Catholic Central is proud to announce that Peter Sanin ‘25 has earned the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship from Michigan State University, the school’s most prestigious academic award for incoming students. 

Established in 1956, it is awarded to a select few high-achieving high school seniors from across the country who participate in a highly competitive process involving essays, exams, academic records, test scores, and interviews. 

The scholarship covers full tuition, room and board, and academic expenses for up to eight semesters—valued at over $150,000 for Michigan residents. Recipients also join MSU’s Honors College and receive a two-year paid research assistantship. Sanin, one of the top 50 out of 10,000 incoming students, has earned this distinguished honor. 

Catholic Central is proud of Peter and his accomplishment! We had the opportunity to discuss the impact of this award with him. Check out his responses below. 

Q: How did you find out you had received the award, and what was your initial reaction?

Peter: I had only received the runner-up scholarship initially, the Distinguished Student Award. That award entitled me to four years at MSU with my tuition paid. I was still extremely excited to receive the award, though. I was notified that I had won the Distinguished Student Award by email, and as soon as I opened it, I started jumping up and down. Something similar played out about three weeks later when I received an email that upgraded my scholarship to the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship. I was so excited to receive this scholarship because of the great opportunity it will provide me through college.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what the scholarship entails?

Peter: Besides being a full-ride award that provides the funds to pay for all tuition, housing, and meals for four years, the ADS admits me as part of the Professorial Assistantship program at MSU. A PA is essentially an opportunity to work for a professor in my area of interest. While I will be compensated for my time with money, the biggest advantage to this program is that it builds a relationship with a professor in my field. This can be useful for asking for letters of recommendation and maintaining a network.

Q: What were some of your favorite experiences during your time at Catholic Central?

Peter: My favorite memories were the hockey state championships in my junior and senior year. I've made a lot of great friends and memories through the hockey program, so being able to cap off those seasons with a ring was extra special.

Q: In addition to academics, were there any extracurricular activities, clubs, or sports you were involved in that you’re especially proud of?

Peter: Of course, I'm extremely proud of my role on the hockey team, but the two activities I'm most proud of are Model UN and HOSA. 

I joined Model UN in my sophomore year when it was still a brand new club filled with just five people that loved parliamentary debate (even if they weren't the best at it). I had the distinct honor of being the club's second president, and I got to watch as it grew into a safe-space to talk about international politics, speaking skills, and debate. 

I also am proud of my participation in HOSA, where I learned about my future career and how to be a leader. My first three years as a competitor helped me to understand the many different facets of healthcare, and I earned the opportunity to travel to the State Leadership Conference all three years, twice as a competitor and once as a candidate for state office. 

In my junior year, I ran for state officership, and earned the role of State President. My senior year was defined by the memories I made around all of Michigan and the connections I made around the country due to my role as the State President of Michigan HOSA.

Q: What will you be studying at Michigan State University? Have you already chosen a major or field of interest?

Peter: I will be studying Biochemistry and Microbiology with a pre-health track. I also hope to pick up a minor in Public Health.

Q: Looking back at your high school years, what advice would you give to younger Catholic Central students who are hoping to follow a similar path? Anything else you'd like to share?

Peter: My biggest piece of advice is to try everything. CC has a lot of clubs and even more resources for new ones. If you don't know what you want to do after high school, join as many clubs as you can and engage with clubs in any capacity you can. If you already have an idea of what you want to do, join entirely unrelated clubs or activities because you never know what might catch your interest or what skills you can learn. Never discount a club because it's "for nerds" or because it "takes too much time." Trust yourself to figure out scheduling, and soak up every experience that you can.