Immaculate Heart High School Holds 110th Commencement



Immaculate Heart High School’s major award winners, and the universities they will attend, include (left to right) Si Yeon Lee (University of California, San Diego), Alexandra Stella (John Cabot University, Rome), Louisa Melcher (Columbia University), Anora Denison (University of Southern California) and Anne Bonino-Britsch (University of San Francisco).

Immaculate Heart’s 113 members of the Class of 2016 glowed with pride and achievement as they accepted their diplomas from the Hollywood Bowl stage during the high school’s 110th commencement.

The May 31st ceremony showcased the graduates, shimmering in white gowns and carrying bouquets of red roses, before a cheering crowd of faculty, family members and friends. Following songs and speeches, the seniors formally processed together for the last time as they joined the 10,000 graduates in Immaculate Heart’s distinguished history.

This year’s class speaker was senior Grace Woods, who will attend UC Irvine next fall. Wood spoke of the influence of Immaculate Heart’s ancestry on her peers, especially the impact of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who established the campus in 1906.

“We go to school every day knowing that strong, independent women paved the way for us,” she said. “I promise that we, the Class of 2016, will do great things, rise to amazing heights, and make the forthcoming students at Immaculate Heart proud of their ancestry.”

Building on that sentiment was commencement speaker Karen “Karie” Huchting, Ph.D., an alumna of Immaculate Heart’s Class of 1996 and an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership in Loyola Marymount University’s School of Education. Congratulating the graduates, the educator reflected on when she last stood on that stage, 20 years ago, at her own graduation.

“In these past 20 years, I have lived a full and rich life dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, and I thank Immaculate Heart Middle School and High School for the foundation to pursue my goals,” said Dr. Huchting. “IH instills a sense of creativity, a love of learning, and a sense of self that propels women into their futures.”

In closing, Dr. Huchting offered three wishes to the graduates: She encouraged them to be supportive of other women, to engage in action, and to always work with kindness. “I know you will change the world for the better,” she said.

The graduates now embark on a new journey after nearly 100 percent earned acceptances to colleges and universities across the country and abroad, including to some of the most prestigious institutions of learning.

About Immaculate Heart

Founded in 1906, Immaculate Heart educates young women in grades sixth through 12th from its central location in the Los Feliz foothills near Griffith Park in Hollywood. The school has a long and distinguished history, with more than 10,000 graduates. Today’s student body of more than 700 young women is both geographically and ethnically diverse, drawing on students from throughout Los Angeles County. Last year, virtually 100 percent of Immaculate Heart graduates matriculated to colleges, including the most prestigious schools in the country. http://www.immaculateheart.org/

 

 

 

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