On graduation day, the Notre Dame Academy Class of 2025 received a heartfelt and unforgettable gift from their classmate, Salutatorian Sofia Nielsen. In addition to delivering a powerful address, Sofia quietly spent over two months creating 110 individual watercolor portraits—one for each of her classmates—wanting to leave a lasting impact and give them something they could keep forever.
This deeply personal gesture is an act of Visitation, bringing the Class of 2025 together in a shared moment of gratitude, beauty, and unity. It is a bond that will last a lifetime, through these portraits and the love they represent.
We were blessed to welcome Sam Brock and the NBC Nightly News team into Sofia’s second home— the NDA art studio—where her vision, talent, and generosity blossomed. In addition to the NBC Nightly News, Sofia's gesture was also featured on Good Morning America and The Staten Island Advance.
The arts program at Notre Dame Academy is liberating education at its core. It gives each young woman the freedom to express herself and find her voice. Sofia’s work is a shining example of that mission in action: art not only as expression, but as connection.