World Language Scholars Enter Honor Societies; Moran Award Recipients Announced

During International Week, the Academy of the Holy Angels welcomed exceptional world language scholars to the French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish national honor societies.

Dr. Samira Mady, chair of the AHA World Language Department, led the multi-part induction ceremony and the presentation of the Jennifer Moran World Languages Excellence & Leadership Award. This award, which is named for a former AHA principal, was presented to Alina Keshishian and Alexa Watson of the Société Honoraire de Français, Chloe Cozzi (Ibrahim) of the Società Onoraria Italica, Grace Sawyer of the Societatis Latinae Honoris, and Nicolette Otero of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. Each will receive $100.

Dr. Mady, Frank Hunter, Laura Kraytem, and Andréa Palacio introduced the inductees, and led the pledges. The oaths state how languages link people from different areas of the world.

Principal Jean Miller extended her congratulations, speaking a few words in Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian. She stressed the value of working to communicate with others.

“Don’t be deterred by not sounding authentic or perfect,” Miller said, noting that people appreciate those who make the effort.

New members of the Société Honoraire de Français are Sharanya Agarwal of West New York; Areni Chaglasian of Upper Saddle River; Stephanie Chan of Closter; Mia Chang of Valley Cottage, New York; Sophia Chounoune and Celeste Harper of Englewood; Hyerin “Ella” Eom of Palisades Park; Alexa Ferrara and Emily Kim of Englewood Cliffs; Erin Ha and Maggie Yu of Tenafly; Isabella Kim and Speridoula Pavlatos of Cresskill; Katherine Langan of Glen Rock; Alice Lee of Haworth; Olivia Leys of Tappan, New York; Hollie Melia of Norwood; Olivia Papp of Hawthorne; Lauren Tong of Old Tappan; and Rafaelle Zorea of Hoboken.

This society’s officers are Co-presidents Alina Keshishian of Englewood Cliffs and Alexa Watson of Montvale, Vice President Holly Foothorap of West Nyack, New York, and Co-secretaries Brooke Hess of Cedar Grove and Elizabeth Kim of Old Tappan. 

Società Onoraria Italica inductees include Katelyn Lee of Cresskill, Anissa Lena of Moonachie, Kristina Migliaccio of Franklin Lakes, Alexandra Nicholas of Emerson, Madeline Poblete of Tenafly, Natalia Ruiz of Fairview, Lana Serpico of Englewood, Emma Spadora of Ridgewood, and Sydney Uddo of Englewood Cliffs. Officers of the Società Onoraria Italica include President Chloe Cozzi (Ibrahim) and Vice President Kara Battaglia, both of whom reside in Blauvelt, New York. Daniela Marinuzzi of Englewood Cliffs is the society’s secretary.

Ten Angels entered the Societatis Latinae Honoris. The inductees include Kaitlyn Brady and Noelle Wacker of Emerson, Giovanna Corbisiero of Franklin Lakes, Dominique Rose Dela Gente and Anna Jang of Tenafly, Danielle Dobres and Kathryn Fragola of Bergenfield, Beatrice Gee of Englewood, Sydney Ponti of Secaucus, and Emily Sapka of North Haledon. Current officers include Co-Presidents Isabella Dail of Saddle River and Grace Sawyer of Weehawken, Vice President Giselle Acosta of Fort Lee, and Finance Secretary Kathleen Stewart of North Bergen.

Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica accepted 46 new members, including Jacqueline Arbogast of Warwick, New York; Romina Bega of Ringwood; Sophia Carroll of Woodcliff Lake; Allison Chung of Edgewater; Sidney Chung, Elena Fiorentinos, Katerina Karlis, Elise Kim, Hailey Schacht, and Ava Taylor of Cresskill; Grace Costanza of Clifton; Reyna Cunningham of Saddle River; Celeste Fernandez and Erin Pav of Westwood; Zaharah Fiorentinos of Palisades Park; Keira Footer of and Kate Shen of Englewood Cliffs; Nora Giannantonio of Emerson; Lauren Gumban of Lodi; Reilly Guy and Georgette “Gigi” Ochs of Fair Lawn; Breanna Hetzer of Nutley; Annabelle Hur and Serin Hwang of Norwood; Alexis Jacob of Tappan, New York; Vanessa Medina of Nanuet, New York; Rachel Mina of Ridgefield Park; Zuleima Noriega of Haledon; Isabella Novo and Valerie Rey of River Vale; Ella Oaten and Xinyue “Cindy” Yang of Tenafly; Suzanna Odusote of North Haledon; Liana Powley of Mahwah; Gretchen Radtke of Hoboken; Shivani Sahu of Paramus; Karina Small of River Edge; Julia Swearer of Upper Montclair; Fiona Sykes, Amanda Tomasella, and Lauren Tomasella of Oradell; Elise Tao of Upper Saddle River; Mia Tinoco of Ridgefield; Alexandra Valdez of Oakland; Nicole Yakubov of Teaneck, and Cecilia Yun of Closter.

AHA’s chapter is led by President Nicolette Otero of Cliffside Park, Vice President Zeida Ben-Fredj Lopez of Bergenfield, Secretary Olivia Syby of Dumont, and Treasurer Hannah Janiec of East Rutherford.

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 backgrounds.