The Gold Tie Class of 2026 at St. Mary’s Academy processed into the ranks of alumnae by quite literally walking in the footsteps of the Golden Graduate Class of 1976.
Graduation on June 6, 2026, began with a procession of the Blue Tie Class of 1976. For many of these “Golden Graduates,” these were the first steps they had taken on the St. Mary’s Academy campus in fifty years. As they made their way into the ceremony, the emotion was unmistakable. Smiles, laughter, and tears flowed freely across generations as the newest alumnae, dressed in the traditional white caps and gowns, joyfully followed in their footsteps.
Every alumna of St. Mary’s Academy has followed in HER footsteps. She has walked the same halls, embraced the same legacy of sisterhood and “service to thy dear neighbor,” and prepared to venture into an ever-evolving world. The Class of 2026 is no exception.
This remarkable class leaves St. Mary’s Academy ready to make HER mark. More than half of the graduating seniors will attend college on full-tuition scholarships, and together they earned more than $34 million in scholarship offers. These Belles now join generations of SMA alumnae at institutions including UC Berkeley, Notre Dame, USC, Howard University, and UCLA. Others will forge entirely new paths, including one Belle who will pursue her medical studies in Beijing, China.
Yet, no matter where life leads them, they carry the same gifts every Belle before them has carried: the legacy of St. Mary’s Academy, the strength of this sisterhood, and the quiet, unwavering confidence of a woman who knows exactly where she comes from.
She has followed in HER footsteps. Now, she is ready to leave footprints of her own.
Congratulations, Gold Tie Class of 2026!
