Honors Convocation Celebrates Grades 9–11 Excellence

Apr 21 2026

The Academy of the Holy Names hosted its annual Grades 9–11 Honors Convocation, celebrating exceptional achievements in academics, the arts, leadership, and service. The event recognized students’ remarkable accomplishments and honored their dedication to excellence.

During the ceremony, the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) posthumously named Coach Bill Shaffer the 2024–25 Florida Coach of the Year for Girls Swimming & Diving. The award was presented by Scott Jamison of the FHSAA to the Shaffer family, Liz, Robbie, Tommy, and Nick, along with Athletic Director Kevin Vargas.

A full recap of the awards is provided below.

🏛️ Student Council Officers

Acknowledgment of the 2025–26 Student Council officers for their leadership and service, and installation of 2026–27 Student Council officers:

President: Ali Ibanez → Camille King
Vice-President: Gabi Cossi → Julia Goodman
Recording Secretary: Macarena Mejia → Sami Moreau
Corresponding Secretary: Camille King → Colleen Kaley
Treasurer: Julia Goodman → Amelia Alexander

📰 Publications

Students involved in the school's publications, including Echoes (yearbook), Achona (online newspaper), and Excursions (literary and art magazine), were recognized for their editorial leadership and creativity:

Echoes Yearbook:

Editor-in-Chief: Evelyn Nessler
Editors: Hope Nellis, Emelia Scicchitano, and Anna Skubis
Tier II Staff: Caroline McGucken
Tier I Staff: Ella DeBourg, Riley Campbell, Gracie Switalski, Amelie Sessums, and Madeline Foley

Achona Online Newspaper:

Editor-in-Chief: Ava Radovic
Social Media Editor: Adriana Trapuzzano
Staff Members: Estella Alvarez, Annabelle Bennett, Mattie Floyd, Rosemary Garon, Ali Ibanez, Camille King, Virginia Luka, Margaret McHugh, Addyson Moad, Madison Pfeuffer, Valeria Taguja-Catano

Excursions Literary and Art Magazine:

Editors: Margaret McHugh and Zoey Gavin
Staff Member: Virginia Luka

⛪ Eucharistic Ministers

Students who served as Eucharistic ministers during the 2025–26 school year were honored for their spiritual service to the AHN community:

K'Lyn Bautista	Abby Doyle	Sami Moreau
Anna Bogle	Valeria Fernandez	Juliana Pelleymounter
Clara Bridge	Grace Holland	Bella Perera
Emma Brown	Colleen Kaley	Marie Seward
Jolie Burgos	Fiona Kaley	Brielle Slenn
Angelina Cusimano	Sofia Licea	Simone Slenn
Faith DeRing	Macarena Mejia	Margarita Valdez-Puente
Anna Donaldson	Isabel Montoya	Mariana Zuluaga

🐾 Ambassadors

High school ambassadors represent AHN in local elementary and middle schools throughout the Tampa Bay area, serving as our high school recruitment team. They also support various school and community initiatives throughout the year.

Sophia Agredo	Valeria Fernandez	Klaire Ohlson
Hunter Allen	Tatum Gramata	Isla Paone
Riley Appleton	Emma Hodgdon	Ava Radovic
Aline Arango	Ali Ibanez	Valentina Restrepo
Annabelle Bennett	Samantha Kaminski	Addison Sheets
Adelaide Carrere	Ainsley Kurrack	Bridget Swenson
Genevieve Carrere	Shahla Madani	Isabella Tamayo
Campbell Carson	Avery Maxwell	Ellie Tirado
Cate Cathey	Reese McArty	Mikayla Valdes
Camryn Clamp	Asada McLaughlin	Sophia Wall
Cristina Contreras	Madeline Morgan	Paige Wilson
Mia DeBourg	Hope Nellis	Josie Wolff
Holland Elliott	Evelyn Nessler	Mariana Zuluaga

