Alliance for Catholic Education
The 2026 commencement for the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) programs will grant degrees to nearly 130 new teachers and administrators, strengthening Catholic schools across the country.
Kerry Robinson, Catholic Charities CEO and Executive Director, and recipient of the university’s Laetare Medal, the most prestigious award given to American Catholics, will join the ceremony on Saturday, July 11, to deliver the commencement address.
“Service has been at the heart of Kerry’s work to advance the Catholic Church’s organizational health and now in her leadership of its care for those living on the margins through Catholic Charities' national network of compassionate partners,” ACE Executive Director John Staud said. “We are grateful that her words and example will inspire our graduates to continue to work on behalf of others.”
Graduates of ACE Teaching Fellows and The Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, two-year master’s degree opportunities designed to support the holistic development of Catholic school teachers and administrators, respectively, will gather for the event at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on campus. Candidates worked in schools while completing coursework online, spending two summers on campus at Notre Dame to develop skills to advance and sustain Catholic education across contexts.
Catholic school leaders Mark Kirzeder and Andrea Pujol will also be recognized at the event as the 2026 recipients of the Michael Pressley Award for Excellence in Catholic Education. Pressley Award honorees are selected for their commitment and distinguished service to K-12 Catholic schools.
Andrea Pujol (ACE 23, Remick 24)
A math teacher and junior class dean at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, Pujol also serves students as a coach for the cross country team and as a faculty liaison for extracurricular clubs and activities, including student Bible study and student council.
“The students at Ursuline are smart, funny, and fun. They make every day exciting and different, and I never doubt that the work I am doing is important, whether that's in the classroom, in the dean of students' office, or as a coach,” she said. “Additionally, the adults I work with are unmatched colleagues who I can laugh or cry with.”
Pujol credits the “countless people who believed and invested in me through the ACE program” with allowing her to grow into a mentor able to share her experience and the gift of discernment with other future Catholic school leaders, including one of her own former students, now a member of ACE 34.
Mark Kirzeder (ACE 9, Remick 10)
Kirzeder, an educator and administrator local to the South Bend area, has served Marian High School in a variety of roles over the last two decades. Upon completing a nine-year stint as principal in 2023, he returned to the faculty as a physics teacher and technology director with the belief that teachers and staff are the primary reason that a school or program is successful at carrying out its mission.
Reflecting upon his time at Marian, Kirzeder said he has been “most proud of the people that I hired and served with and the community we formed to carry out our mission in Christ.” He pointed to the Bernadette Scholars Program as an example of what can be accomplished with the right people. An academic program developed to serve students with moderate cognitive disabilities, Bernadette Scholars has now been in operation for a decade and extended the reach of the school to students who might not otherwise have attended.
“After just a few weeks of teaching eighth grade science at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School, I knew that I never would leave Catholic schools,” Kirzeder said of his time in Charlotte, NC, as part of ACE 9. “Not only did I have the chance to help form the minds and hearts of my students in a way that I had never experienced before, I also continually encountered people who viewed their work as holy work—work that brings students closer to God. Twenty-four years later, I have been serving in Catholic schools ever since, and I look forward to the next twenty-four years!”
Mass will be held for graduates and their guests at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart following the commencement.
Join the ACE Commencement via Livestream
View the complete commencement ceremony online here.
About the Alliance for Catholic Education
Part of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, the Alliance for Catholic Education works to sustain, strengthen, and transform Catholic schools. ACE forms teachers and leaders; develops and disseminates innovative tools and research to integrate academic excellence and spiritual growth; and enhances financial accessibility and operational vitality to ensure that all children—especially those in marginalized communities—have the opportunity to experience the gift of an excellent Catholic education. ACE annually serves more than 300 schools and 250,000 students in over 40 states.