NDP Celebrates the Class of 2025 during 151st Commencement Exercises

On Wednesday, May 28, Notre Dame Preparatory School proudly celebrated the graduation of the 158 remarkable young women who make up the Class of 2025. Surrounded by family, friends, faculty, and staff, the seniors marked this milestone with a joyful and memorable commencement ceremony. If you missed it, you can watch the full ceremony here.

This extraordinary class leaves NDP fully prepared to transform the world with their gifts, passions, and purpose. Every member of the Class of 2025 was accepted to a four-year college or university, earning an impressive 692 merit scholarships totaling more than $39 million. We send our heartfelt congratulations and blessings to the Class of Purple and Blue as they begin this exciting next chapter. We are so proud to welcome these accomplished graduates as Notre Dame Prep alumnae.

Top awards for the Class of 2025 are as follows:

  • ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD: Jahniya Braga

    Presented to the senior who has earned the highest scholastic average in the Class of 2025 throughout her four years at Notre Dame, consistently demonstrating a superior level of achievement in all academic areas.

  • SISTER PATRICIA McCARRON LEADERSHIP MEDAL: Kaitlyn Melegari

    Presented to the senior who leads with compassion and courage; impacts others and the world around her in a positive way; inspires others to work collaboratively; demonstrates creativity in finding solutions; promotes an environment of respect and support; and maintains a humble spirit.

  • SERVICE MEDAL: Abbey Diffendal, Campbell Diffendal, Nyla Harris, and Lucy Loeffler

    Presented to the seniors who have done outstanding work in Notre Dame activities throughout their years and have supported students, faculty and staff by their untiring efforts.

  • BENE MERENTI AWARD: Kaitlyn Melegari, Ayomide Odedina, and Alaina Pfaff

    Presented to the seniors who well deserve recognition for their activities both in school and in the community, which demonstrate to an exemplary degree the ideal of concern for service to others which is central to the Notre Dame philosophy.

  • NDP MEDAL: Katherine Phelan

    Presented to the senior who has demonstrated to an exceptional degree the qualities of excellence, leadership, cooperation, and school spirit. This student has consistently been an involved and responsible member of the Notre Dame community.

  • WHITE BLAZER AWARD: Molly Bryson

    Presented to the senior whose positive influence has been felt throughout her four years here by faculty and students. By her presence, she has made a difference in the Notre Dame community. In addition, she exemplifies the qualities of leadership, good school citizenship and loyalty to Notre Dame to an outstanding degree.

The following members of the Class of 2025 were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements:
 
  • KNOTT SCHOLARS: Katherine Berger, Sonya Heffernan, Kathleen Kane, Maeve Mulhern, Lorelei Olaru, Roswitha Otazo, and Sophie Parker

    We recognize the following students as Knott Scholars, for their consistent outstanding academic performance each quarter for the past four years.

  • ARCHDIOCESAN DISCTINCTIVE SCHOLARS: Jahniya Braga, Lorelei Olaru, and Gisela Rodriguez           

    These seniors were recognized at the annual Archdiocesan Distinctive Scholars celebration for their active engagement in school life both in and out of the classroom, rigorous study, and exemplary achievements over the past four years.

  • MARYLAND STATE MERIT SCHOLASTIC AWARD: Jahniya Braga, Ella Clark, Katherine Connelly, Sonya Heffernan, Maeve Mulhern, Payton Murphy, Lorelei Olaru, and Gisela Rodriguez

    Presented to seniors whose cumulative scholastic averages place them in the top 5% of their graduating class.

  • NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED STUDENTS: Katherine Berger, Jahniya Braga, and Sarah Petersam
  • NDP STEAM PROGRAM CERTIFICATES: The STEAM Program Certificate is awarded to seniors who meet the NDP STEAM Program requirements for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, including specific academic classes, active club membership, summer internships, service, and mentors. We congratulate 70 seniors who have met the rigorous requirements of the STEAM program, including the 58 seniors who received a STEAM concentration certificate in one of the following pathways:

    • The Architecture Pathway (4)

    • The Computer Science Pathway (15) 

    • The Engineering and Manufacturing Pathway (4) 

    • The Medical Pathway (35)

    • Additionally, Lauren Schnitzlein successfully completed the requirements for three pathways including Architecture, Computer Science, and Engineering.

