Montini scholar headed to West Coast to begin college education

Westmont resident Ryan Hubeny had never been to Los Angeles when he initially committed to the University of Southern California.

In fact, the recent Montini Catholic High School graduate had never been to the West Coast before. But his first visit to the campus last month for freshman orientation only solidified his decision.

“It was everything I hoped it would be,” Hubeny said. “I can’t wait to return in August to start classes.”

An Advanced Placement Scholar and Illinois State Scholar, Hubeny fielded scholarship offers from USC, as well as the University of Alabama, the University of Illinois and Clemson University.

He was among nine Montini Catholic Broncos earning more than $500,000 in academic scholarship offers this spring, according to a Montini news release.

“USC checked every box on my list of the ideal school for me. The location and academic reputation were the biggest priorities for me,” he said. “The fact that it was an urban school in downtown Los Angeles drew me in because I have never traveled out west before. I’m really looking forward to exploring that part of the country.”

Hubeny plans to major in business administration at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

“I have always been pretty good at math and logistics, which I feel like lends itself toward business administration, finance and financial planning,” he said. “And the Marshall School of Business is very prestigious and has rigorous courses, which was something I was looking for.”

Hubeny credits Montini’s rigorous courses and variety of extracurricular activities and opportunities for helping prepare him for this next stage in life.

“All of the faculty and staff care about the success of each student, which was very helpful and comforting while trying to balance my school work, social life and extracurricular activities,” he said.

Recently, Hubeny earned an Academic All-Star recognition and was the recipient of the President’s Award for Academic Excellence, according to a news release from Montini. He also received the Westmont Chamber of Commerce’s Educational Foundation Scholarship. As a member of Montini’s National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta (Math) Honor Society, Hubeny helped lead the Bronco Math Team to a sixth-place finish at state in the spring.

In addition to his academic achievements, he received the IHSA Scholastic Recognition Award his junior and senior years and Academic All-Conference honors in golf and volleyball, according to the news release.

“I really enjoy golf because of the patience and discipline it requires to get better at the sport. My dad is big into golf as well, which is how I got into it and continue to play it,” Hubeny said. “One of my good friends at Montini got me into volleyball when I was a sophomore and I really enjoyed it ever since. All of the guys on the team made it a great time as well. In college, I plan on doing intramural sports like volleyball, basketball and golf if they have it.”

Hubeny earned bragging rights as a 2022 Pope Paul VI Award winner – one of Montini’s highest honors – for his academic, extracurricular and service accomplishments, excellent attitude and willingness to get involved, according to a news release.

Montini’s faculty and staff take pride each spring when college decisions are announced and Broncos are sent all over the country.

“We have students this year and practically every year going to all four corners of the United States,” Montini President Jim Segredo said in the news release. “We are so thrilled for students like Ryan who take the bold steps to put themselves out there and make decisions that can be quite scary at such a young age. We know he is going to love it at USC and we’re so proud of him. We can’t wait to hear about his successes in college.”

Hubeny knows a different lifestyle than he is used to is ahead of him at USC, but he is excited.

“I’m going to miss my friends back home the most, but we will all still be able to stay in touch so it won’t be too bad,” he said.

What will he miss the least?

“The cold weather,” he said. “I’m a warm weather person and do not like the cold.”