Three Holy Angels Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists, 9 Commended

The Academy of the Holy Angels is proud to announce that Alessandra Boncaldo, Julianna Dail, and Sophia Lee have all been named Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This prestigious recognition is awarded to fewer than one percent of U.S. high school seniors each year, making the achievement especially remarkable for a school of AHA’s size to have three students honored as Finalists in the same year.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition that began in 1955 and provides recognition and scholarships to top-performing students based on their academic achievements, recommendations, extracurricular involvement, and essays. The program is designed to recognize and honor the nation’s most academically talented students, and earning the designation of Finalist is a significant achievement in itself.

In addition to our three Finalists, nine Holy Angels students were named Commended Students in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. This recognition is awarded to students who scored in the top 3-4% of students nationwide. The Commended Students are: Sharanya Agarwal, Margaret Doherty, Taylor Glynn, Lilianna Garber, Theresa Wilson, Yeon Choe, Emily Neumann, Angelina Kim, and Cara Boyce.

“We are incredibly proud of our angels for their dedication to their studies and their remarkable achievements. This recognition reflects their hard work, resilience, and passion for learning,” said Jean Miller, AHA Principal.

The Academy of the Holy Angels extends its heartfelt congratulations to these outstanding students and their families. The school community looks forward to seeing what they will accomplish as they continue their academic journeys.

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. AHA’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.