Lake Leelanau St. Mary has named cousins Della Bunek as valedictorian and Sarah Bunek as salutatorian for the 2024 graduating class.
Della and Sarah Bunek join their fathers Jim and Avery, who were named valedictorian’s of St. Mary back in the 1990s.
Della is the daughter of Jim and Alissa Bunek of Lake Leelanau. She will be attending Ave Maria University in Florida this fall. Della has excelled in the classroom, earning a 4.075 GPA.
“I’ll be undecided and start with some general studies ... I liked the Catholic program. They have good academic programs and to go to a small school, it feels like home,” Della said.
Della’s hard work and athletic talents have been on display in volleyball, basketball, and softball. She has also been an active member of St. Mary Parish as an altar server and sacristan and spent many hours volunteering for her school and community.
Della is currently a member of the Business Professionals of America chapter at St. Mary School, where she qualified for nationals in website design, accounting, and Microsoft Excel. One of her fondest memories was receiving a first-place ranking in website design at the state competition.
“Lots of late night studies, determination and trying our best,” Della said.
Della enjoys spending time with her family and appreciates all the wonderful things they have done to support her throughout the years at St. Mary School. She looks forward to the sunshine, supportive environment, and new adventures at Ave Maria University this fall.
Sarah, daughter of Avery and Jacqueline Bunek of Lake Leelanau, will be attending Hillsdale College in the fall and plans to major in business and economics.
“Not sure what I’m going to study, but I’m excited to see where it takes me,” she said. “I chose Hillsdale because they defend liberty and pursue the truth. I’m also excited about the rigorous program and it felt like home.”
Sarah has an outstanding work ethic and amassed a 4.068 GPA in the classroom, as well as serving as the President of her class. Sarah has shined as an athlete, earning all-state academic honors. A lifelong parishioner of St. Mary Parish, Sarah has been an altar server and is currently serving as a Eucharistic Minister. She has been an active volunteer during her time at St. Mary, accumulating over 100 volunteer hours.
“(Both Della and I) were really organized and focused on our studies and we take extra classes even though we have a busy schedule,” Sarah said. “I think the big part is the effort, the difference is we really tried and studied as much as we could.”
Sarah is a member of The Business Professionals of America Chapter, serving as President, and enjoys participating on the Website Design Team. She is heavily involved in the Student Council, representing the student body as Vice-President. Sarah is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Sarah is extremely proud to be attending Hillsdale College in the fall with its competitive enrollment process. She looks most forward to entering the Catholic Society on campus as well.
