Saint Raphael Academy proudly announces the valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2025: Jules Costello, from Rumford, is ranked first in the class and Alexandre Ramos, from Cumberland, is ranked second. The announcement was made at the annual honors night on May 19. The students were chosen based on their overall GPAs attained over their four years at Saints.
Traditionally, the students are not told of their status until that evening, but most of the time, the top students figure it out once they are at the honors ceremony. “I didn’t know who was going to be who,” said Jules, referring to the rank of the two boys. “My parents were very proud,” he said.
“I was really excited and glad to be recognized for my hard work over the last four years,” Alex said. “My parents were proud of me and supportive of me.”
Both students will be attending very prestigious schools. Jules will be attending Harvard University, where he received a full scholarship. “I can’t really believe it,” he said, shaking his head and smiling. He plans to study physics. He hopes to be an astrophysicist and would like to work in the field of theoretical physics. Jules is the third Saints student in as many years to attend Harvard. Alex will go to Washington to attend The Catholic University of America, where he will study civil engineering, although he hasn’t quite decided what discipline he will study within that major.
The Impact of a Saints Education
Alex said his favorite memories over the years at Saints are “the experiences and conversations I’ve had with teachers.”
He especially credits Dr. Zach Costanzo for fostering his love of mathematics and how he “showed me how to use math in different ways in the wider world.” As a result, Alex wants to do something hands-on, he said, such as lab research.
As a math-brained student, Alex found he had to put more effort into his English classes. He acknowledges Mrs. Nelson for making him try harder in class. She became someone he would regularly say hello to in the morning and have a conversation. On his senior ECHO retreat, he was particularly touched to receive a palanca (a Spanish word meaning “lever,” or something that makes things lighter), from her. Faculty and staff are encouraged to write letters of support to students and to pray for them throughout the weekend.
Jules said it was Mrs. Costanzo’s AP Biology class that sparked his interest in biology and led him to volunteer at Miriam Hospital. He is a patient transporter and while performing that service, he learned to appreciate different personalities and people’s stories of illness and recovery.
One of Jules’ fondest memories of Saints was opportunities to instruct others, he said, especially on the first day of Debate Club, which he helped establish. He remembers being nervous at first, but then he relaxed and found he enjoyed it.
Saint Raphael Academy early on recognized their potential in their sophomore year and nominated Jules and Alex for the HOBY Youth Leadership Conference, a weekend-long seminar at URI that encourages students to develop their leadership skills and make a positive impact on the world around them.
Meet SRA’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Both students have developed a camaraderie over the years, as they have found themselves in many of the same classes. They even took some theater arts classes together in their early years.
As one would expect, Jules and Alex have earned many academic achievements in their high school careers. They have been consistently listed on the highest honor roll and both were inducted into the National Honor Society last year.
Of course, these top students have some impressive GPAs. Jules earned a weighted GPA of 118.65 and received the Harvard Book Award as a junior. Alex was not far behind, with a weighted GPA of 117.06.
Jules received academic excellence awards in AP U.S. History, AP Language & Literature, and AP Biology. He also received the Moral Compass Award and the Harvard Book Award and was inducted into the Tri M Honor Society and National Honor Society.
Alex received awards of Excellence in AP Pre-Calculus and Excellence in Honors Physics. He was inducted into the Spanish Honor Society and was also awarded the Rensselaer Medal.
Additionally, both students are Moore Scholars—Jules for three years and Alex for two (freshmen are not eligible). The Moore Scholars program at SRA challenges high-achieving students to consider how they can improve the quality of life at Saints and the community at large. They research the chosen topic and present their ideas to a panel of faculty adjudicators.
Yet, the awards they are most proud of might surprise a person. For Jules, it was his theology award, the Moral Compass Award, which is given to a student who not only has the highest grade point average but also maintained a strong personal ethic.
For Alex, he was proud to receive the Civic Leadership Award, presented by the Rhode Island Secretary of State, which he received in his junior year with his friend Gabby Leon. The award is given to two students from each Rhode Island school to recognize their outstanding contributions to their school and community.
Rounding Out with Extracurriculars
If there’s one piece of advice that Jules and Alex give to underclassmen, it is to take advantage of the many opportunities Saints has to offer, as they have done themselves. Both students enjoyed some of the same extracurricular activities together, including the Gardening Club and the Math Team.
Jules has been involved in many different activities at Saints, from robotics club to the school newspaper. He was a leader in Student Council in his junior and senior years and was class treasurer his sophomore year. He was also captain of the Mathletes team and founder of the Debate Club.
Even with his busy schedule, Jules also found time to become a member of the swim team and Saints Drumline.
Alex is 4-year, 3-season athlete, participating in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. He was the No. 2 cross country runner on the Saints team, although an injury sidelined him for part of his spring track season this year. He contributed to several division championships over his four years and was All-Class and All-Division in cross country this year. He plans to run in college, too. Alex is also a founding member of the Kindness Club, and has served as a Student Ambassador all four years of school.
Family is a Way of Life
Family is important to both students. Jules is cognizant of the sacrifices that his family has made and the emotional support they have provided. “I could not have done it without my mom. She is everything to me,” he said.
Alex felt the support of his family and its impact on his future. Alex is carrying on a tradition of Saints graduates in his family—his mom, Kerri, graduated with the Class of ’92 and his dad, Mark, is a member of the Class of ’94.
“The ultimate goal is to have a family and be the father that my dad is to me,” he said.
They are part of the legacy of valedictorians and salutatorians in the Academy’s past 100 years. They know they will always be a part of the Saints family. And this family is equally proud of their accomplishments.
Saint Raphael Academy’s 98th commencement will take place at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Sunday, June 8, at 2:30 pm. The event will be livestreamed on Saint Raphael Academy’s YouTube page.
