Celebrating the Class of 2026 at Mount's Junior Ring Ceremony

Back row, from left: Mount St. Dominic Academy juniors Finola Giblin, Laura Capezio, Lori Kola, and teacher Mr. Gregory Rasmusson (center), and front row, from left: Madeline Bonarrigo, Leiloni Reside, Alexis Castaneda, Alexa Leiva Carrasco, and Kiara Bitetto beamingly display their junior rings following the Mount’s Junior Ring Ceremony.

By Taylor Provillon, a junior at Mount St. Dominic Academy

Recently, on a breezy fall evening, the Mount Saint Dominic community gathered to celebrate a cherished milestone in every Mount student's journey—the Junior Ring Ceremony. Held in the Doris M. Byrne ‘40 Performing Arts Center, the event was organized by Junior Class Moderator Sister Peggy Ann Clinton, with support from Mrs. Valerie Haggerty and Señor Juan Castrillon as junior homeroom moderators, marking a memorable rite of passage for the Class of 2026.

Known to many as the “Ring Ceremony” or “Junior Ring,” the Junior Ring Ceremony is an annual event where juniors receive their class rings from the Principal or Head of School. This year, the Mount’s new principal, Dr. Karen D’Avino, presented the rings to each student. “The ring ceremony is the time when juniors officially become upperclasswomen,” said Sister Peggy Ann. This year, the theme was “Set the World on Fire,” inspired by Saint Catherine of Siena, who famously said, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.”

Mount faculty member Mr. Gregory Rasmusson delivered the keynote address to this year's Junior Class, reflecting on the monumental moments that shaped his journey. Mr. Rasmusson continued the tradition of current and former faculty speakers, including Sister Peggy Ann, Mr. Robert DeCarlo, Mrs. Nicole Perez-Cheddie ‘10, Mrs. Mary Scheurer, and Mr. Michael Vigil, who have all inspired past junior classes.

MSDA students who participated in the Junior Ring Ceremony will take the next step toward leaving a mark on a place that, for many, has come to symbolize home. According to Sister Peggy Ann, this ceremony not only “helps them remember where they come from” but also honors “all of the other women who have come before them on the Mount journey.” As with previous Ring Ceremonies, this year's event illustrated the history and lasting impact of the Mount. In classes with many legacy students, “some great pictures of people with their mothers, both with their rings,” provide Sister Peggy Ann with a wealth of memories. This year’s junior class included legacies such as Hope O’Connor and her mother, Beth O’Connor ‘90, and Alexis Castaneda and her mother, Genevieve Samia Castaneda ‘94. Following the ceremony, students and relatives gathered in the cafeteria for refreshments.

About Mount St. Dominic Academy:
About Mount St. Dominic Academy: MSDA, established by the Sisters of St. Dominic, is an independent, Catholic college preparatory school dedicated to the education of young women from a variety of ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. Located in the heart of bucolic Caldwell, New Jersey, the Mount has been empowering young women in the Dominican tradition since 1892. Mount St. Dominic Academy is a proud member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools, the National Catholic Educational Association, and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Mount is also a recipient of the 2024 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for its outstanding achievement in fostering high female representation in both AP Computer Science A (CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP), and earned “Gold with Access” on the 2024 College Board AP School Honor Roll, the 2023 Best of Essex Gold Medal in the "Best in Private School” category, and has been named a Niche A+ 2024 Best School, a distinction achieved by only 2.5% of schools in the country. Visit the Mount for more information.

(MSDA junior Taylor Provillon is a member of the Mount’s Journalism class. As part of the coursework, some of the articles written in that class are being published in the media, showcasing the students’ journalistic skills and providing real-world writing experience.)