Nouvel Catholic Central High School & Junior High

What a great feature on D’Martino Olvera, rising junior and member of the class of 2028. We love seeing our Panthers involved and serving as leaders in our community.

“I wanted to join FORCE Youth Advisory Committee because I was looking for something to join in the community where I could help other people. They were actually doing stuff that I was interested in: trying to help the youth by connecting with them to see what the root problems are and trying to fix them.

FORCE is run by the Saginaw Community Foundation. Youth from Saginaw County schools come together to address issues that affect them. We did a community needs assessment as a way to hear what youth in Saginaw County are concerned with, and one of the issues is future job opportunities. So, something we’re working on right now is an alumni panel where we’ll bring past alumni in for a day where the youth can come ask alumni in different career fields questions as a form of mentorship. It would be a way for students to to learn more about a job and career path from someone with actual firsthand experience.

Something I’ve learned from working on this youth advisory committee is that a good decision always makes sure everyone’s heard. You might not agree with an idea, but it’s important that their idea is heard.

I’ve been a part of FORCE for two years. For me, the most important part is meeting other leaders in the community who are also youth. It lets me see what other people are doing who are my same age. It’s inspirational.

—D’Martino Olvera, Alumni Officer, FORCE Youth Advisory Committee

Our faculty often works on cross-curricular projects with students, regardless of the subject they teach. In math class, Mrs. Martin and her students connected geometry with faith and creativity by reading the Bible story of Jesus turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana. Students then created a scene from the story that incorporated six different three-dimensional shapes. They decided what objects the shapes would represent, determined their dimensions, and calculated the volume and surface area of each figure. This project brought together math, theology and art, allowing students to apply their knowledge in creative and meaningful ways.

Field trips are an important part of the educational experience, providing valuable learning opportunities beyond the classroom walls.

This spring, our junior high band students traveled to Mackinac Island, where they not only enjoyed a unique educational experience but also had the opportunity to perform and participate in a clinic led by Dr. Nick Smith from Eastern Michigan University. Experiences like these help our students grow as musicians while creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Congratulations to the Nouvel Catholic Central Class of 2026 and their outstanding list of accomplishments. We are incredibly proud of our senior students who walked across the Temple Theatre stage on graduation day, celebrating their years of hard work, perseverance and dedication to their education.

Together, the Class of 2026 has served more than 7,965 hours in the community throughout their high school journey and has been offered over $1.7 million in scholarships to date. Their achievements reflect not only academic excellence, but also a commitment to serving others and living their faith. As they begin this next chapter, we know these Panthers are prepared to learn, love and lead... courageously. Please continue to keep this remarkable class in your prayers as they carry the foundation of their faith and spirit of Nouvel into the world.

We are grateful for our Panther Student Ambassadors who support Nouvel and assist the Admissions Team with events and welcoming new students throughout the year! This year, we had our largest group ever, with 95 student ambassadors serving our Nouvel family. Each ambassador shares their unique gifts and talents to help make Nouvel a welcoming place for all. You can read the wonderful reflections they shared about their Nouvel experience at:
Junior High - NouvelCatholic.org/JuniorHighAmbassadors
High School - NouvelCatholic.org/HSAmbassadors

Any Panthers interested in serving as a Student Ambassador for the 2026–27 school year can sign up online or email [email protected]. Current ambassadors are also asked to register each year so they can update their preferences and let us know how they would like to be involved.

While school may be out for the summer, Panthers living our mission is still in full swing. We are so proud of our high school, junior high and elementary students who are volunteering at Vacation Bible School at St. Agnes Catholic Church this week. Whether they are leading small groups, helping with crafts and activities or bringing Bible stories to life through skits, they are generously sharing their time and God-given talents to serve others. Thank you to our students for representing Nouvel with joyful hearts and servant leadership while living out your faith!

We are proud of our golf team, who finished 5th at States this weekend! After rainy conditions Friday, they shot 16 strokes better Saturday to finish 5th at the Forest Akers West course at Michigan State University. Charlie Thiel paced the Panthers with an 81-82—163, finishing 14th. Ty Iamurri was 31st with an 87-82—169, with Charlie Groya 37th (91-80—171) and Ian Ziegelmann 42nd (87-86—173).

As part of their U.S. History class, our freshmen spent several weeks researching topics from the Cold War and then put their creativity to work by designing their own themed amusement parks. Each park featured rides, a carnival game, and even a concession stand, all inspired by historical events and ideas from the era. Students had the opportunity to present their parks and play the games. This engaging project combined research, creativity and collaboration, bringing history to life in a fun and memorable way!

We are impressed each year with the bridges our engineering class designs. Students design a bridge using engineering software, then turned around to build a model out of everyday materials. Once completed, the bridges were tested to see how much weight they could withstand before breaking. Congratulations to Sydney Daenzer and Macey Hausbeck on designing and building a bridge to hold an impressive 370.9 lbs. The picture was taken moments before the bridge failed.

Good luck to our Boys Golf Team! They compete at States this Friday and Saturday, June 5–6, at Forest Akers West Golf Course on the campus of Michigan State University!