For Saint Mary’s 179th commencement ceremony, nine valedictorians have been named to represent the class of 2026. Abigail Newton was selected to give the valedictory address.
The eight valedictorians below said their background and experiences at Saint Mary’s College have shaped them into who they are today and the future plans that they will pursue.
Chloe Emenhiser
From Middlebury, Indiana, Emenhiser has filled her time with various extracurriculars, the national mathematics honor society Pi Mu Epsilon and the math and computer science club. Previously, she was a student grader and teaching assistant for the department of mathematics. She also worked in the stage and scene shop for the program in theater for two years.
She transferred from Butler University to the College to begin her sophomore year. She said she made the transition because Saint Mary’s was closer to home, and she thought the math program was better.
Emenhiser did her senior comprehensive project last semester on quantum mechanics and particle behavior within atoms. She also completed a project for her business, industry and government class where she worked on a team to help the Writing and Tutoring Center determine how to better serve students.
Graduating with a bachelor of arts in statistical and actuarial mathematics, she plans to pursue a master of science in data science through the 4 + 1 Data Science Program.
Emma Heffron
A nursing major from La Porte, Indiana, Heffron chose Saint Mary’s due to the nursing program and the tight-knit community found at the College and how professors and staff assist students with success.
She has been engaged in several research endeavors relating to her field of interest. One includes a paper analysis during her junior year on automated scalp cooling therapy and how it prevents alopecia in patients with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy. In her senior year, she also completed a research project that used AI to create data analytics systems that detect hospitalized patient deterioration for earlier intervention.
Heffron is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She is also a member of the Friends with Sisters Club, a program that pairs students with the Sisters of the Holy Cross, which she felt was a spiritually impactful opportunity.
“That was a wonderful experience for me in that it not only allowed me to connect on a deeper level with the College’s heritage, but also the Sisters of the Holy Cross have a deep, running history with the nursing profession. So getting to connect in that way to that part of our history, not only helped me grow as a person but also in my profession,” she said.
Following graduation, she will be a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Memorial Hospital.
Maura Mack
Mack is a transfer student from Duneland Beach, Indiana, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry.
“I chose to pursue biology because, in addition to wanting a career in medicine, I genuinely enjoy learning about biological concepts and the underlying mechanisms that shape both the human body and the environment around us,” she wrote. “There were definitely challenges throughout the past four years, especially balancing demanding coursework, extracurricular activities, and making time for myself and my friends. However, the support I received from my family, professors, and the Saint Mary’s community made those stressful moments much more manageable.”
She was able to pursue an independent research project on colorectal cancer under the guidance of biology professor Rana Abdel-Samad.
Mack served as president of the Future Women in Healthcare Club and treasurer of Biology Club. She also worked in the Writing and Tutoring Center as an MCAT tutor. She previously served on the student advisory committee for the Belles Against Violence Office.
She plans to apply to medical school, with current interests in women’s health and oncology.
Alaina Motes
Earning a bachelor of arts in literature in English and creative writing, with a minor in gender and women’s studies, Motes has served on the editorial board of Chimes, a student-based literary magazine, vice president of Belles Book Nook and as one of the coaches for tennis club. She will be graduating early by completing her degree in three years rather than four. She hails from Salina, Kansas.
She said graduating early came with its own set of challenges and learning how to manage the course load.
“It was definitely hard, because I was trying to do it in three years. I had to do 18 credits every semester except my second one and this last semester. I had to write so many papers that were all due at the same time. But it worked out. It worked well,” she said.
For her senior comprehensive project she began a novel on a Greek mythology epic called “The Price of Fire” and how the gods’ history has led to humanity’s own downfall, where she highlighted misogyny through Pandora’s box and ableism with Hephaestus.
Upon graduation, she will pursue a master of fine arts in English with a concentration in creative writing at Kansas State University. She hopes to work for a top five publishing company and be able to expand on her literary work.
Sophia Sainato-Pinkie
A communication studies major with psychology and marketing minors from Valparaiso, Indiana, Sainato-Pinkie said that she wanted to attend Saint Mary’s College due to the sisterhood and commitment to academic excellence and rigor.
She originally came into the College as a business major, but decided to switch to communications after taking an introduction to communication studies course.
“I just fell in love with communication studies because we do so much writing,” she said. “And then I ended up falling in love with marketing through that as well, through my PR and advertising minor and internships.”
For her senior comprehensive project, Sainato-Pinkie compared luxury advertising with fast-fashion advertising. She also conducted a survey for the project which obtained nearly 100 responses.
Sainato-Pinkie served as vice president of Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society and as a member of the International Honor Society in Psychology at Saint Mary’s College. She also volunteered with Best Buddies at the University of Notre Dame, Feed My Starving Children and participated in Friends with Sisters.
After completing her master of science in management with a concentration in marketing at the University of Notre Dame, she hopes to work at a marketing agency in Nashville, Tennessee.
Elizabeth Stack
Stack, a Downers Grove, Illinois native, has a double major in economics and political science. She studied abroad in London during her sophomore year.
Stack worked as an economics tutor in the Writing and Tutoring Center and plans to attend law school after she graduates, with a focus on policy.
Morgan Zack
Following a tour of Saint Mary’s, the Lockport, Illinois local fell in love with the campus. Zack is in a 3 + 1 program in social work. She will begin her studies for her master’s degree after graduating.
“I think one challenge was that I’m the first person to do the 3 + 1, so that was kind of a new experience. And I was kind of the guinea pig in that respect, where they [didn’t] know how these classes are all going to work together to do in three years,” she said. “And me bringing in a lot of credits is kind of what made that possible. If not, I would have had to take a million summer classes.”
Zack said she was surprised to be selected as a valedictorian.
“It is an incredible honor that I’m really grateful for. And it wouldn’t have been possible without all of the support from staff and also from my friends here at Saint Mary’s,” she added.
Leah Zimmerman
Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Zimmerman transferred from Butler University and played on the College’s softball team for three years. She was interested in the speech-language pathology major, as she shadowed speech language pathologists previously and her parents both worked in healthcare. She will complete her education after graduating by finishing her master of science in speech-language pathology through a 4 + 1 program.
For her senior comprehensive project, Zimmerman worked at the Judd Leighton Speech and Language Clinic.
Additionally, she was an executive board member of the Saint Mary’s chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and a member of Fiat.
Following her completion of the 4 + 1 program, Zimmerman plans to work in a rehab facility or in a hospital with patients who have neurological disorders.
She said she is grateful to be chosen as valedictorian and that attending Saint Mary’s changed the trajectory of her life.
