The 215 Nazareth Academy graduates who received their diplomas during a Sunday ceremony at the Westin Lombard will attend 105 different colleges in 28 states and abroad, school officials said.
Students from the Class of 2019 were accepted to over 175 colleges and universities, including Harvard, Boston College, Notre Dame, Yale, the University of Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Fordham, Tulane and the University of Michigan.
Collectively they earned more than $25 million in merit-based scholarships and awards.
But Valedictorian Isabella Allar of Westchester told fellow graduates being part of the Nazareth Academy family also means showing patience, commitment and love.
“Education is more than the facts you learn in class; it's learning not what, but how to think, and it's about finding yourself,” Allar said. “Let your voice be heard and your actions inspire. Never let anyone make you forget who you are or why you matter. And never stop fighting for what you believe is right.”
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Salutatorian Shannon Sullivan of Western Springs, who will attend Tulane University in the fall, was named 2019 Outstanding Female Scholar-Athlete. She played girls tennis, worked on the yearbook and served in student government.
“Nazareth has helped me become the person I am today by allowing me to balance a dedication towards my studies with the various opportunities to become involved,” Sullivan said.
Father Johnpaul Cafiero served as homilist, delivering the baccalaureate address on behalf of the school’s faculty and staff, encouraging the Class of 2019 to keep faith at the center of their lives.
“Don’t ever forget that each of you is one of God’s greatest gifts. The world is waiting so say good-bye and get to work,” he said.
Emily Rausch of WIllow Springs received the 2019 Oliver Donlin Service Award. The only award given out on graduation day is named for Sister Oliver Donlin, who served Nazareth Academy 35 years as teacher and principal.
Principal Therese Hawkins described Rausch as an outstanding leader in the classroom, in extracurricular activities such as band, class board and Roadrunner Club, and in service both to the outside community and within Nazareth.
“Emily is attentive to those around her and ready to share her big heart regardless of what it might cost her. She serves whether someone is looking or not,” Hawkins said. “This is a young woman who has made a conscious choice to make a positive difference in our world.”