By Jamie Hanzo
•
May 21, 2026
Graduation Ceremony and Awards On Friday, May 15 at 6PM in the evening, we celebrated and honored the Class of 2026 at their Graduation Ceremony in the Pontchartrain Center! The evening was filled with so much joy as the Class of 2026 received their graduate diplomas in front of their friends, families, peers, and teachers. As we honored the incredible accomplishments of the Class of 2026, we proudly recognize the highest academic honors presented at Archbishop Chapelle High School. The Judy Golemi Spadafora Valedictorian Award The Judy Golemi Spadafora Valedictorian Award is the most prestigious academic honor awarded at Chapelle. It is presented to the student or students who have completed the most academically rigorous course load and achieved the highest academic rank throughout their five years at Chapelle. This award is named in honor of Mrs. Judy Golemi Spadafora, a member of the charter Class of 1966 and a devoted faculty member for 40 years. Named Alumna of the Year in 2004, Mrs. Spadafora’s dedication and love for Chapelle have shaped generations of young women. This year, we proudly recognized three Co-Valedictorians: Alexandra Elizabeth Daigre Anita Ning Shan Li Emma Mong-Ai Tran Congratulations, ladies! We are incredibly proud of all you have accomplished and the example you have set for your classmates. Emerald Awards We also celebrated a distinguished group of seniors with the Emerald Awards, honoring students who have been part of the Chapelle community for all five years and have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence. These awards, selected by each academic department, recognize achievement across specific disciplines. This year’s Emerald Award recipients are: Art Excellence Award – Demi Kostopoulos Athletics Excellence Award – Kelsie Schmidt English Excellence Award – Emma Tran Foreign Language Excellence Award – Sophia Marchan Mathematics Excellence Award – Emma Rogers Music Excellence Award – Mackenzie Ory Science Excellence Award – Anh Dao Le Social Studies Excellence Award – Penelope Haley Theology Excellence Award – Abby Hebbler The Archbishop Placide Louis Chapelle Outstanding Graduate Emerald Award The final Emerald Award of the evening, named after our founder, recognizes students nominated by faculty who exemplify Christian faith, love, leadership, loyalty, service, and academic success over the past five years. These students truly embody what it means to be a Chapelle Chipmunk. This year’s recipients are: Kelsey Doyle Chloe Tujague In addition to these individual honors, the Class of 2026 has been awarded an extraordinary $14 million in scholarships from colleges and universities across the country. We are so proud of the dedication, perseverance, and faith-filled leadership demonstrated by this remarkable class. The future is bright for the Class of 2026!