Senior Allison Elshoff did not expect to finish near the top of her graduating class at the University of Notre Dame.
Editor’s note: Elshoff is an opinion columnist for The Observer.
“It was actually a complete surprise,” Elshoff wrote in a statement to The Observer. “The valedictorian nomination process wasn’t ever on my radar.”
Now, the Valencia, Calif., native has been named salutatorian of Notre Dame’s Class of 2026 after earning a 3.950 grade-point average. Elshoff will graduate magna cum laude with high honors, an academic distinction awarded to students whose GPA ranks among the top 15% of their institution.
The University’s process for selecting the valedictorian and salutatorian is overseen by the Office of Undergraduate Education within the Office of the Provost. The College of Arts & Letters, the College of Engineering, the Mendoza College of Business, and the College of Science nominate four students who have among highest GPAs of their students, while the Keough School of Global Affairs and the School of Architecture each submit two. Selected students then provide resumes and drafts of their valedictory addresses for review by a committee made up of representatives from the colleges and schools, including the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Division of Student Affairs and student government. After interviews with finalists, the committee chooses the valedictorian and salutatorian, subject to approval by University President Fr. Robert Dowd.
A resident of Badin Hall, Elshoff majors in business analytics with minors in impact consulting and the Hesburgh Program in Public Service. During her time at the University, she was involved with organizations such as Innovation for Impact Club, The Observer, Student Policy Network and Women in International Security.
“Those organizations shaped who I am at Notre Dame,” Elshoff wrote in a statement to The Observer. “And for a moment, I got to be the person who said: this place has something to offer you — come see.”
That emphasis on helping others feel welcomed and valued became central to Elshoff’s college experience. She said her perspective shifted significantly over four years at Notre Dame.
“Freshman year is filled with so much anxious self-absorption,” Elshoff wrote. “But I feel like Notre Dame each year has expanded my peripheral vision.”
She pointed specifically to her work with The Observer, where her writing evolved from an advice column into an interview-style series called “Off the Dome,” focused on conversations with faculty, staff and members of the broader campus community.
“I got tired of hearing myself talk and realized that there was so much more to learn from those around me,” she wrote.
Through the column, Elshoff said she found joy in highlighting people whose stories often go unnoticed, including dining hall employees and professors.
“Every time that I reach out to someone I think is really cool, they are always so surprised,” she said. “Getting to interview them and make them feel seen and heard is my favorite thing.”
Elshoff said she hopes classmates remember her as someone who consistently made people feel valued.
“There’s a quote I love: ‘I will always have time for you, you are what time is for,’” she wrote. “I try to embody that every day.”
She credited Wendy Angst, a professor of management and organization, as one of the most influential mentors during her time at the University. Elshoff described Angst as someone who balances impactful work with genuine care for students and colleagues.
“She will drop everything to help someone,” Elshoff wrote. “Even with all the balls she’s juggling, she manages to be present in the moment and have fun.”
Elshoff said Notre Dame ultimately taught her that leadership is rooted less in achievement and more in service.
“I’ve learned that my life is truly not my own,” she wrote. “It’s about being there for, and learning from, both the people in your life and the people on the margins of society.”
Although she will not deliver a commencement speech, Elshoff mentioned that the message she would want classmates to carry forward is that meaningful service begins with small everyday actions that will eventually shape one’s character and identity.
“We’ve spent four years being told we’re going to change the world,” she wrote. “But my hope is that people realize they can give now, that they have permission to start small.”
After graduation, Elshoff plans to move to Washington to work in government consulting for Deloitte. She stated that she is excited to begin a new chapter and explore a new city, even as she recognizes how quickly her college years passed.
“The years really fly here,” she wrote. “You don’t realize it until suddenly you’ve finished your last college final and graduation is a week away.”
Looking ahead, Elshoff hopes the recognition as salutatorian ultimately means more than academic distinction.
“Five years from now, this will have mattered if a Notre Dame student — maybe one who’s quietly doubting themselves — feels like they can reach out to me,” she wrote. “I want to be the kind of Notre Dame alum who’s genuinely reachable.”
For now, she is focused on celebrating the moment with the people closest to her.
“My parents were the first people I called when I found out,” Elshoff wrote. “They’re all ecstatic, and I’m so excited to share this moment with them.”