  • NDP BILITERACY PROGRAM CERTIFICATES: Certificates of Biliteracy were awarded to 58 seniors—5 in Chinese, 13 in French, and 40 in Spanish—based on evidence of achieving functional proficiency in a language other than English. Students must meet or exceed the Intermediate-high level of proficiency as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

  • NDP HUMANITIES PROGRAM CERTIFICATES: Humanities Program Certificates were presented to 34 seniors at the Senior Capstone Evening in May. The Bette Ellis O’Conor Humanities Program, a course of interdisciplinary study, encourages students to transcend the boundaries of disciplines, build connections, and develop a passion for learning. Students explore deeply the critical issues and ideas which have shaped our past and continue to define our present and future.

Additional awards were presented to the following members of the Class of 2025:

  • ACE VISIONARY SCHOLARSHIP: Lauren Schnitzlein

  • ARCHITECTURE AWARD: Caroline Flynn

  • ART LEADERSHIP AWARD: Irelyn Selby

  • ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP AWARD: Molly Bryson and Katherine Wilking

  • ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION SPIRIT AWARD: Lucy Loeffler

  • C. MARKLAND KELLY AWARD: Olivia Sobkowicz

  • CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AWARNESS PROGRAM (CCAP) AWARD: Alaina Pfaff

  • CHINESE AWARD: Peyton Pflaumer

  • CITIZENSHIP AWARD: Dana Mack, Anasophia Rodriguez, and Scarlett Rodriguez

  • DIVERSITY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP AWARD: Ayomide Odedina and Jade Turner

  • DIGITAL MEDIA ARTS AWARD: Isabella Mohr

  • DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR BAND: Sonya Heffernan, Julia Raynor, and Jade Turner

  • DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR CHOIR: Abigail Bilenki and Shannon Polun

  • DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR ORCHESTRA: Sarah Bajko, Molly Ireton, Gisela Rodriguez, and Olivia Sobkowicz

  • DRAMA AWARD: Lily Chesgreen and Abigail Marinari

  • ECONOMICS AWARD: Deirdre Roos

  • ENGLISH AWARD: Molly Bryson, Lily Chesgreen, and Olivia Sobkowicz

  • FRENCH AWARD: Jasmine Mapatac

  • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AWARD: Melanie Mantler

  • HISTORY AWARD: Lorelei Olaru

  • JOURNALISM AWARD: Katherine Phelan and Olivia Sobkowicz

  • MATHEMATICS AWARD: Katherine Berger

  • NORTHEAST CONFERENCE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LANGUAGE

    • CHINESE: Lily Chesgreen and Reina Zheng

    • FRENCH: Eyrun Antonsson

    • SPANISH: Julianna Ferreria and Camilla Morosi

  • PERFORMING ARTS DANCE AWARD: Isabella Pastore

  • SCIENCE AWARD: Ella Clark

  • LEA MARIE FARONE FOUNDATION WOMEN IN SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP: Abbey Diffendall

  • SPANISH AWARD: Stella Lankford

  • STEAM AWARDS

    • COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARD: Jahniya Braga

    • EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING AWARD: Katherine Berger

  • STUDENT COUNCIL AWARD: Katherine Phelan

  • STUDIO ART AWARD: Elena Rest

  • MIA SUTPHIN SERVICE AWARD: Anasophia Rodriguez

  • TECHNICAL THEATER AWARD: Nyla Harris

  • MARY JEAN SCHEINET TRAVERS AWARD FOR ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE: Ella Clark

  • VAN HOLLEN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD: Isabella Unger
                           
  • YEARBOOK (FINIS) AWARD: Malinda Armstrong and Julia Conoscenti

Notre Dame Preparatory School

815 Hampton Lane Towson, Maryland 21286
Telephone: 410.825.6202
An Independent, Catholic Girls School, Grades 6-12, Sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame