One hundred forty-five incredible young women received their diplomas from Mr. Jason Schlereth P'27, '28, president; Miss Kerry Carroll ’04, principal; Mrs. Alice Rogers P’07, ’09, ’13, assistant principal of students; and Mrs. Amy Baskin, assistant principal of academics. Including the members of this year’s graduating class, 11,333 young women now carry the title of IHA alumna.
Click here for photos from the event!
Graduates processed into the gymnasium to Pomp and Circumstance played by the IHA Orchestra. After a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem sung by Megan McCarthy (Villanova University), the ceremony opened with Anne Marie Kelly (Bucknell University), Student Council president, offering the invocation and Allison Egan (Columbia University), salutatorian, giving a thoughtful welcoming address. In speaking about the incredible sisterhood and support system at IHA, Allison said, “I now know the community we have built here will never fade. Sisterhood isn’t confined to the four walls of IHA. It exists within each of us, in our bonds with each other and in the support we continue to give to each other, even though we won’t see each other in class every day. By continuing to be ourselves and share our unique gifts with the world, this community only grows. I have been and continue to be impressed with everything my classmates have accomplished. You are each uniquely beautiful human beings, with kind hearts, inquisitive minds, and abundant talent.”
Mrs. Aileen (Daniels) Weese '08, vice president at J.P. Morgan, served as Commencement Speaker. Aileen received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, where she played Division I basketball and later earned a Master's in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business. Aileen told graduates, “I know you’ve been told, just like I was, that ‘you are the future.’ Yes, that’s true, but that implies your power and value lie in some nebulous and distant future state; that the value you bring to the world has yet to be determined. But, in this climate in particular — educated, engaged, and vocal women are a political, economic, and religious necessity — and you all fit that bill. So we need you today, and while it may not feel like it to you, everyone in this room knows you’re up to the task!”
Diplomas and special awards were then distributed to members of the Class of 2025. 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 Bridget (Daul) Kelly ‘90 to Anne Marie Kelly; Mary Beth (Coyne) Mulry ‘91 to Lauren Mulry; Stefania Gasparro ‘93 to Allessandra Nazor; Mariann (Smith) Odierno ‘93 to Katherine Odierno; Elizabeth (McDonald) Ryan '84 to Katherine Ryan; Christina (Houghton) Sollecito ‘90 to Bergen Sollecito; Kourtney (Gallo) Zorovich ‘96 to Scarlett Zorovich; Christine (Cabrera) Capizzi ‘89 to Caitlyn Capizzi; Laura (Bonner) Connors ‘94 to Avery Connors; Allison (Stapienski) Dalessandro ‘87 to Grace Dalessandro; Selene (Maugeri) DelJuidice ‘90 to Victoria DelJuidice; Gena (Caputo) DeVirgilio ‘94 to Victoria DeVirgilio; Catherine (Mondare) Donovan ‘91 to Caitlin Donovan; and Sheri (Saingas) Malenda ‘92 to Zoe Giacomini.
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 2025 IHA Award winner, Isabelle Bertussi (Villanova University), and the many other award and scholarship recipients recognized at this year’s Commencement Exercises.
Following the award presentation, Mr. Jason Schlereth, IHA president, addressed the graduates and guests by encouraging students to stay true to who they are, “Be unapologetically you. There is no one else on this earth who is you. Be who you are and don’t apologize for it. Be kind to yourself and embrace what makes you different from others, and in doing so, surround yourself with the people who love you, who cheer for you, who celebrate you, and who believe in you. Live the life you wish, the way you wish to live it; not how others tell you to live it.”
Class of 2025 valedictorian, Lana Langevin (Rutgers University), delivered an inspirational farewell address and offered advice to her fellow classmates as they embark on a new journey: “It may seem cliche to say that there are limitless opportunities, but it’s the truth. Going off to college means a slew of new experiences and new chances to take. Just as we’ve learned to be fearless amongst our support system here, that fearlessness does not have to be diminished in the new world we are about to take on. Instead, as our brave sisters before us have demonstrated: change your major, go abroad, join a club, say yes to a new friend, say no to something that doesn’t serve you, change your major again. Use all that we’ve learned at this moment, but allow ourselves to grow, make mistakes, and then grow again. We don’t have to be perfect, we just have to be.”
At the end of the graduation ceremony, Katherine Ryan (Rice University) led her classmates in the school’s Alma Mater before IHA’s newest alumnae exited the gymnasium.
Members of the Class of 2025 received more than $38 million in scholarship awards and will be continuing their education at some of the most esteemed colleges and universities in the country, including Villanova University, Georgetown University, New York University, Tulane University, University of Virginia, Boston College, and Columbia University.
Forty-five students are attending Catholic institutions, 16 students are attending schools in New Jersey, and 40% are attending colleges and universities outside of the northeast, with Virginia and Florida among the most popular states in that region.
Ninety-four percent of the students in this class were admitted to their first or second-choice college, and 100% were accepted to a four-year college. Some of the most popular choices this year include Fairfield University, James Madison University, Seton Hall University, Sacred Heart University, Bucknell University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute of Technology, and Villanova University. One student will be studying internationally at Constructor University in Germany.
Class of 2025 Graduation Awards
The following awards were presented at the 2025 Commencement Exercises:
Valedictorian
Lana Langevin (Rutgers University)
Salutatorian
Allison Egan (Columbia University)
The IHA Award
Isabelle Bertussi (Villanova University)
The Academic Excellence Award
Lauren Mulry (Boston College)
The Sister Beatrice Ryan Award
Keira DeMicco (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
The Dorothy and Jack McKenna Memorial Award
Anne Marie Kelly (Bucknell University)
The Visitation Award
Avery Connors (Bucknell University)
The Mary Ann Molinari Memorial Award
Kathleen Reck (Northeastern University)
The KariAnn Dellapenta Memorial Award
Grace Guglielmetti (Indiana University - Bloomington)
The Marie Sellers and Dorothy Savarese Memorial Award
Lola Rose Projahn (Constructor University - Germany)
The Jeffrey E. Silver Memorial Award
Sofia Valente (Lafayette College)
The Catherine Larkin Award
Bergen Sollecito (Clemson University)
The Caren Cavallo Memorial Scholarship
Lauren DeLuccia (University of Florida)
The Marian Award
Megan McCarthy (Villanova University)
The Marisa Suarez Memorial Award
Madeline Hayes (Wagner College)
The Denise Gartner Memorial Award
Victoria Niziol (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
The Tammy Medzadourian Memorial Award
Shoshana Thompson (Coastal Carolina University)
The Herb Oberle Memorial Award
Katherine Odierno (Indiana University - Bloomington)
The Amen Award
Madisyn Falto (University of Maryland - College Park)
The Lynn Gansley Memorial Award
Lana Langevin (Rutgers University)
The Michael Thomas Noone Memorial Award
Emma McElroy (Boston College)
Click here for photos from the event, courtesy of Mike Hamlett Photography.
Click here to view the recorded ceremony.