Sacred Heart Celebrates that Graduation of its 177th Class

Among the 69 graduates, Sacred Heart Greenwich celebrated nine “lifers” who attended the school since Lower School and 12 student-athletes committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Members of the Class of 2026 have also earned recognition from numerous organizations, including the National Merit Scholarship Program, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the American Scholastic Press Association, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the YWCA.

Valedictorians Arianna Chin of Peekskill, New York, who will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Clare Junius of Greenwich, who will attend Princeton University, along with Salutatorian Lexi Parsons of Bronxville, New York, who will attend Boston College, delivered remarks during the commencement ceremony.

Linda Sanford, former Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation at IBM, delivered the commencement address. Sanford is widely recognized as a transformative leader in the technology industry. During her four-decade career at IBM, she played a pivotal role in driving innovation and leading large-scale organizational change. As Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation, she leveraged her expertise in operations research to redesign key business processes, helping IBM adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving global marketplace.

“We are honored to welcome Linda Sanford as our 2026 commencement speaker,” said Michael F. Baber, President of Sacred Heart Greenwich. “Her commitment to innovation, leadership, and expanding opportunities for women reflects the very heart of our mission.”

A pioneer in advancing women in technology, Sanford has long championed diversity as essential to innovation and business success. She served as executive sponsor of the steering committee for Women in Technology International (WITI), supporting initiatives that inspire and educate young women pursuing careers in STEM fields. In 1996, she was inducted into the WITI Hall of Fame, and in 1997, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for her contributions to computer product development. From 1999 through 2001, Fortune named her one of the most powerful women in American business.

Sanford earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from St. John’s University and a master’s degree in operations research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Following her retirement from IBM in 2014, she has continued to share her expertise through corporate and nonprofit board service, including service on the board of Con Edison.

“I am honored to address the graduating Class of 2026 at Sacred Heart Greenwich,” Sanford said. “Expanding opportunities for women in technology and solving complex challenges have been driving forces throughout my career.”

Founded in 1848, Sacred Heart Greenwich is an all-girls, independent, Catholic school that educates and empowers students to pursue faith, leadership, and service. Sacred Heart Greenwich provides a challenging, empowering, and inclusive learning environment for girls and young women from kindergarten through twelfth grade to prepare them to become confident, intelligent, and compassionate global leaders.

The School offers a coed program for young children at the Barat Center for Early Childhood Education. Sacred Heart Greenwich is one of over 150 worldwide Network of Sacred Heart schools located in 41 countries. The 24 independent Network schools that share a common heritage and vision, exemplified by a set of shared Goals & Criteria focused on faith, intellect, justice, community, and wisdom.Photo Credit: Sacred Heart Greenwich