🎓 National Honor Society

New inductees of the National Honor Society were recognized for their commitment to scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Caroline Abdoney	Martha Floyd	Josephine O'Brien
Hunter Allen	Jaqueline Fouche	Kate O'Brien
Hadley Angle	Sophia Friess	Mary Odmark
Sofia Anthony	Emma Gavin	Katelyn Papy
Katherine Arthur	Tatum Gramata	Katiana Paredes
K'Lyn Bautista	Emma Hensler	Brianna Pe Aguirre
Charleigh Bell	Katelyn Hoar	Avery Pento
Caroline Bertozzi	Brynn Hyer	Addison Perkey
Caroline Bishop	Isabella Impson	Melanie Port
Josephine Blashill	Jayce Insolia	Gabriela Ribeiro
Isabella Blewitt	Avery Judson	Raegan Rooth
Ella Bowles	Camille King	Claudia Ruiz-Carus
Jia Bryant	Gauri Kulkarni	Chloe Saldin
Catalina Bunch	Ava LaBarbera	Chloe Salgado
Riley Campbell	Madison Leonard	Elise Santillan
Payton Campillo	Alexandra Leto	Anna Skubis
Caroline Carr	Amelia Lontchar	Tia Smith
Megan Causey	Virginia Luka	Samantha Sodano
Adelaide Chapuis	Shahla Madani	Gianna Suszynski
Camryn Clamp	Mia Maldonado	Halle Sweeney
Cristina Contreras	Avery Maxwell	Hayden Sweeney
Josephine Cooper	Julianna McDowell	Naomi Tamulski
Julia Cooper	Caroline McGucken	Graesyn Thatcher
Faith DeRing	Asada Mclaughlin	Margarita Valdez-Puente
Ava Diasti	Kara McPherson	Eva Weckback
Anna Donaldson	Macarena Mejia	Avery Wilson
Virginia Dreisbach	Isabel Montoya	Josie Wolff
Holland Elliott	Caroline Morgan	Mackenzie Zurek
Andry Lynn Ellison	Hope Nellis

📜 Latin Awards

The National Latin Exam is an annual test administered to Latin students in the United States and around the world. The NLE is an opportunity for students to receive reinforcement and recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom.

Beginning Latin I:

Cum Laude: Isabella Gagliardi
Magna Cum Laude: Lily Frank, Emerson Milazzo, Ansley Hubbard

Intermediate Latin:

Cum Laude: Elizabeth Tirado, Paige Shoukry, Virginia Risch, Brianna Pineda, Simone Slenn, Lilah Switalski, Caroline Pearson, Ava Clarke
Magna Cum Laude: Addisyn Mackinnon, Duaa Khan, Sofia Anthony, Brielle Slenn
Silver Maxmia Cum Laude: Eleanor Fogarty

Advanced Reading Comprehension Prose:

Cum Laude: Margarita Valdez Puente, Ashleigh Carpenter
Silver Magna Cum Laude: Claudia Ruiz-Carus
Gold Magna Cum Laude: Katelyn Hoar

🇫🇷 International French Congrès

The 2026 International French Congrès, hosted by the French Honor Society, promotes French language and culture through oral, written, and musical presentations.

Excellence in Declamation and Pronunciation: Caroline Bertozzi and Livia Furr

🎨 Fine Arts

Students excelling in visual and performing arts were recognized for their accomplishments:

Visual Arts:

Drawing: Alex Garcia
Painting: Andry Ellison
Two-Dimensional Design: Juno Choe and Savannah Aschenbrenner
Digital Design and Photography: Sofia Wall
Yearbook Design: Emelia Scicchitano
Three-Dimensional Design: Ingrid Ruffalo

Performing Arts:

Acting: Sara Perez
Dance Performance: Nahia Dieguez, Isabella Herrera
Technical Excellence in Dance: Charlotte Dister
Orchestra: Claudia Ruiz-Carus
Technical Theatre: Adelaide Chapuis
Vocal Music: Macarena Mejia, Gabriella Suarez-Vargas

🔬 STEM Distinction

As of April 17, 2026, the following juniors have earned recognition as STEM Distinction recipients. These students have demonstrated a strong commitment to AP science and math courses, STEM electives, and have completed 12+ hours of internship experience.

