Special to The Texas Catholic
Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas junior Luke Nettune has been named the 28th annual recipient of the Hal Tehan Scholar Award.
Each year, all Dallas-area Catholic high schools may nominate a junior student who exemplifies Catholic values, actively participates, contributes to the community, and is generally in the top five percent of his or her class.
As the honoree, Nettune will receive a $10,000 scholarship for his senior year, and each of the other nominees will receive a $2,500 scholarship.
Hal Tehan was a man fully dedicated to his faith and community. Following his death, The Catholic Foundation Scholar Award was renamed The Hal Tehan Scholar Award in honor of the late Foundation leader, donor, and friend.
Nettune, the oldest child of Catherine and Alex Nettune of Dallas, will receive the award and share his essay on the importance of receiving a Catholic education during the 42nd annual Catholic Foundation Award dinner Feb. 22 at the Hilton Anatole. The Nettunes are parishioners at Christ the King Catholic Church.
A seventh generation Texan, Nettune has attended Catholic schools since kindergarten at Christ the King Catholic School, studied at Cistercian Preparatory School for four years, and enrolled at Jesuit Dallas his freshman year.
At Jesuit, Nettune has earned multiple academic honors and awards for chemistry, math, science, Latin, and theology. He is a three-year member of the varsity tennis team, president of the Jesuit chess club, writer for the school newspaper, a school ambassador, and one of six students chosen out of more than 70 applicants to lead the freshman class during their all-day retreat.
As the state treasurer for the Texas Junior Classical League, he manages the checkbook and annual budget of more than $100,000.
He has a passion for service and enjoys helping youth who are neurodiverse. He is one of 12 members of his class the past two years to lead all school-wide service encounters as part of the Ignatius Service Corps.
At Jesuit, Nettune has served as a Special Olympics tennis coach for the past three years and a leader for Bowling Buddies that involves coaching Notre Dame School of Dallas students. Last year, he co-founded Families Inspiring Neurodiverse Individuals (FIND) that involves creating educational materials and spreading awareness about the strength-based approach to neurodiversity.
“My Catholic education is a gift and a responsibility to share God’s love through my actions, words, and deeds,” he wrote in his essay on the impact of a Catholic education. “ I have a responsibility to share this intense love of the Lord, enkindled by the Cistercian monks and intensified through Jesuit, with those around me. It is my duty to be a light in the sea of darkness — to fight for the less fortunate, to protect and share His love with them through my actions, words, and deeds.”
Jesuit junior counselor and co-director of the debate team, Dan Lingel, says Nettune is one of the most compassionate and empathetic high school students he has met.
“Luke’s compassionate empowering mentorship flourishes when he is working in a group, especially when he is working with younger students as a retreat leader or as one of the school’s ambassadors,” said Lingel. “He sees the ‘Men for Others’ motto of the school as a demand, especially when he takes on a big brother mentor role both inside and outside the school.
“Luke is one of the most respected and liked members of the junior class and would make every classmates’ top five list of kind, caring, and compassionate ‘brothers,’” he said.
Nettune said he has learned from his parents, teachers, and organizational sponsors to give back to others the blessings he has received from God.
“I think helping people with special needs will be something I do my entire life,” he said. “I feel like it’s super important to show people that they are people deserving of God’s love, and we need to serve them.”
He’s honored to be the newest Hal Tehan Scholar Award recipient.
“I feel so grateful and blessed to receive the Hal Tehan Scholarship Award,” he said. “I was not expecting it at all, and I think it’s God telling me to keep serving others.”
Cutline for featured image: Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas junior Luke Nettune is the 28th annual recipient of the Hal Tehan Scholar Award.
