A stormy, but inspiring, send-off
Notre Dame’s 174th University Commencement Ceremony was moved at the last minute from Notre Dame Stadium to the Joyce Center due to inclement weather. The Class of 2019 heard from commencement speaker Peggy Noonan, a Pulitzer Prize–winning author, columnist, and former presidential speechwriter; Laetare Medalist Norman Francis, the former president of Xavier University in New Orleans who has previously received two honorary degrees from Notre Dame; valedictorian Sofia Carozza of South Bend; and salutatorian and St. Louis native Annelise Gill-Wiehl, who delivered the invocation. It was the first time in Notre Dame’s history that the commencement speaker, valedictorian, and salutatorian were all women.