Payton Hewlett, of Hammond, who graduated from Bishop Noll on May 31, said high school went by quickly but he values everything he experienced.
The athlete who played varsity football, basketball and track was also vice president of BNI's National Honor Society chapter and a member of the Spell Bowl Team.
In addition, he is one of Noll's Graduates with Distinction, those who earn a 4.0 or above cumulative GPA.
He plans to attend Indiana University in Bloomington, but looks forward to spending the summer with friends before splitting up for college.
“I have made strong relationships with people, and I hope to keep those people close to me for the rest of my life. I've learned things in my high school career that I will carry with me forever. I'm a proud Bishop Noll Alumni.”
Hewlett said when he came to Bishop Noll as a freshman, he knew only one other student, as he was one of a small percentage of students who came from public school. However, it wasn't long before he made friends and started reaching for success.
"I think attending BNI after going to public school enabled me to be more successful in high school because there were less distractions and most of my classmates are high achievers, which pushed me to always be at my best," he said. "Going to a Catholic school also made me more spiritual and closer to God, which is something I value greatly, and hope to continue to build on."
Hewlett said he has many good memories of Noll, but his first dunk in a varsity game is among the best.
“It was a home game against Highland and it was very intense. When I dunked it, I could feel the energy of my teammates and the crowd go up instantly. It was a great experience.”