for this Minimester.

There are three more cultural Chicago neighborhoods the group will visit by February 2019: Greektown, Little Italy and Chinatown. Each stop features eating local cuisine and visiting museums that represent each culture. At the end of visiting these neighborhoods, the students are each required to create a tourism brochure highlighting what to see and do in each cultural neighborhood.