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Senior Spotlights 2024

The Class of 2024 has achieved many great accomplishments during their years at Sacred Heart. To celebrate our recent graduates, we're spotlighting a few members of the Class of 2024 who exemplify each of the five Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart education.

toni gagliano senior spotlight


GOAL 1: FAITH

Toni Gagliano

Years at ASH: I have been a student at ASH for 11 years.

College: I will be attending LSU! Geaux Tigers! I am considering either pediatric occupational therapy or speech language pathology.

What does Goal 1 mean to you? “A personal and active faith in God.”
I place Goal 1 at the center of my life. “A personal and active faith in God” to me means to honor God and to share my Catholic faith with others. Goal 1 has specifically made a special impact on me as I served on the Retreat Team and re-established the Pro-Life Club (Hearts for Life) with some of my Class of 2023 ASH sisters. I believe we are called to a live life of holiness, humbleness, kindness, respectfulness and we all have a testimony. We are called to do good works here on Earth as our reward is great in Heaven. It is our responsibility as good stewards to be an example of Christ’s love and that others may see Jesus through you. I think it is important to keep God at the center of your life. He will guide you and never leave nor forsake you. When you think you are alone, your best friend is Jesus. Beyond these gates and wherever life takes me, I will continue to hold Goal 1 close to my heart.

Activities: 

  • Homeroom Representative (9th)
  • Dance Team Lieutenant (9th and 10th)
  • Dance Team Co-Captain (11th and 12th)
  • Eucharistic Minister (12th)
  • Retreat Team (11th and 12th)
  • Pro-Life Club Leader (9th-12th)
  • Peer Support Leader (11th and 12th)

What do you love about ASH? 
I love when I enter the gates the first thing I see is the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with His arms outstretched and welcoming me into His heart with grace, love, and mercy. I feel very blessed to have attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart where the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mater are the foundation of our school as this is the most important aspect to me. I have felt extremely supported by my teachers as they want the absolute best for me and have helped me excel academically. I have a strong appreciation of the arts, especially ballet and the Academy and its art teachers have fully supported and embraced this passion. 

What will you miss most at Sacred Heart? 
I will miss going to school with my little sister every day. Fran I love you! Enjoy your next journey as a high school student at the Rosary :)

katherine benton senior spotlight


GOAL 2: ACADEMICS

Katherine Benton

Years at ASH: I’ve attended Sacred Heart for 15 years.

College: I’m going to Washington and Lee University. I plan on double majoring in Cognitive & Behavioral Science and Art History on a pre-med track.

What does Goal 2 mean to you? “A deep respect for intellectual values.”
To me, Goal 2 means taking advantage of the incredible academic and intellectual opportunities given to us at Sacred Heart. I'm so incredibly grateful to have had amazing teachers with such unique insights into the world. Respecting Goal 2 is appreciating and staying thankful for my opportunity to learn and be consistently challenged by my academics. Sacred Heart allows us to unapologetically explore our interests, from environmental science to art history. By cultivating a love of learning in every student, ASH sets us up to stay curious about the world around us.

What do you love about ASH?  
At ASH, every grade is bonded through our unique school traditions and culture, which has allowed us to have a close-knit community, which I love.

What will you miss most at Sacred Heart? 
I’ll miss the amazing girls that I met here at Sacred Heart, especially my Class of 2024. So many people that I’ve met here bring love, joy, inspiration, enthusiasm, and creativity into my life and I am forever grateful to them.

Activities:

  • National Honor Society President senior year
  • Book Club Co-President and Co-founder my junior and senior years
  • Peer Support Leader
  • Student Council HR Representative in 11th and 12th grade
  • Sustainability Club (Sustainable Hearts) Co-President and Co-founder, which I’ve helped lead since sophomore year
  • Psychiatry Research as an intern at LSU Health Sciences Center
  • LSUHSC Summer Undergraduate Neuroscience Program last summer
  • Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society
  • Distinguished Scholars Award in 9th and 10th grades
ava mcgoey senior spotlight


GOAL 3: SERVICE

Ava McGoey

Years at ASH: I have attended Sacred Heart for 16 years.

College: I will be attending the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar. I hope to pursue a major in the commerce school at UVA. As of now, I hope my career is in the business world and possibly has a crossover with the art industry. My dream would be to work in the business of art, either with art investing, curation, gallery management, etc. 

