AHA’s Outstanding World Language Students Join Honor Societies

Academy of the Holy Angels students who are mastering four world languages have gained entry to the French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish national honor societies.

Dr. Samira Mady, chair of the AHA World Language Department, led the hybrid induction event, which allowed virtual and in-person participation. As part of the ceremony, selected officers from each of AHA’s honor societies received the Jennifer Moran World Languages Excellence & Leadership Award. This award, named for former AHA Principal Jennifer Moran, was presented to Claire Dodds from the Société Honoraire de Français; Samantha DeMartino of the Società Onoraria Italica; Gwyneth Ulshoefer and Carol Laux of the Societas Latina Honoris; and Olivia Martinez of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. Each will receive $100.

“More than ever, I think your recognition is so valuable,” AHA Principal Jean Miller told the honorees, noting how difficult it is to teach and learn while wearing face masks. While they are needed protection against COVID-19, masks make it tough to hear others speak, and impossible to see someone form sounds with his or her mouth (unless “window” masks are used).

This year, 18 Angels were eligible for the Société Honoraire de Français. Dr. Mady welcomed Alexia Adhikary and Isabel Stein of Rutherford; Audrey Aligada of Chestnut Ridge, New York; Natalia Antaki of Franklin Lakes; Caterina Cardamone of Glen Rock; Sarah David, Thandiwe Laba, and Madeleine Outlaw of Cresskill; Caroline Dupas of Pearl River, New York; Jennifer Haemmerle of Leonia; Autumn Morrissey of Saddle River; Giulia Muller of Closter; Annalise Olsen of Stony Point, New York; Janella Osbourne of Teaneck; Amrita Raval of Nanuet, New York; Kyra Sapontzis of Park Ridge; Annika Watson of Montvale; and Jordyn Wynn of Englewood. The Société Honoraire de Français officers are President Claire Dodds of Cresskill, Vice President Isabella Westervelt of Westwood, and Secretary Alexa Watson of Montvale.

New members of Società Onoraria Italica include Martina Appice of Palisades Park, Isabella DeBari of Woodcliff Lake, Ava Goyal of Montclair, Jacqueline La Mastra of Tenafly, Haeun Lee of Closter, Isabella McMahon of West Orange, Irini Stathis of Ridgefield, and Federica Zazzali of Saddle River. Italian and French teacher Laura Kraytem, who is adviser to the society, congratulated the 2021 inductees.

Società Onoraria Italica officers include Co-presidents Isabelle Egan of Oradell and Samantha DeMartino of Nutley, and Secretary Emily Diaz of Ridgefield.

Students who took the Societas Latina Honoris oath are: Giselle Acosta and Lizelle Bacolod of Fort Lee; Amelia Blanco, Madeline Risbud, and Emma Yale of Westwood; Isabella Dail of Saddle River; Christine Kang of Closter; Arielle Maravilla of Leonia; Josephine Noble of Demarest; Chaelin Park of Palisades Park; Gabriella Rigoli of Wyckoff; Isabella Rosenbaum of the Township of Washington; Grace Sawyer of Weehawken; Lydia Schmidhauser of Pomona, New York; Kathleen Stewart of Harrington Park; Ashley Terjanian of River Vale; and Grace Watson of Glen Rock. Societas Latina Honoris officers are Co-presidents Gwyneth Ulshoefer of Saddle Brook and Carol Laux of Westwood, Vice President Nora Jacobi of West New York; and Finance Officer Dylan Vonderhorst of Pearl River, New York. Adviser Frank Hunter congratulated the inductees.

Multiple students are now members of Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, headed by Spanish teacher Carmen Quiñones. Inductees include Erin Altenbach, Olivia Presser, and Samantha Shah of Demarest; Zeida Ben-Fredj Lopez and Giselle Martin of Bergenfield; Alexandra Boardman of Saddle River; Myra Bocage of Chestnut Ridge, New York; Molly Brooks and Natasha Dhanrajani of Bardonia, New York; Laura Carbo of Ridgefield; Raphaela Cardenas of Clifton; Patricia Coleman of New City, New York; Claire Cook of Palisades, New York; Katherine Day, Erin Gallagher, and Victoria Thomas of Oradell; Andrea Del Cid and Nicolette Otero of Cliffside Park; Deanna Frassa of New Milford; Catherine Geraghty of Allendale; Jenelle Henry and Areliz Tamayo of Teaneck; Chloe Henry, Marie Howard, Anais Olivier, and Keelin Robbins of Ridgewood; Hannah Janiec of East Rutherford; Hannah Kim and Catherine Tuohy of Cresskill; Katherine Merriam of Tenafly; Caitlin Neville and Olivia Syby of Dumont; Jaimie Park and Jamie Sung of Norwood; Bridget Ryan of Emerson; Nina Sango of Englewood Cliffs; Nicole Sinde of Englewood; Julianna Sirico of River Vale; Taylor Szabo of Waldwick; and Isabella Troche of Prospect Park. Officers of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica are President Olivia Martinez of Paramus, Vice President Natalie Near of Teaneck, Secretary Julia Oakley of Union City, and Treasurer Caitlin Brannigan of Hillsdale.

Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious school serves young women from many cultural and religious backgrounds.