Notre Dame’s class of 2023 members have gone through a lot together. They learned how to adapt to virtual learning when the pandemic shut our school down. They were pushed outside of their comfort zone having to make new friends after coming back from quarantine, and they watched all of the fun Notre Dame activities like Mini-THON and dances like Homecoming and Prom go away and then come back again.

Now, after all of these years, it was time for the class of 2023 to say goodbye to the family they had just become used to being a part of.

On Wednesday, May 31, a senior picnic was organized outside of the building by the track for all of the seniors and their families to come together and celebrate the end of the year over a well-prepared meal. Then, the following day, a short practice for both the baccalaureate Mass and the graduation ceremony was arranged in the auditorium, where the graduation would be held. All of the seniors came for the practice, and after it was over, they collectively watched a short video made by the valedictorian Amber Unger sharing highlights of their time at Notre Dame.

At 6 p.m. June 2, seniors all arrived at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Roman Catholic Church in their caps and gowns, received their stoles, and then processed into the Church for the baccalaureate Mass. The Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, Alfred Shclert, was there to say the beautiful Mass and then express his most personal congratulations to all of the graduates, as he is a Notre Dame Alum himself. Once the mass concluded, classmates went home to prepare themselves for the moment they’ve been anticipating for the past four years: graduation.

Seniors gathered June 4 in the school cafeteria with their caps decorated and their gowns on, ready to say one last goodbye. Each senior had four auditorium tickets reserved for their family members. Anyone else who wanted to come was seated in the gymnasium, where a giant screen played a live feed of the ceremony. At 4 p.m., the seniors marched through the gym where their families were able to see them and cheer for each and every one of them as they headed into the auditorium.

Once in the auditorium overflowing with the families of the graduates, Notre Dame Chaplain Father Guency Isaac offered an opening prayer and the ceremony began.

Awards were announced and given to the students who earned them, followed by speeches given by Jaclyn Friel, the principal; Dena Farrell, the vice principal; Emma Zambo, the salutatorian; Amber Unger, the valedictorian; and finally, Bishop Schlert, who then administered the diplomas to students as they were called up alphabetically by the one who organized the whole ceremony, Cheryl Fenton.

Once everything settled, seniors flipped their tassels to the other side of their caps, which they then threw high up into the air. Finally, after four years of being Crusaders, the Notre Dame class of 2023 were now alumni.