What does Goal 3 mean to you? “A social awareness which impels to action.”
Goal 3, "a social awareness which impels to action," signifies to me that as Sacred Heart students, we are called to extend acts of kindness and selflessness beyond moments of explicit need. From a young age, we learn that true service goes beyond mere reaction. It's about educating ourselves on others' lives and offering help whenever and wherever possible. As Sacred Heart students, we are committed to stepping outside of ourselves, to immersing ourselves into the lives of others, and to live a life guided by compassion and empathy. We must embrace this challenge and strive to embody the true spirit of service in all that we do.

What will you miss about Sacred Heart?
I will miss my 48 sisters the most. Sacred Heart has taught me the importance of community, family, and friends, and I could not have asked for a better grade to spend my childhood with.

Activities:

  • I was a member of the Varsity Golf team as an 8th grader, and we won the State Championship.
  • I have been a part of the Diversity Club for four years and served as Co-Moderator my junior and senior years.
  • I created ASH’s first investment club called ASH Cash my junior year and continued it my senior year.
  • I was the Vice President of my class freshman, sophomore, and junior year and served as the VP of the Executive board my senior year.
  • I am a part of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Society, and was a member of Peer Support junior year.
  • I have maintained Highest Honors each year at Sacred Heart.

 

maria english senior spotlight


GOAL 4: COMMUNITY

Maria English

Years at ASH: I have been attending Sacred Heart for 15 years, since Little Hearts.

College: I will be attending Dartmouth College. I am very excited to pursue and expand the many academic areas of interest I have. I am very interested in minoring or double majoring in Art History and studying it abroad.

What does Goal 4 mean to you? “The building of community as a Christian value.”
To me, Goal Four: “The Building of a Community as a Christian Value,” emphasizes the idea that there is an opportunity for connection anywhere and with anyone. Sacred Heart brings the idea of community to life as throughout my 15 years I have been offered countless opportunities to forge connections with classmates, teammates, teachers, and administrators. At Sacred Heart, there is an opportunity for connection everywhere. The happiest moments of my school days are waving hello in the hallways to students in other grades, funny conversations and discussions with my teachers (many of whom I have had more than once) and courtyard lunches with my 47 classmates. Sacred Heart and Goal Four instilled in me the value of expanding your community and creating new relationships, as you never know the impact someone may have on your life-- and wow have my teachers and 47 classmates impacted mine!!

What will you miss about Sacred Heart?
I will miss my bonds with my teachers and friends in other grades. I will of course miss seeing my 47 best friends 24/7. I am already missing our daily lunches out in the courtyard laughing about the funny incidents of the day.

Activities:

  • Both the Varsity Cross Country (9th-12th grade) and Varsity Tennis team (8-12th grade) and received the Academic All-State award for maintaining above a 4.0 while on a varsity team.
  • Team captain of the Tennis team my senior year and also finished as regional finalists.
  • Sophomore year State Runner-up.
  • Executive Board President for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Honor Council both my junior and senior year.
  • Member of Peer Support my junior year.
  • Maintained the Highest Honors each semester of high school. 
elaine marie ehrensing senior spotlight


GOAL 5: GROWTH

Elaine Marie Ehrensing

Years at ASH: I have attended Sacred Heart since Little Hearts. Since August 2009.

College: I am attending TCU as a Marketing (Pre-Business) Major. I am undecided as to whether I will stay on this path or combine it with either Economics or Journalism double majors.

What does Goal 5 mean to you? “Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.”
In my opinion, Goal Five is the sneak peek of and practice for life beyond the gates. The tools for a successful, faithful, and compassionate life are deeply rooted within all students if one has the strength and wisdom to use them. The Academy of the Sacred Heart, its students as well as teachers, prepare us for the world and all we will achieve and encounter. We have been awarded an education, but what we do with it is up to us. 

What do you love about ASH? 
I love the wide range of the Academy of the Sacred Heart. It is special to have sisters when I have none at home, even sisters on other continents. The community that is my grade is one I will always remember and cherish. I know that there will forever be a network that feels like home.

What will you miss most about ASH? 
I will miss the compassion I see every day. Laughing students, thoughtful teachers, and caring staff. I 3never felt alone in the hallways with the amazing people I spent every day with. I will miss the commitment to fun alongside education and the people that I have grown so fond of. It will be hard to leave this place.


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