Emma Grace Haecker and Graeme Fidelak have been selected Mr. and Miss SMH by the teachers and administration of St. Mary’s Catholic School.
Mr. and Miss SMH is a longstanding tradition and honorary award granted to those students who embody the deepest values of St. Mary’s Catholic School. Candidates should be Catholics of exemplary character who live the faith and devote themselves to the service of others. The symbolic representation of this devotion is displayed every year as Mr. and Miss SMH crown the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary during May Crowning.
Emma Grace Haecker is the daughter of Mark and Leah Haecker and the sister of Bailey Haecker. She is an honor roll student, having taken honors and dual enrollment classes, as well as having participated in academic, athletic and community service extracurricular activities. Emma is a member of National Honor Society, 4-H and Cooking for a Cause. She is a member of the Tigerline Dance Team and has served as co-captain of the team this year. She was selected as an All-American dancer for two years, and received the Pin-It-Forward honor two times at UDA Summer Dance Camp. She is a member of Future Business Leaders of America, through which she was on the graphic design team and placed at the state level competition. Emma attended National Convention in Orlando, Florida with the Beta Club, where the team placed first nationally for their campaign skit. She served as the junior and senior campaign manager. She is a member of Student Council, and has served in numerous leadership positions, including sophomore, member-at-large, junior class president, and senior class president. Emma is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes/Pro Life Club, where she attended the national March for Life in Washington, DC as a freshman. She has been a member of the golf team for five years, where the team placed first at regional level completion two times. Emma was honored to receive the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant Miss Congeniality Award, and the 2021 Masonic Honesty and Integrity Award by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, Free and Accepted Masons. She has been a recipient of the St. Mary’s Virtue of the Months for Respect and Charity. Emma participates as a lector for school masses and is a member of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church. Emma plans to attend Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in the fall.
Benjamin Graeme Fidelak, Jr. is the son of Benjamin and Keri Fidelak and the brother of Lauren Fidelak. Graeme has attended St. Mary’s for 15 years. He is an honor student and a four-year member of The National Honor Society, BETA, Future Business Leaders of America and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In addition to his academic achievements, Graeme has also excelled in athletics as a 5-year letterman on both varsity baseball and football proudly representing his school as #7. Some of his most memorable awards include First Team All-District Defensive (2020, 2021, 2022), First Team All-District Offensive (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), District MVP Offense (2020), All State Honorable Mention – Athlete (2020, 2021), All State (2022), Selection to LHSCA I-20 All-Star Bowl (2022), The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete (2022) and KALB 5th Quarter Play of the Year. In baseball, Graeme earned All-District (2021), All-State Infield (2021), and the Grant Ingram Memorial Scholarship (2021). He is a member of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church and is a faithful altar server. After graduating, Graeme will attend the University of Denver and study business administration.
