Ave Maria School of Law Celebrates Class of 2026 at Commencement Exercises
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NAPLES, Fla. — Ave Maria School of Law will confer Juris Doctor degrees upon 77 graduates during its 2026 Commencement Exercises, held at Artis–Naples. The ceremony follows the Baccalaureate Mass and marks the culmination of each graduate’s legal education, formed in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
The Honorable Carlos G. Muñiz, Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, will deliver the commencement address. The ceremony will also include the conferral of honorary degrees and remarks from student commencement speaker Lillian Marie Kennedy, a member of the Class of 2026.
“Commencement marks more than the completion of legal studies—it reflects the formation of men and women prepared to serve the common good with integrity,” said Dean John M. Czarnetzky. “The Class of 2026 represents both academic excellence and a deep commitment to the principles of faith and reason that define our mission.”
Among this year’s graduates, a distinguished group has earned academic honors for exceptional scholastic achievement:
Summa Cum Laude
Lillian Marie Kennedy
Aidan Thomas Kraus
Alora Ellen Kraus
Quinten David Zak
Magna Cum Laude
Quentin James Abbott
Cecilia Marie Berutti
Franklin Scott Caldwell
Vincent James DeStefano
Caroline Grace Funk
Madisen Marie Maring
Mary Elizabeth Purcell
Cum Laude
Brendan Boulanger
Madison Claire Dietz
Emily Victoria Mougros
Charles John Tordik
Graduates of Ave Maria School of Law enter a wide range of legal careers, including private practice, judicial clerkships, public service, and public interest law. Their education reflects a commitment not only to professional excellence, but to the pursuit of justice grounded in the dignity of the human person.
Commencement Speaker
The Honorable Carlos G. Muñiz serves as Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, a position he has held since 2022 following his appointment to the Court in 2019. Prior to his service on the Court, he was the presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed General Counsel of the United States Department of Education.
Justice Muñiz has held numerous leadership roles in state government, including Deputy Attorney General and Chief of Staff to the Florida Attorney General, as well as counsel in the Florida House of Representatives and executive offices of state government. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Yale Law School and has clerked at both the federal appellate and district court levels.
Student Commencement Speaker
Lillian Marie Kennedy, a member of the Class of 2026, will deliver remarks on behalf of the graduating class.
Ms. Kennedy served as Managing Editor of the Ave Maria Law Review and as a Dean’s Delegate, and worked as a Teaching Assistant in multiple courses. Following graduation, she will serve as a judicial law clerk for the Wisconsin Second District Court of Appeals.
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Class of 2026 Graduates
The following students are candidates for the Juris Doctor degree:
Quentin James Abbott — B.A., Michigan State University
Nader N. Ali — B.S., Wayne State University
Brenda Alpizar — B.S., Florida Gulf Coast University
Cecilia Marie Berutti — B.S., University of Wisconsin–Madison
Caitlyn Taylor Bonnema — B.A., University of Central Florida
Brendan Boulanger — B.A., University at Albany – State University of New York
Franklin Scott Caldwell — B.S., Florida Gulf Coast University
Jesse Campbell — B.A., University of Wyoming
Cassidy Jeannine Champlin — B.A., San Diego State University
Sofia Angelina Cirilli — B.A., University of South Florida
Brendan Patrick Coughlan — B.A., Curry College
Adam Scott Dascani — B.S., University of South Florida
Benjamin Dean Dellacono — B.A., College of the Holy Cross
Vincent James DeStefano — B.A., Ave Maria University
Derek John Di Crescienzo — B.A., Montclair State University
Mark Diaz De Celis — B.S., Florida State University
Madison Claire Dietz — B.A., Michigan State University
Robert Adam Eichelberger — B.S., B.A., Albertus Magnus College
Noah William Ellis — B.A., Ave Maria University
