One hundred and four esteemed members of the Class of 2022 turned the tassels on their caps from left to right, signifying their graduation from the Academy of the Holy Angels. The Academy’s 142nd graduating class assembled for the last time at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. The Baccalaureate Mass was celebrated by The Most Reverend Michael A. Saporito, Titular Bishop of Luperciana and Auxiliary Bishop of Newark - Episcopal Vicar for Bergen County, with assistance from Deacon John L. Sylvester.
This senior class earned acceptance to some of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, including Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale. All told, these Angels earned $12.4 million in scholarships to continue their studies at the college level, and contributed an aggregate of 23,608 hours of service to others.
Madeline Risbud of Westwood graduated First in Merit and was named commencement speaker, the highest honor AHA can confer upon a graduate. Grace Watson of Glen Rock was Second in Merit, and Ria Jani of Haworth, AHA’s National Merit Scholarship Finalist, was chosen by her peers to deliver the senior response.
Rev. Saporito spoke of living a radically inspired life and putting others, particularly the marginalized and forgotten, first. “You can’t always choose the path you walk in life, but you can always choose the manner in which you walk it,” he said. AHA President Melinda Hanlon welcomed everyone to the commencement ceremony, saying, “These amazing young women could really teach us a few lessons about patience, about resilience, about grace, and about faith.” She noted that the seniors all believed they would be together to celebrate as a class.
Principal Jean Miller then introduced Madeline Risbud, an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors, a Commended Student in the National Merit® Scholarship Program, and a Sister Nonna Dunphy Scholarship recipient. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Latin Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta (math national honor society). She also served as Mu Alpha Theta’s tutoring coordinator. In addition to maintaining the highest cumulative average in her class, Risbud earned top scores on the National Latin Exam. She received the William & Mary Leadership Award and the School Sisters of Notre Dame Scholarship Award.
Risbud is an award-winning swimmer for the Metro Area Lifetime Swim Team, and was catcher for the AHA Varsity Softball Team. She was an Angel Ambassador, and co-president of AHA’s MEDS Club, an organization for aspiring medical professionals. She has participated in the Englewood Hospital Surgical Research Program, which is offered through AHA, and the Tufts University Mini-Med School Pre-college Program. She also participated in a nephrology shadowing experience through the Angel Advantage Program. Risbud volunteered at Camp Sunshine and Camp Acorn, programs that serve individuals who have disabilities. She was coordinator for a recent Tri-Boro Food Pantry Food Drive. This fall, Risbud will begin her studies of cell and molecular biology at Northeastern University. In her speech, Risbud urged her classmates, “Be the voice that provokes progress.” She spoke of the importance of defining the changes the world needs most, and engaging in respectful dialogue to effect those changes.
Grace Watson is a two-time Nonna Dunphy Scholarship winner, and a Commended Student in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Rho Kappa (social studies honor society), and the Latin Honor Society. Watson is also a member of Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society, which she served as president. Watson will attend Northeastern University on a merit scholarship. She opted to major in mechanical engineering. Her many achievements include earning two summa cum laude awards and a maxima cum laude award for her performance on the National Latin Exam. She attended the Brown Pre-college STEM Program, the NoveEdge STEM program at Villanova, The Perry Initiative: The Perry Virtual Experience, and the Girls’ Leadership Worldwide Program. Watson was accepted to the Tufts Pre-College Intensive Engineering Program and Columbia’s SHAPE program, but was unable to attend these events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Angel has been named an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors. She received Clarkson University’s leadership and achievement book awards, and earned membership in the National Society of High School Scholars. She played varsity lacrosse for AHA, and was active with AHA’s Operation Smile organization, the Fall Drama Lobby Design Crew, Asian Cultural Society, and Debate Club. She served as co-captain of the varsity and junior varsity robotics teams. Watson has also been active with the Society of Women Engineers. She was a STREAM Fair Committee Member, and a member of the Big Sister/Little Sister Coordinating Committee. She has served as an Angel Ambassador and a peer tutor. Last fall, she was commissioned as a Eucharistic Minister. Her volunteer work has included service as a counselor at Camp Acorn, a construction team member for Habitat for Humanity, and director of technology for Adventures in Ink, a non-profit that promotes global literacy. She has worked as a math instructor and private tutor.
Immigration law specialist Emily Bendaña McHale, J.D. (AHA ‘02) addressed the Class of 2022 on the 20th anniversary of her own graduation from the Academy. Her mother, maternal aunt, both sisters, and two cousins are all AHA alumnae.
After graduating from AHA, Bendaña attended Boston College, where she double majored in psychology and communications and obtained a Bachelor of Arts, Magna cum Laude, in 2006. Although she began working in jewelry merchandising, she soon made a change based on her experience as an Angel. Specifically, AHA taught her to take action to combat injustices and inequalities. When Bendaña witnessed a friend’s struggle with deportation, she was determined to make a difference. She decided to complete Fairleigh Dickinson University’s paralegal program but soon realized she would have more clout as an attorney. She returned to school and obtained her Juris Doctor, with a concentration in international law, cum laude, from the Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She now works with asylum seekers and individuals seeking status through family petitions. She is also a member of the AHA Board of Trustees’ Student Life Committee. “Continue to be a voice,” she told the Angels. She also gave a heartwarming shout-out to her best friend, a woman she met during her first year at AHA, who attended the graduation ceremony to buoy Bendaña’s spirit while she delivered her speech.
Academic Dean Carmen Quinones followed by introducing senior response speaker Ria Jani, describing this young woman as a kind and compassionate person who is a recognized leader and genuinely cares about others.
Jani is a Mother Caroline Scholar and recently became a finalist in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. She successfully completed Sister Kathleen Cornell’s leadership seminar, a special opportunity for selected Angels. This award-winning public speaker served as captain of the AHA Debate Team and senior president of the AHA Model United Nations organization. She also shared her singing voice with the Alto 2 section of the AHA Chorus and AHA’s select a cappella group, Seraphima. Jani was an Angel Ambassador and was involved with Angels over Africa. In 2020, she represented AHA at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference. This spring, Jani attended AHA’s bespoke critical thinking course at Oxford. She was accepted to the program in 2020, the first of two study abroad trips that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is a member of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), the Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society, and Rho Kappa (social studies honor society). She earned a medal for her work on the National Spanish Exam, and received Principal’s List recognition for her excellent GPA. She completed Advanced Placement courses in English literature, statistics, government, and macroeconomics. An active volunteer, Jani has led a summer debate program and a fall chess program for students in her community. She has organized various community events as a member of her library’s Junior Council. She will continue her education at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jani described the past four years as a whirlwind as she spoke confidently, making eye contact with her peers and only occasionally glancing at her notes. She spoke of the challenges of online learning during the pandemic, and quipped, “There is something to be said about learning chemistry from your bedroom. ”While the past academic year included many “lasts,” Jani described an overwhelming sense of togetherness. She said it’s an understatement to say she will miss Holy Angels, but believes the sisterhood will last a lifetime. “All of you have already changed my life for the better,” she told her classmates.
After receiving their diplomas, the Class of 2022 turned the tassels on their caps and filed out of the cathedral, ready to realize their dreams.
