Graduation 2026

IHA’s 63rd annual Commencement Exercises were held on June 6, 2026. Congratulations to this inspiring and impressive class!

 

One hundred forty-seven incredible young women received their diplomas from Miss Kerry Carroll ’04, principal; Mrs. Maureen Layng, assistant principal of students; and Mrs. Amy Baskin, assistant principal of academics. Including the members of this year’s graduating class, 11,480 young women now carry the title of IHA alumna.

 

• Click here for photos from graduation

• Click here to view the recorded ceremony

 

Graduates processed into the gymnasium to Pomp and Circumstance played by the IHA Orchestra. After a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem sung by Tara McCarthy (Providence College), the ceremony opened with Zoe DePhillips (Providence College),  Student Council president, offering the invocation and Madison Les (Barnard College), salutatorian, giving a thoughtful welcoming address. In speaking about her incredible classmates, Madison said, “I am so in awe of the heart and soul you pour into your talents. You uplift each other by leading with your own examples, and you do so with grace, humility, and compassion.”

 

Ms. Caitlin Carroll ‘06, vice president at Deutsche Bank, served as Commencement Speaker. Caitlin received a Bachelor of Science from Fairfield University, where she played four years of Division I softball and later earned her J.D. from Seton Hall Law School in 2013. Caitlin offered graduates an important reminder that they do not need to have their future already planned out. “God usually does not hand you the entire blueprint at once. Instead, He asks you to take the next step. And then the next one. And somewhere along the way, if you keep showing up with courage, humility, Faith, and generosity, you slowly become the person you were meant to be.”

 

Diplomas and special awards were then distributed to members of the Class of 2026. We invited alumnae mothers to present diplomas to their graduating daughters, a tradition IHA will continue for years to come. Mothers who distributed diplomas to their daughters included Jeannine (Boyajian) Barry ’94 to Katherine Barry (Boston College);  Danielle (Latona) Bundrick ’99 to Gianna Bundrick (Rutgers University); Dolores (Martinez) Byrnes ’90 to Clara Byrnes (Boston College);  Lisa Belulovich ’85 to Alliana Campana (Bucknell University); Marianne (Kasney) Clancy ’88 to Cavan Clancy (Villanova University); Bernadette Marie (Klein) Colonna ’96 to Bernadette Grace Colonna (Villanova University); Theresa (Seymour) Dolan ’95 to Kate Dolan (University of South Carolina); Antoinette (Joyce) Gillespie ’92 to Ashlyn Gillespie (Quinnipiac University); Christine (Sifford) Haemmerle ’89 to Paige Haemmerle (Syracuse University); Eileen (Barnes) Hahn ’85 to Kathleen Ann Hahn (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill); Jean (DeMayo) Hennelly ’85 to Maureen Hennelly (Ramapo College of New Jersey); Patricia Ann Grego ’93 to Leila Holland (Marist University); Jennifer (Ferro) Lessieu ’89 to Joslyn Lessieu (Fairfield University); Marguerite McCrimlisk ’78 to Hope McCrimlisk (Providence College); and Kristin (DeCrescenzi) Rejent ’99 to Kalyn Rejent (Sacred Heart University). 

 

After diplomas were presented to each graduate, several students were honored for a variety of accomplishments in and out of the classroom. We send heartfelt congratulations to the 2026 IHA Award winner, Kathleen Hahn (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), and the many other award and scholarship recipients recognized at this year’s Commencement Exercises.

 

Following the award presentation, Class of 2026 valedictorian, Isabella Ragone (New Jersey Institute of Technology), delivered an inspirational farewell address and reflected on what the enduring IHA sisterhood means to her: “No matter where we go, what we study, or who we become, we will always share this sisterhood. So continue building community. Continue leading with kindness. Continue making room for others. Continue asking questions, trying new things, and embracing every part of who you are. And if there is one thing I hope we remember as we leave her today, it’s this: we do not have to choose between being ourselves and being part of something bigger than ourselves. We can do both.”

 

At the end of the graduation ceremony, Mia Severino (University of Delaware) and Danica Libanan (Purdue University) led their classmates in the school’s Alma Mater before IHA’s newest alumnae exited the gymnasium.

 

Members of the Class of 2026 received more than $50 million in scholarship awards and will be continuing their education at some of the most esteemed colleges and universities in the country, including the United States Military Academy at West Point, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins University, University of Notre Dame, Boston College, Villanova University, Tufts University, and University of Michigan.

 

Fifty-one students are attending Catholic institutions, 13 students are attending schools in New Jersey, and 37% are attending colleges and universities outside of the Northeast, with the South being the most popular. Among the most popular states in that region are Florida and South Carolina (7 each); and Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee (4 each).

 

Ninety-three percent of the students were admitted to their first or second-choice college, and members of this class had a 100% four-year college acceptance rate. Some of the most popular choices this year include Providence College (9 students); Boston College and Villanova University (7 students each); Rutgers University (6 students); Sacred Heart University (5 students); and University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Fairfield University, and University of Mississippi (4 students each). 

 

Three IHA students will be studying at very selective, accelerated medical school programs for B.S./M.D. and B.S./D.O. degrees. Congratulations to all of this year’s graduates for their incredible contributions to IHA over the past four years!

 

Class of 2026 Graduation Awards

The following awards were presented at the 2026 Commencement Exercises:

 

Valedictorian
Isabella Ragone (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

 

Salutatorian
Madison Les (Barnard College)

 

The IHA Award
Kathleen Hahn (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

 

The Academic Excellence Award
Catalina Maglicic (University of Michigan)

 

The Sister Beatrice Ryan Award
Riley Cannon (Wake Forest University)

 

The Visitation Award
Etain Moore (Boston University)

 

The Mary Ann Molinari Memorial Award
Zoe DePhillips (Providence College)

 

The KariAnn Dellapenta Memorial Award
Paige Haemmerle (Syracuse University)

 

The Marie Sellers and Dorothy Savarese Memorial Award
Danica Libanan (Purdue University)

 

The Jeffrey E. Silver Memorial Award
Giara Gonzalez (Villanova University)

 

The Catherine Larkin Award
Kathleen Brancato (United States Military Academy at West Point)

 

The Caren Cavallo Memorial Scholarship
Diya Moorjani (Seton Hall University)

 

The Marian Award
Jaylene Hernandez (Boston College)

 

The Marisa Suarez Memorial Award
Alliana Campana (Bucknell University)

 

The Denise Gartner Memorial Award
Gabrielle Rivera (Johns Hopkins University)

 

The Tammy Medzadourian Memorial Award
Miranda Dougherty (Providence College)

 

The Michael Thomas Noone Memorial Award
Elliott Daniels (University of Tennessee)

 

The Joseph Amen Award
Anne Moore (Boston College)

 

The Herb Oberle Memorial Award
Bernadette Grace Colonna (Villanova University)

 

The Lynn Gansley Memorial Award
Julia MacEwen (Villanova University)