Editor’s note: The Diocese of Palm Beach honors its Catholic high school graduates, particularly the valedictorians and salutatorians, with senior spotlights. In the last of three articles shining a light on excellence in Catholic education, the Florida Catholic spoke with the top graduates at Cardinal Newman High School.
WEST PALM BEACH | “Have fun. Enjoy it. Goes by fast.”
Those words of wisdom for Cardinal Newman High School’s incoming freshmen from 2026 valedictorian Brady Surovek summed up his thoughts as he savored his last days on campus. He and salutatorian Max Mullen spoke with the Florida Catholic about the highlights of the last four years.
Both of the top graduates had seen and felt the difference that Catholic education makes in the lives of students and families. Mullen, the son of Sara Mullen, attended public schools before enrolling at St. Ann School for seventh and eighth grades, while Surovek started at Rosarian Academy, then switched to the Weiss School for four years before returning to Rosarian for seventh and eighth.
Mullen said he has enjoyed the feeling of community that pervades Cardinal Newman and is unlike what he previously experienced. “The Catholic school system, I think, has helped me develop into, hopefully, what I consider myself, an upstanding person,” he said.
Without the faith component inherent in Catholic school, Surovek said, “there’s no deeper meaning to anything.” Religion classes give “a deeper context and meaning to everything that I’m doing. And it gives me a purpose for why I’m doing it,” he said, adding, “I feel like I’ve grown more as an individual with the faith than when I was learning without it.”
The graduates recalled memorable moments, such as watching their Crusaders beat Broward County football rival Chaminade-Madonna in the class 1A state championship game Dec. 11, 2025. Mullen was there playing trumpet in the marching band, which also got to march down Main Street at Walt Disney World. He also is glad to have participated on the weightlifting team, competing in the 169-pound Olympic class and taking third place at regionals as a senior.
Starting as a sophomore, he didn’t know much about weightlifting. “That’s been a big advancement for me and makes me really proud. Then just having friends and knowing all these people and having such good relationships with them,” said Mullen, who will be at the University of Florida in the fall, majoring in chemical engineering.
Surovek is enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, leaning toward a major in civil engineering. The son of Clay and Jessica Surovek, he described himself as determined. He doesn’t “like leaving things undone. One thing that really bothers me, if I start an essay, I have to finish it right then. It’s not like, I’ll do the first paragraph now, I’ll do the second one later. No, I need to get it done.”
Hard working is how Mullen described himself. “At every level, you have to work hard, but I think that I’m able to do that. Studying when it needs to be done, getting things completed when they need to be done, even when you have long days, long nights,” he said.
Surovek and Mullen named English teacher Sally Gibson and math teacher Patricia Smith as major influences on their educational journeys. Gibson “taught me basically how to write. She also taught my dad and my sister and my uncle, so a lot of family tradition there,” Surovek said.
Mullen thanked band teacher David Bayardelle for helping “develop my musical skills, and really just helping me be in that community and just have a fun time doing it.” The salutatorian advised future Cardinal Newman students to connect with their teachers.
“You’ll learn so much more, and you’ll care so much more about your classes,” he said. “That’s why Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Gibson have been such impactful teachers with us, because they try to connect with you as a person. They don’t try to just be your teacher. They try to be your mentor.”
“It’s never a bad thing to be on a teacher’s good side,” Surovek wisely added.
For more information about Cardinal Newman High School, visit www.CardinalNewman.com, call 561-683-6266 or go to its Facebook, Instagram or X pages.
