The Tradition Continues! The Class of 2026 Ring Ceremony

By Liz Barksdale, SAA-SDS Alumni Engagement Coordinator

On Friday, January 31, members of the St. Agnes Academy Class of 2026 gathered with their families for the Ring Ceremony, held at St. Michael Church. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts and cousins who are SAA alumnae were on hand to join in the presentation of the class rings with Dean Heather Valdez. 

The design of the St. Agnes class ring is unique and is filled with tradition and symbolism-it is a meaningful piece of jewelry.

• The black onyx triangle represents the three persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• The round gold setting on which the triangle is mounted stands for unity as a class, with God in the center as the guide.
• The nine white pearls symbolize purity.
• The black triangle together with the white pearls symbolizes the traditional habit of the Dominican Sisters, who founded St. Agnes in 1851.
• The ring is worn with the base of the triangle pointing toward you until graduation. After graduation, it is worn with the base pointing out to the world.

Hart Burke Kelman (’06), current SAA Alumnae Association President, and I gifted each student a handmade pottery ring dish at the ceremony. Later, Hart reflected on the moment sharing: “It was a great honor to participate in the Class of 2026 Ring Ceremony. I was reminded of the symbolism in our one-of-a-kind St. Agnes Academy rings. My personal favorite symbol is the round gold setting, which represents class unity and God at the center as our guide. Congratulations to the class of 2026 on getting their new rings! This is the first big step toward graduation!”

I travel several times a year to meet up with alumnae around the country, and I am so excited to see them proudly wearing their class rings. I recently had dinner with some of our young professional alums in Washington, D.C. and sure enough-they were all wearing their rings! It is a testimony to the bond of sisterhood our Upper School creates-and it lasts a lifetime.