Maur Hill-Mount Academy names Colonel Edward Black as commencement speaker
Maur Hill-Mount Academy chose Colonel Edward Black to speak as seniors head toward Baccalaureate Mass at 9 a.m. and commencement at 11 a.m. in May.
Maur Hill-Mount Academy named Colonel Edward Black as its commencement speaker as seniors moved into the final stretch of the school year, with Baccalaureate Mass set for 9:00 a.m. and commencement at 11:00 a.m. in May. Residence halls will close afterward, marking a clear end to campus life for the class.
The choice says something about what the Atchison Catholic school wants graduates to hear as they leave. Maur Hill-Mount describes itself as a Catholic, college-preparatory boarding school with about 200 students, roughly 60% day students and 40% boarders, and students from 12 U.S. states and 10 countries. With a 25 average ACT score, a 1210 average SAT score and 100% college acceptance each year, the academy’s graduation message is aimed well beyond ceremony day and into college, service and work.
Black brings a résumé built around that kind of transition. He spent 32 years in the military, was drawn to aviation after seeing C-130 aircraft flying near St. Joseph, Missouri, and later pinned on full colonel before becoming commander of the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center in July 2012. For a school that sends students into a wide range of next steps, his background offers a direct model of discipline, leadership and steady advancement.
The announcement also fits the academy’s long tradition. Maur Hill-Mount traces its roots to Mount St. Scholastica Academy, founded in 1863, and Maur Hill Prep School, founded in 1919. The school has used commencement before to connect graduates with people who reflect its values, including alumnus Michael J. Kuckelman as the Class of 2024 speaker. This year’s selection of Colonel Edward Black keeps that pattern intact, tying graduation in Atchison to a message of service and responsibility that reaches past the stage and into the years ahead.
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