Service at Immaculate Heart Academy is more than just something that is required; it’s a central part of who we are. During the 2023-2024 school year, our students served more than 28,000 hours! IHA’s young women go above and beyond what they are required to accomplish. In fact, on average, our students served double the amount of hours required of them. The highest achieving class was the Class of 2024, with a total of nearly 11,000 hours!

At a ceremony on May 9, 2024, IHA celebrated more than 80 students for achieving the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the Bronze level (100-174 hours per year), Silver level (175-249 hours per year), and Gold level (250 and more hours per year). Congratulations to the top three service hour earners: Isabella Ragone '26 (570 hours); Ellie May White '24 (566 hours); and Keira DeMicco '25 (537 hours).

Ms. Emily Ash '19, theology teacher and service coordinator, welcomed the IHA community to the ceremony with a moving speech about how God calls each of us to serve wholeheartedly, "Authentic service involves putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. It involves time, presence, love, and patience with those you are serving. It involves a wholehearted commitment to loving your neighbor because God tells you to. It involves taking yourself out of the center of the equation and putting someone else in that place. Authentic service, the kind that we’re called to, is not about you. It's about God, who entered the messiness of our humanity in order to save us and bring us back to Him out of a deep and abundant love for us.”

The President’s Volunteer Service Award was founded in 2003 by the United States President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action too.

IHA honored the following students for achieving the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels: 

Gold: 250+ hours in a calendar year
Kaitlyn Klaus ʼ24
Ava Previzi  ʼ24
Samantha Raia  ʼ24
Rose Marie Shamoon  ʼ24
Ellie May White  ʼ24
Keira DeMicco ʼ25
Chloe Kadien  ʼ25 
Elliot Daniels  ʼ26
Zoe DePhillips ʼ26
Isabella Ragone ʼ26

Silver: 175-249 hours
Marisa Arone ʼ24
Sofia Giannella ʼ24
Emily Keizer  ʼ24
Emily Magee ʼ24
Eileen Wynne  ʼ24
Jillian McCoy  ʼ24 
Darcy Moore  ʼ24
Hannah Grace Sengul  ʼ24
Amelie Wilday  ʼ24 
Avery Connors  ʼ25 
Lana Langevin  ʼ25 
Victoria Niziol  ʼ25
Tara Caputo  ʼ26
Mackenzie Handy ʼ26
Lauren Henneberry  ʼ27
Lia Carballo  ʼ27

Bronze: 100-174 hours
Samantha Andersen  ʼ24
Brooke Bjerke  ʼ24
Madyson Ayers  ʼ24  
Alayna Bellevue  ʼ24 
Carson Bielen  ʼ24
Mina Cocca  ʼ24
Sophia Cremona  ʼ24 
Riley DeMicco  ʼ24
Claire Donohoe  ʼ24 
Hannah Hart  ʼ24
Abigail Hoffman  ʼ24
Lauren Hroncich  ʼ24
Kaitlyn LeSuer  ʼ24
Alyssa Mack  ʼ24
Payton Murphy  ʼ24
Reagan Pace  ʼ24 
Isabella Pizzi  ʼ24
Bryana Saenz  ʼ24 
Kiera Stevenson  ʼ24
Summer VanWyckhouse  ʼ24
Dylann Kammen  ʼ25
Grace Coster  ʼ25  
Madeline Lively  ʼ25
Grace Guglielmetti  ʼ25
Ella Turnamian  ʼ25 
Emerson Focht  ʼ25  
Alexa Harding  ʼ25 
Emma Neyland  ʼ25 
Caitlin Donovan  ʼ25 
Kathleen Reck  ʼ25 
Clodagh Moore  ʼ25 
Riley Ng-Knepper  ʼ25 
Lauren Mulry  ʼ25
Nicolina Elisano  ʼ25 
Lola Rose Projahn  ʼ25 
Elizabeth Marino  ʼ25 
Orietta Pisciotta  ʼ25
Riley Cannon  ʼ26
Chloe Coll  ʼ26
Jaylene Hernandez  ʼ26
Madelyn Hryniw  ʼ26 
Ashley Lopez  ʼ26
Catalina Maglicic  ʼ26 
Adrianna Rispoli  ʼ26
Gabrielle Rivera  ʼ26
Samantha Sundlin  ʼ26 
Sydney Schoen  ʼ24 
Marcelle Seckin  ʼ25
Isabella Kerio ‘26
Diya Moorjani  ʼ26
Aurelia Carolan  ʼ27
Kristina Ahn  ʼ27 
Sarah Schiller  ʼ25
Nell Burczon  ʼ25
Kate Hujsa  ʼ26

Congratulations are extended to the following students who were recognized with awards for service in a particular area or with specific populations.

Class of 2026:
Giara Gonzalez and Etain Moore

Class of 2025:
Marcelle Seckin and Isabelle Bertussi

Class of 2024:
Rose Zazzali and Amanda Guanci

During the assembly, Samantha Raia '24, the service president for the Christian Service Board, reflected on what service truly means at IHA, "When we decided to come here, we committed to serving something bigger than ourselves and truly working to make the world a better place. Over the past few years, I have learned that service has never, and will never be, about the feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish your required hours. But, about the people's lives you have touched along the way. Whether you completed 12 or 300 hours, you are serving a community and impacting the lives of more people than you think."

Miss Kerry Carroll ’04, principal, also addressed the IHA community at the Service Awards ceremony and spoke about how service at IHA is a testament to our values and our commitment to the teachings of Christ. "Each of these acts of service shares a common thread — they are rooted in the core values our school cherishes: compassion, respect, justice, and integrity." Miss Carroll continued, "You’ve shown that service is not just about helping others. It’s about respecting their dignity, understanding their challenges, and committing to act toward a solution. Most profoundly, it is about love."

After the awards were presented, the IHA community viewed a video montage of service photos from the year created by Hannah Hart ‘24, and recipients and their families were invited to a celebratory reception afterward. Thank you to Ms. Emily Ash '19, for continually leading our young women in their passion to serve. Congratulations to all of IHA’s compassionate and kind-hearted students!

Click here for a complete photo album of the event, courtesy of Mike Hamlett Photography.