Saint Dominic Academy holds 135th Commencement Exercises

 On Sunday, June 2, Saint Dominic Academy, Jersey City, held its 135th commencement exercises for the Class of 2013. Mrs. Barbara Griffin, Head of School, presided over the event held at 3:00 p.m. at St. Aedan's, the Saint Peter’s University Church on Bergen Avenue. A Baccalaureate Mass and dinner were held on Wednesday, May 29 at St. Aloysius Church and the Casino in the Park respectively.

 The 64 members of the Class of 2013 were collectively awarded over $8.1 million in college scholarship and grant monies. Class valedictorian Kara Whelply of Bayonne addressed those gathered at St. Aedan's Church.

 Whelply, a member of the National Honor Society and the Chinese Language Honor Society, is the recipient of the SDA Scholar Athlete Award, presented to a senior who has been a three season athlete during her four years at the Academy.  Whelply will attend University of Alabama in the fall where she plans to participate on the Crew team.

 She is also the recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence, having met the selection criteria, a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a scale of 4.0, as well as, a minimum SAT score of 620 in Verbal and/or 640 in Math.  Other recipients include Joyce DeLeon of New York City, Sarah Kelly of Clifton, Courtney Major of Bayonne, and Elle Rose, Isabella Tamayo and Jacqueline Malabanan, all of Jersey City.  Malabanan is also the Class of 2013 Salutatorian and the recipient of the Academy’s Principal’s Leadership Award.  Malabanan will attend New York University. 

Mrs. Griffin along with Board of Trustees chairperson, Sister Luella Ram, O.P. presented academic awards to the following students: Business, Emily Whelan of Passaic; Chinese, Kara Whelply; English, Courtney Major; Fine Arts, Marylin Gomes of Jersey City; French, Sarah Gaddis of New York City; Mathematics, Joyce DeLeon; Music, Isabella Revilla and Miranda Revilla of Jersey City; Physical Education, Shannon Daly of Bayonne; Science, Isabella Tamayo; Social Studies, Sarah Kelly; Spanish, Nicole Domenech of Union City, and Religious Studies to Miranda Revilla.

 For having accomplished perfect attendance for all four years of their high school education, medals were awarded to Luisa Basaldua of North Bergen, Andrea Marie Cadenilla of Jersey City, Shannon Daly, Naomi Lopez and Alysha Parekh, both of Jersey City and Jacqueline Malabanan.

 SDA Class of 1981 alumna, Deirdre Dickinson Sullivan, had this to say in her address to the graduates:  “The lessons learned at Saint Dominic Academy paved a (new) life for me.  I achieved a level of excellence and enlightenment beyond my own imagination.”  Dickinson-Sullivan received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University College of Pharmacy in 1986.  After losing her husband on September 11, 2001, she returned to school and received a Doctorate in Pharmacy from The University of Florida in 2006.  She further said, “Trust that Saint Dominic Academy has given you a fine educational foundation and the life skills needed to thrive.”

 In her closing remarks, Mrs. Griffiin, Head of School thanked and congratulated not only the graduates, but also their parents, citing "their success is yours as well."

 The commencement exercises were concluded with Benediction and the Academy's "Alma Mater."

 Saint Dominic Academy is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for girls in grades 7-12, which has been empowering women for leadership in a global society for over 130 years. Sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, Saint Dominic Academy is rooted in Christian values and embraces its richly diverse community of learners. It is located in an historic building at 2572 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City and on the internet at www.stdominicacad.com .