Out of the nine valedictorians chosen for the 179th commencement, Saint Mary’s College senior Abigail Newton has been designated to provide the valedictory address on Saturday at Le Mans Green.
A computing and applied mathematics major, she felt Saint Mary’s was the best choice when choosing a college due to its intimate atmosphere while still being near her home in Kirklin, Indiana. What solidified this interest was doing an in-person tour through the College’s STEM Preview Day.
During her freshman year, she decided to switch majors to her current one, following a class that inspired her to think broadly about mathematics. Continuing with higher-level classes, she witnessed the importance of rigor in the major and how Saint Mary’s applies such a standard in the classroom.
“During my first year, I took an introductory programming course to fulfill a Sophia requirement and quickly discovered how much I enjoyed computer science as well. That experience inspired me to switch to Computing and Applied Mathematics because it combined both of my interests,” she wrote.
“Throughout the program, Saint Mary’s challenged me academically and pushed me to grow as both a student and problem solver. Some of the higher-level courses were difficult and required a lot of persistence, but those challenges helped me become more confident in my abilities and taught me the value of hard work,” Newton continued.
Newton has pursued two projects during her time at Saint Mary’s similar to her major. In her senior research comprehensive project, she developed a method of collaborative filtering for shopping algorithmic systems.
“Using Amazon product review data, I created and compared three collaborative filtering models: user-based, item-based, and matrix factorization. Through this project, I explored how recommendation systems work and how data can be used to better understand consumer preferences and improve personalized recommendations,” she wrote.
In her Business, Industry and Government (BIG) data class, she collaborated with the St. Joseph County Public Library to increase community engagement through analyzing data on display tables and revamping present strategies for long-term impact.
Her time at the Saint Mary’s Information Technology Office for two years, where she worked as both a ResNet Computer Consultant and ResNet Computer Consultant Manager, allowed her to build a rapport with students and faculty while also continuously developing her troubleshooting skills.
Newton also likes to spend time in various extracurricular activities, including in the Pickleball club and the Puzzle club, where it has “helped me build friendships and find community through hobbies I enjoy.”
She is also an inducted member of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national honor society and has participated in small faith and worship events.
For incoming seniors, she hopes they can take in every moment and still continue using the resources around them as their last year approaches. Newton also encourages students interested in mathematics and computer science to pursue their passion despite the difficulties associated with the majors.
“Do not be afraid to struggle or hit a wall. Those moments are often where the most growth happens. Mathematics pushes you to think deeply and approach problems from different perspectives. Believe in yourself, work hard, and never hesitate to ask for help because your professors and peers truly want to see you succeed,” she wrote.
She highlighted it is an honor to be chosen as a valedictorian for the Class of 2026 and hopes that her commencement speech “encourages my classmates to look back proudly on how far they have come and feel excited for the opportunities ahead.”
After graduation, she will continue her education at Saint Mary’s through the 4 + 1 Data Science Program to receive her master degree of science in data science. Following the program, she hopes to become a data analyst and solve data-driven problems.
