Lara Velasquez
Annunciation Catholic School (Class of 2020)
Notre Dame Preparatory High School (Class of 2024)

Background:

My parents grew up Catholic and instilled the values of a domestic church within our home. We first joined the St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church community when we moved from Buffalo, NY to Arizona in 2016.

What impact did Catholic schools have on you and your family?

Attending Catholic school has given me the most incredible opportunities to grow as a student, leader, and disciple of Christ. I am beyond grateful for this community and their endless support. Every day is a new opportunity to challenge myself to reach my fullest God-given potential. While I am extremely grateful to be recognized as Valedictorian of NDP’s Class of 2024 among other academic achievements, my goal has always been to continue growing and taking the steps towards becoming who God intended me to be. My education has always been grounded in my faith, and my identity as a disciple is an indispensable part of who I am today.

What Challenges/Obstacles, over the years, were you able to overcome that you would attribute to your Catholic education and Faith?

Entering freshman year, I remember being nervous about being open about my relationship with God because everyone around me was at different points of their spiritual journey. As I have grown in strength as a disciple through attending Kairos, mass, and habitual prayer, I believe sharing our Catholic identity is part of my purpose both as an NDP graduate and as a child of God.

I am extremely grateful to have grown up in the Catholic Church. My parents have taken me to weekly mass since I was born, and I have attended Catholic school my whole life. I have received the Sacraments of Initiation and the Sacraments of Healing. For the past two years, I have taken a deeper level of commitment to my parish through singing in the choir every Sunday. Though my relationship with God may seem pristine on paper, I have had many ups and downs of my spiritual journey. There were periods of doubt and a lack of faith when I failed to trust in His divine plan. The uncertainty of my future presented an abundance of anxiety instead of a sense of safety in the hands of the Father. I am proud of the growth I have achieved in my spiritual life to reach this point entering college. I believe my Kairos experience and learning to “Live the 4th” continues to guide me as a reminder of God’s presence in my daily life. My education in Theology classes and pursuit of a deeper connection with God through prayer has drawn me closer to knowing Him authentically. Every day, I challenge myself to walk the narrow path to eternal life and emulate the virtues of Jesus Christ. My faith has been a pillar in my life that guides my decisions and calms my fears. I am blessed to have experienced God’s love through my years in Catholic education and will carry these values with me as I begin a new phase of my life.

What is one or two special memories of your Catholic School Experience that you would like to share?

Kairos is a retreat consisting of student-led talks that are designed to lead one closer to God. I was fortunate enough to attend as a candidate in September 2023 (K40) and as a leader in September 2024 (K45). The Kairos experience changed me forever. I was able to share parts of my identity that I have kept concealed in my heart for my entire life. I reached a level of honesty with myself through reflection with my small group which cleared space for my relationship with God. As I shed the stresses and anxieties that accumulated in my mind, I walked closer towards God’s love as it penetrated my heart. I felt an indescribable warmth during that week that I later identified was the fire of God’s unconditional love that lived in me. I am proud of the growth that I have achieved since my reflections as a candidate and the opportunity to be a Kairos leader allowed me to share this light with more of our NDP community. I believe this retreat is the best thing NDP provides for its students, and it was an incredible honor to witness God’s love in action.

The House System at Notre Dame Prep encompasses our Catholic values within school spirit, providing community, mentorship, and opportunities for leadership. I was a House Servant Leader for three years and served as Servant Leader Prefect my Senior year. A “Servant Leader” uses their God-given talents to positively contribute to their community and lead others towards achieving common goals. Servant Leadership is derived from discipleship as we serve our community through the will of God and in pursuit of a stronger relationship with Him. Leadership in Catholic schools is more than the average Student Council because we place God at the center of our mission. One of my favorite memories as a Servant Leader was the Smiles for Christmas event in December of 2023. As Co-President of the planning committee, I watched this inaugural event evolve from a mere idea to an incredibly fun day of celebrating our faith community. Two hundred K-2nd grade students from the underprivileged Catholic schools in our Diocese joined us on the NDP campus to celebrate Christmas as a community with club-led games, a pancake breakfast, and even snow! The event was solely donation-based with five hundred toys collected during our school-wide drive the previous month and being gifted to our visitors. With the help of the House Servant Leader Prefects and the three hundred NDP student volunteers, this event was a huge success and so rewarding to watch come to life.

Accomplishments:

  • Notre Dame Prep Class of 2024 Valedictorian of 206 students (cumulative 4.46 GPA weighted)
  • AP Capstone Diploma
  • AP Scholar with Distinction (2023, 2024) for passing 10 AP exams
  • Principal’s List Award (2021-2024) for 4.0+ weighted GPA every semester
  • St. Thomas Aquinas Scholars Honors Program (15 students per grade level selected as incoming freshmen)
  • Honors Societies: President of English; Member of Science, Math, & Social Studies (2022-2024)
  • St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church Choir member (2022-2024)
  • National Honors Society member & Notre Dame Prep Ambassador (2022-2024)
  • House St. Patrick Senior Prefect & Servant Leader (2020-2024)

I received a total of $734,000 in scholarship money across the nine universities I was accepted into! I will be attending Chapman University in the Honors Program, majoring in Dance and Biological Sciences on a Pre-med pathway.