Celebrating the SAA Graduation Class of 2023

At St. Agnes Academy, senior year is filled with celebrations, social events, award ceremonies, and many traditions that highlight and honor the journey of the graduating class. Some would say that partaking in graduation traditions as a senior is almost as significant as the graduation ceremony itself.

Our high school graduation traditions and celebrations are deep-rooted. Some traditions have been a part of our school’s history for years, and others have evolved over recent years. Take a look at how we celebrated the graduation class of 2023!

At St. Agnes, we recognize that each graduate has embarked on a unique journey throughout her time with us.

To celebrate their next paths, seniors show off their college pride by decorating their uniform skirts with their new school colors, mascots, logos, and sayings. They spend the day together, take their final pictures at the Academy, and say bittersweet goodbyes to teachers.

Leading up to graduation, St. Agnes organizes various special activities and traditions exclusively tailored for the senior class. From senior prom and class trips to senior sunrise and awards banquets, we help create memorable experiences that foster camaraderie, reflection, and a sense of closure.

These activities provide an opportunity for our graduates to create lasting memories with their classmates and strengthen the bonds that will carry them into the next phase of their lives.

Everything starts back in the fall season. Within the first few weeks of school, St. Agnes seniors are paired with entering ninth-grade students to welcome new first-year students, impart wisdom, and deepen the bonds of sisterhood through various fun activities.

During Welcome Week, seniors have fun dressing in costumes, taking part in theme days, and participating in a parade where senior and freshman student pairs are revealed. This week kicks off the beginning of many more senior celebrations.

In a student’s final year at St. Agnes, many events offer parents the opportunity to celebrate their daughters in the community.

- The Annual Mother/Daughter Senior Style Show and Luncheon is among the most popular senior traditions. Students are given the day off of school, have their hair and make-up professionally done, and get to dress up and model designer dresses in a school-sponsored fashion show.

Underclassmen are invited along with family members to celebrate and support the seniors as they walk the runway in on-theme dresses. It is a fun way of recognizing each Academy woman's inner and outer beauty.

- In April, senior dads are invited to campus to share donuts and coffee with their daughters, enjoy snapping photos, and make final memories together at the Academy.

Once students make it to their senior year, it is tradition for them to be granted special privileges that honor their hard work and dedication for the last four years. Special seating areas for senior students in the cafeteria, Student Commons, library, or auditorium are taken very seriously. 

Special seating gives seniors priority access to lunch lines, preferred seating areas, and opportunities to enter and exit assemblies first. They are also granted off-campus lunch privileges and other fun bonuses like “Senior Skip Day.”

To recognize the exceptional achievements of our graduating class, St. Agnes bestows various awards and scholarships during special Masses and celebrations. These accolades honor academic excellence, leadership, community service, artistic talents, and other remarkable qualities our graduates possess.

By acknowledging their accomplishments, we inspire the next generation of students to strive for greatness and make a positive impact on the world. Our seniors are recognized at the Athletics Banquet, Spring Pep Rally, Academic Awards, and Celebrate SAA Assembly in addition to our Madonna Day Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony.

Before graduation, senior students have one last chance to bond with their classmates, renew their relationship with God, and remember how much they are loved before moving on to the next step of their lives during their Senior Retreat.

The retreat encourages each student to consider how she will continue to preach the Gospel with her words and her life. According to St. Agnes alumnae, it is always one of the most powerful and remembered events. Students are encouraged to reflect on their high school journey and express gratitude for the support they received from their families, teachers, mentors, and friends.

Fortunately, graduation is not the end of our relationship with our graduates; it marks the beginning of a lifelong connection. We have a very active alumnae network, ensuring that our graduates remain connected with one another and the school.

Through alumnae events, mentorship programs, and professional networking opportunities, we support our graduates in their future endeavors, enabling them to tap into a vast network of accomplished women who have walked the same halls.

We are proud of our high school graduation traditions! You can read more about many of the other traditions carried on at St. Agnes Academy in Veritas Magazine.

From personalized farewells to commencement ceremonies, senior activities, and alumna connections, we strive to make senior year a truly memorable and empowering experience.

As this exceptional graduation class of 2023 embarks on their next chapter, we celebrate their potential, encourage their aspirations, and remind them that they will always be part of our school community.

- If being a part of a community that is steeped in tradition and honors its graduates in extraordinary ways sounds like a place you want to experience, apply to St. Agnes today.

Find out why families choose St. Agnes Academy for themselves, their daughters, and their granddaughters, continuing their legacy at St. Agnes Academy year after year.