Service at Immaculate Heart Academy is more than just something that is required; it’s a central part of who we are. Students regularly put their Faith into action by serving their community and ministering to people in need through a wide variety of service opportunities. To recognize their efforts, IHA held its annual Service Awards Ceremony on April 28, 2026, and celebrated all of our students for their inspiring commitment to service.

IHA is proud to announce that our students served more than 33,000 hours during the 2025-2026 school year! IHA’s young women go above and beyond what they are required to accomplish. In fact, on average, our students served double the number of hours required of them. The highest-achieving class was the Class of 2026, with a total of nearly 12,000 hours.

Ms. Emily Ash ’19, theology teacher and director of Campus Ministry, discussed why IHA is proud to recognize their service, “Through your service to our community, you bring so much light to the world and make the Love of God Himself present and real in the lives of others. In a world that says, TikTok and Instagram likes determine your worth and that a perfectly curated Instagram feed with a catchy caption is what you have to do to be known in the world, we are going to celebrate all of our young women who say we know differently — we know that the one who truly knows us is God, and He asks us go out and love His people through our actions. And the loving actions you take to care for His people are all the ways you say your own ‘yes’ to service.”

At the awards ceremony, IHA celebrated 20 students for achieving the Lux Mundi Award (250 or more hours per year), 17 students for the Cor Ministerium Award  (175-249 hours per year), and 74 students for the Virtius Award (100-174 hours per year). Congratulations to the top three service-hour earners: Isabella Ragone ’26 (922 hours); Isabella Kerio ’26 (512 hours), and Elliott Daniels ’26  (441 hours). 

IHA also recognized the following students with awards for service in a particular area or with specific populations:

Kathy Krey Sova ’78 Breast Cancer Awareness Award
Angelica Ferreira ’27 
Exceptional Service to the Elderly
Anne Moore ’26

Exceptional Service to Parish Community
Alana Flores ’26 and Riley McKay ’27 

Mayme Puccio Humanitarian Award 

Kaitlyn McCormick ’27 

Exceptional Service to the Homeless
Peyton Connors ’27 and Grace Sciortino ’26 

Exceptional Service to Veterans
Maeve Dorfler ’27 and Aurelia Carolan ’27
Exceptional Service in STEM Education
Abigail Bennett ’26 and Veronica Brenner ’26

Exceptional Service to Individuals With Disabilities
Margaret Hahn ’28, Mackenzie Handy ’26, and Grace Handy ’28

Exceptional Service to the IHA Community
Meredith Solimando ’27, Mary Mahoney ’26, and Morgan Connell ’26

IHA Spirit of Sisterhood Award for Kindness & Inclusivity
Riley Espaillat ’28, Julia MacEwen ’26, and Elizabeth Kellogg ’29

Exceptional Service to Women and Children Given in Honor of Ms. Lynn Gansley
Abigail Novack ’28  

Dedication to the Spiritual Growth of the Sisterhood
Ashlee Waldron ’28, Rachel Mathew ’27, Isabella Ragone ’26 , and Samantha Sundlin ’26

St. Therese of Lisieux Award for Everyday Acts of Kindness
Mary Giancristofaro ’27 and Paige Meitrott ’27  

St. Veronica Encounter Award
Tara Caputo ’26, Clare McCarthy ’27, and Laila Albardak ’26 

FIAT Award for Saying “Yes” to God Through Acts of Service
Zoe DePhillips ’26, Madeline Schlereth ’27, and Holland Haftek ’28

Exceptional Service to the Hungry
Ashley Lopez ’26 and Hadassah Vilsaint ’27 

Spirit of Service Award
Lily Angioletti ’29, Emilia Reilly ’28, Peyton Einwohner ’27, and Mariana Builes ’26. 

Servant Leadership Award
Etain Moore ’26, Kathleen Hahn ’26, and Madison Les ’26.

IHA also honored the following students for achieving The Lux Mundi Award, The Cor Ministerium Award, and The Virtius Award:

The Lux Mundi Award (Light of the World Service Award): 250+ hours in a calendar year

Adrienna Arocho-Bautista ’26, Abigail Bennett ’26, Kathleen Brancato ’26, Riley Cannon ’26, Alisiana Costello ’26, Elliott Daniels ’26, Zoe DePhillips ’26, Dahlia Iuliano ’26, Isabella Ragone ’26, Gabrielle Rivera ’26, Isabella Kerio ’26, Ella Vrtis ’26, Aurelia Carolan ’27, Kristina Ahn ’27, Lia Carballo ’27, Malia Hamilton ’27, Marley Digby ’27, Katie Eckes ’28, Margaret Hahn ’28, and Isabella Antigua ’29.

