Outstanding Math & Science Students Enter Honor Societies

 On March 25, Academy of the Holy Angels students who demonstrate outstanding work in mathematics and the sciences were welcomed into Mu Alpha Theta and the Science National Honor Society. Inductees are examples of Angels who take full advantage of AHA’s award-winning, nationally recognized STREAM curriculum, which emphasizes science, technology, religion, engineering, art, and math.

Math teacher Pamela Ruschack and science teacher Nadine Behrens organized the hybrid event, which was presented via livestream. Current honor society members led the program. Madison Oaten led the STEM prayer, Emma DeMarco welcomed the Mu Alpha Theta inductees, and Darynne Madison Dela Gente welcomed the Science National Honor Society honorees.

Angels who are now members of both honor societies include Erin Altenbach and Samantha Shah of Demarest; Ella Cho of Alpine; Isabella Dail of Saddle River; Natasha Dhanrajani of Bardonia, New York; Catherine Geraghty of Allendale; Katherine “Amanda” Donohue of Hoboken; Uijin Kang of Closter; Elizabeth Kim of Old Tappan; Arielle Maravilla of Leonia; Gabriella Rigoli of Wyckoff; Madeline Risbud of Westwood; Lydia Schmidhauser of Pomona, New York; Julianna Sirico and Ashley Terjanian of River Vale; Kathleen Stewart of Harrington Park; Jamie Sung of Norwood; and Grace Watson of Glen Rock.

New members of Mu Alpha Theta also include Samantha Han and Amelia Shen of Demarest; Patricia Coleman of New City, New York; Ciara Donegan and Margaret Imperiale of Westwood; Brooke Hess of Cedar Grove; Jacqueline Hoffman of Leonia; Celine Hong of Englewood Cliffs; Eliza Hoover of Mahwah; Serin Hwang of Norwood; Anna Jang, Ella Oaten, and Xinyue Yang of Tenafly; Chelsie Lim of Cresskill; Jiayi “Stella” Ouyang of Nanuet, New York; Chaelin Park of Palisades Park; Keelin Robbins of Ridgewood; Shivani Sahu of Paramus; Adriana Santos of Ridgefield; Isabel Stein of Rutherford; and Mackenzie Wedeen of Englewood.

Angels who entered the Science National Honor Society also include Kara Battaglia of Blauvelt, New York; Zeida Ben-Fredj Lopez of Bergenfield; Holly Foothorap of West Nyack, New York; Hannah Glaser of River Vale; Jenelle Henry of Teaneck; Marie Howard of Ridgewood; Hannah Kim and Emily Nam of Cresskill; Tamara Kim of Demarest; Jordan Kotch of Cornwall, New York; Gian Lee and Brianna Uddo of Englewood Cliffs; Jaimie Park of Norwood; Julia Swearer of Upper Montclair, Olivia Syby and Jessica Totten of Dumont; Gwyneth Ulshoefer of Saddle Brook; and Alexa Watson of Montvale.

AHA Principal Jean Miller congratulated the students for their hard work, and AHA’s teachers for fostering excitement about their subjects. She also thanked the students’ parents for their support. Miller said she sees the same qualities in mathematicians and scientists: persistence, curiosity, resilience, and determination. These qualities, she said, set the stage for innovation.

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 high school serves young women from a broad spectrum of cultural and religious backgrounds. Over time, thousands of women have passed through AHA’s portals. Many go on to study at some of the nation’s best universities, earning high-ranking positions in medicine, government, law, education, public service, business, arts, and athletics. The Academy’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others.