Caroline Grace Funk — B.A., University of South Carolina
Peter Daniel Galanos — B.A., Indiana University Bloomington
Idania Rebeca Gomez — B.S., Florida International University
Taylor Marie Greenwald — B.A., Florida Gulf Coast University
Lauren Mary Haines — B.S., Florida Southern College
Marie-Nicole Herman — B.S., New York University; M.S., Columbia University
Corwin Antonio Hooley — B.S., Florida State University
Megan Alexandria Howard — B.S., B.A., Oklahoma State University
Jackson Jude Hyde — B.A., Saint Louis University
Joseph Robert Janssen — B.S., University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Morgan Nicole Kelly — B.S., University of North Florida
Lillian Marie Kennedy — B.A., University of Scranton
Daniel Stephen Kings — B.S., Florida Gulf Coast University
Garrett Thomas Knasel — B.S., Saint Louis University; M.B.A., M.S., Webster University
Nicole Kopanski — B.A., University of South Florida
Aidan Thomas Kraus — B.A., University of Central Florida
Alora Ellen Kraus — B.A., Saint Leo University
Lauren Nicole Kugler — B.A., Florida Atlantic University
Sawyer Ann Lecius — B.A., Centre College
Aleksandr Levit — B.A., Loyola University Chicago
Ryan P. MacCallum — B.A., University of Central Florida
Alexander Mallon — B.S., Florida International University
Madisen Marie Maring — B.A., University of Central Florida; M.P.A., Florida State University
Jarod Mark Mariska — B.A., University of Kansas
Ada M. Martin — B.A., Florida International University
Vincent Martino — B.A., Saint Louis University
Steven Douglas McCarus, Jr. — B.S., Florida State University; M.A., Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University
Hailey Lynne McGahee — B.S., University of Florida
Victoria Elizabeth Micklavzina — B.S., University of Arkansas
Emily Victoria Mougros — B.A., Northern Illinois University
James Paul Mrnacaj — B.A., University of Florida
Matthew Alexander Muina — B.S., Florida International University
Jonathan Perez — B.A., Florida International University
Stephanie Lee Pineros — B.S., Florida Gulf Coast University
Mary Elizabeth Purcell — B.A., Ave Maria University
Nicholas John Radoszewski — B.A., University of Texas at San Antonio
Isabella Josefina Marie Robertson — B.A., Eastern Washington University
Lili Amanda June Rodriguez — B.A., B.S., University of South Florida
Harry Minor Schlitz — B.A., Ave Maria University
Adam Lee Schwarting — B.A., University of Florida
Ann Marie Sciancalepore — B.S., Florida Gulf Coast University
Alexander Christopher Short — B.S., B.A., M.A., High Point University
Jonathan Simeon — B.A., Rollins College
John Patrick Spencer — B.A., Eastern Michigan University
Shannon Lee Stamp — B.S., University of La Verne
Elena Grace Stephenson — B.A., Saint Leo University
Kodie Lynn Taylor — B.S., University of Central Florida
Charles John Tordik — B.S., Bentley University
Alejandro Gerhard Ulbrich — B.A., St. Mary’s University; M.A., University of Lethbridge
Develah Valdes — B.A., University of South Florida
Frances Vazquez — B.A., University of Florida
Charles Edward Welte II — B.A., B.A., University of Kentucky
Ethan R. West — B.A., Brigham Young University
Miller James Whitten — B.S., Utah Valley University
John Robert Wright — B.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Kathryn Knight Wunderlich — B.A., Florida Gulf Coast University
Michael Bryson Yates — B.S., Western Kentucky University
Quinten David Zak — B.S., Missouri University of Science and Technology
The names listed above are candidates for the Juris Doctor degree. Final honors designations are subject to confirmation.
About Ave Maria School of Law
Founded in 2000, Ave Maria School of Law is the nation’s only Catholic law school recognized by the Cardinal Newman Guide. Named the best Catholic law school in the United States for the devout by The National Jurist PreLaw Magazine, Ave Law is dedicated to forming legal professionals who are grounded in faith and reason. Ranked #1 for Most Conservative Students and #2 for Most Competitive Students by The Princeton Review, the school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association, designated as a Yellow Ribbon and Military Friendly® institution, and licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License Number 4007.