Julianna McDowell
Asada McLaughlin
Isabel Montoya
Kate O'Brien

❤️ Service

Students who completed exceptional service hours were acknowledged for their efforts.

Freshmen: Eleanor Fogarty, Zara Martineau (over 100 service hours)
Sophomores: Juno Choe, Valeria Fernandez, Charlotte Graham, Zaina Linton, Alexandra Lyons, Samantha Moreau, Morgan Rhyne, Mallory Terrana, Jillian Walters, Mariana Zuluaga (over 200 service hours)
Juniors: Catalina Bunch, Virginia Dreisbach, Mia Hatoum, Camille King, Avery Maxwell, Asada Mclaughlin, Gabriela Ribeiro, Adriana Tarr (over 300 service hours)
Seniors: Vanessa Bock, Khloe Clay, Mia DeBourg, Ainsley Kurrack, Alyssa Lyons, Adriana Lyons, Abigail Smith (over 400 service hours)

✨ Esse Quam Videri

The Academy honors underclassmen who exemplify the AHN motto: “To Be, Rather Than To Seem.” Each quarter, one sophomore and three freshmen receive the Esse Quam Videri Award,

1st, 2nd, and 3rd Quarter Winners: Lucie Amonett, Camille Bedore, Anna Bogle, Taylor Browne, Ava Clarke, Sofia Crall, Angelina Cusimano, Hannalea Furr, Fleur Larsen, Zaina Linton, Daria McLaughlin, and Abigail Phillips
4th Quarter Winners: Camille Barbosa, Emerson Milazzo, Elizaveta Sher, Finley Fallon

🎖️ Special Awards and Honors

Students who received special awards and honors were celebrated for their achievements:

Athena Young Women of Promise Award: Avery Maxwell
Chatham University-Rachel Carson Award: Gauri Kulkarni
Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation Leadership Award: Mariana Zuluaga
Mayor's Youth Corps of Tampa: Hunter Allen, Khloe Clay, Presley Frye, Colleen Kaley, Duaa Khan, Camille King, Eva Weckback, Avery Wehling
Presbyterian College Fellows Scholarship Award: Hadley Angle and Sofia Anthony
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Award: Asada McLaughlin
American Legion 2026 Girls State Program: Brianna Pe Aguirre, Faith DeRing, and Avery Maxwell
American Legion School Award for Good Citizenship: Claudia Ruiz-Carus
University of Virginia Jefferson Book Award: Katelyn Hoar
Anne Frank Humanitarian Award 2026: Macarena Mejia
Dartmouth College Book Award: Virginia Dreisbach
University of Rochester Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award: Hope Nellis
University of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award Program in the Humanities & Social Sciences: Jackie Fouche
University of Rochester George Eastman Young Leaders Program: Faith DeRing
University of Rochester Xerox Award for Innovation & Information Technology: K'Lyn Bautista
Princeton University Book Award: Isabel Montoya
St. Lawrence University Book Award: Charleigh Bell
St. Michael's College Book Award: Cristina Contreras
Tulane University Book Award: Hunter Allen
University of Vermont Citizen Scholar Book Award: Brianna Pe Aguirre
High Point University Junior Scholars Program: Catalina Bunch
Centre Fellows Program: Caroline Carr

🎓 Scholarships for the 2026–27 Academic Year

Several partial scholarships were awarded to students for the next academic year:

Robert Kevin Walsh Memorial Scholarship for Creative Writing: Margaret McHugh
Robert Kevin Walsh Memorial Scholarship for Visual Arts: Jacqueline Fouche
Sister Irene Marie Brunelle Memorial Alumni Scholarship: Avery Maxwell
Sister Mary Patricia Plumb Endowed Scholarship: Brianna Pe Aguirre

🌹 Blessed Marie Rose Teacher of the Year

The final award of the ceremony was the Blessed Marie Rose Teacher of the Year, awarded to High School English Teacher Ms. Jen Probst for her exemplary dedication to the students and the Academy.