The Cor Ministerium Award (Heart of Service Award): 175-249 hours
Kathleen Hahn ’26, Laila Albardak ’26, Etain Moore ’26, Kailyn Rejent ’26, Lilith Roman ’26, Elisabeth Tralongo ’26, Diya Moorjani ’26, Kate Hujsa ’26, Angelica Ferreira ’27, Clare McCarthy ’27, Jenna Circelli ’27, Grace Handy ’28, Alyssa Lo ’28, Abigail Novack ’28, Pavni Patel ’28, Kianna Sadati ’28, and Jules Robertson ’28.

The Virtius Award (Valor Service Award): 100-174 hours in a calendar year

Kimberly Zhang ’26, Sophia Wilson ’26, Clare Wenzke ’26, Sofia Soranno ’26, Riley Nightingale ’26, Molly Neafsey ’26, Tara McCarthy ’26, Ella Matts ’26, Izabella Hoxholli ’26, Mackenzie Handy ’26, Yasmine Ego ’26, Isabella Duca ’26, Sarah Komninos ’26, Sophia Bertino ’26, Olivia Valente ’26, Madison Hawryluk, ’26, Lillian Hasenfus ’27, Peyton Einwohner ’27, Vasilia Rodas ’27, Skylar Blake ’27, Riley McKay ’27, Reese Lauricella ’27, Paige Meitrott ’27, Michelle LaFace ’27, Mia Souhlakis ’27, Katarina Van Tassel ’27, Kaitlyn McCormick ’27, Juliet Sok ’27, Juliet Fisher ’27, Harper Eddy ’27, Grace McLoughlin ’27, Gina Ha ’27, Gabriella Morillo ’27, Emma Fowler ’27, Elizabeth Doolan ’27, Cayleigh Heffernan ’27, Grace Wenzke ’28, Emilia Reilly ’28, Zoey Orlando ’28, Gabriella Nizza ’28, Kristen Lee ’28, Valentina Mendoza ’28, Charlotte McQuade ’28, Molly McDermott ’28, Charlotte Kipp ’28, Colette Karg ’28, Natalie Joung ’28, Reagan Jareck ’28, Gabrielle Hoxholli ’28, Emmeline Masterson ’28, Grace Higgins ’28, Ashlee Hart ’28, Molly Hardin ’28, Cristiana Hanna ’28, Autumn Giglio ’28, Soraya Gershenhorn ’28, Isabella Fitzsimmons ’28, Olivia Cirello ’28, Ryann Cenicola ’28, Nina Cardella ’28, Holland Haftek ’28, Brynn Corcoran McPartland ’28, Alexis Lee ’28, Keira Joan O’Neill ’29, Sophia Carolyn Townsend ’29, Portia Sara Goett ’29, Madeline Rose Lorentzen ’29, Lily Grace Angioletti ’29, Katherine Marie Karg ’29, Georgia Marie Beeman ’29, Elizabeth Grace Kellogg ’29, Camryn Martucci ’29, Brooke Walker Whitman ’29, and Abigail Helen Dougall ’29.

During the Service Award Assembly, Etain Moore ‘26, service president of the Christian Service Board, spoke to students about a popular quote from St. Teresa of Avila, which reminds students that their mission is to act as Christ’s hands and feet on this earth: “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.”

Madison Les ‘26, sisterhood president of the Christian Service Board, also addressed students with a reflection on a recent midnight run. “On one of our stops, I met an unhoused man named Tony, and we bonded over having the same taste in music. This moment reminded me that service goes beyond giving physical things — it is about truly meeting people. It allows you to form authentic connections with all of God’s people that are difficult to replicate anywhere else.”

After the awards were presented, the IHA community viewed a video montage and slideshow of the IHA service program created by Ms. Jessica Shaheen, Communications Department Chairperson, and Kathleen Hahn ‘26, spirituality president of the Christian Service Board. Recipients and their families were invited to a celebratory reception afterward. Thank you to everyone in Campus Ministry for continually inspiring the IHA community with your passion to serve others.

Click here for a complete photo album of the 2026 Service Awards Ceremony.