The Brother David S. Baginski, FSC Scholars Program

About the Program:

Each year, Central Catholic High School inducts a small number of outstanding sophomores into The Brother David S. Baginski, FSC Scholars Program. This is a highly-selective two-year program for juniors and seniors of exceptional merit and potential. It offers intellectually stimulating curricular and extracurricular activities.

To be admitted to the program, students complete an application and interview process in their sophomore year. Eligible sophomores must have taken a minimum of three AP or Honors courses, demonstrate an ability to work at a minimum GPA level of 3.5, commit to three years of foreign language study and demonstrate innovative ability, intellectual curiosity and interest in social causes.

In addition to programming, forums, and symposia throughout the year, the Brother David S. Baginski, FSC Scholars Program offers cultural immersion trips to major US cities and a study abroad program in the summer.

View the 2023-24 Program Guide

View the Program Brochure

Mission:

The mission of The Brother David S. Baginski, FSC Scholars Program is to foster intellectual and cultural growth essential to leadership in the service of humanity. Participation in this program provides Scholars with a strong foundation that fosters intellectual curiosity, civic engagement, diversity of perspectives, leadership, creativity, innovation, experiential learning, applied learning, scholarship, culture of integrity, effective communication, building community. A deeper goal of the program is to motivate Scholars to reach beyond their individual niches and to understand that they can affects justice in society and, in fact, have a responsibility to do so.

Program Benefits:

Being a part of The Brother David S. Baginski, FSC Scholars Program provides students with many intellectual, cultural and social benefits.

Students in the program:

• Become part of an engaged and culturally-connected community of peers
• Are exposed to meaningful learning experiences rooted in a Catholic intellectual tradition and a Lasallian spiritual heritage
• Receive guidance and direction from faculty advisors to reach their full potential as thoughtful, creative, socially-responsible, empathetic, and productive men of faith, scholarship and service.
• Develop an individualized academic research path
• Participate in enrichment programs and cultural experiences
• Engage in university-level seminars and writing
• Develop a service-oriented consciousness, leading to a commitment to public service and active participation in a democratic society.

Program Outcomes:

By commencement, students are expected to:

• Understand the interdisciplinary nature of learning
• Exhibit superior oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrate mastery of advanced research skills in many media
• Possess a greater awareness and appreciation of the fine arts
• Be familiar with the foundational corpus of great books, ideas, and philosophies that have shaped Western and non-Western civilizations
• Examine contemporary issues and current events through a critical lens and engage in meaningful, socially-responsible discussions about these issues
• Demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence
• Build connections with a scholarly community inside and outside of the school
• Function intellectually at higher levels of thought
• Apply ethical models to research questions
• Apply leadership skills in solving community problems
• Be accustomed to reaching beyond their individual niches, knowing that they too can effect change in society, and have, in fact, a responsibility to do so.