Andrew Baltrinic, Nadia Henry, Ruth Gideon, and Clare Kernan have been named the winners of Christendom College’s 2025 Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition.
Ninety-eight students from 30 U.S. states, including as far as Alaska, participated in this year’s competition. Throughout the day, students experienced a rich glimpse into academic and community life at Christendom. They heard from College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., participated in an academic panel where faculty members discussed Christendom’s approach to education, the pursuit of wisdom, and mentorship on campus, and learned about alumni outcomes during a talk from Vice President for Enrollment Tom McFadden. For the competition itself, participants wrote a timed essay responding to a prompt given on the article “On Fairy-Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien and interviewed with a scholarship panel.
The day concluded with an elegant dinner reception, where members of the admissions staff served as hosts, offering students and families a warm and memorable close to the day.
For the scholarship winners, the day offered a meaningful glimpse into the life they will soon begin at Christendom — including Andrew Baltrinic. Hailing from Nokesville, Virginia, Baltrinic is currently a student at Seton School in Manassas, a school founded by Mrs. Anne Carroll, the wife of Christendom’s founder, Dr. Warren H. Carroll. For him, continuing his education at Christendom felt like a natural next step, seeing the college as the best place to prepare academically while also deepening his Catholic faith.
“I want to attend a college that will provide me with ample opportunity to strengthen my formation as a devout Catholic,” says Baltrinic, who plans to major in political science and economics. “It is paramount that it not only provides for one’s intellectual growth but also gives a thorough grounding in the faith and makes possible the opportunity to form a rock-solid character that will allow me to serve others, pursue my vocation, and tackle the challenges God gives me to the very best of my ability.”
Like Baltrinic, Henry is excited to attend Christendom this fall, drawn by the college’s rigorous and faithfully Catholic curriculum and environment. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, she attended Sacred Heart Academy and sees Christendom as ideal preparation for her future vocation, whatever it may be.
“I am incredibly honored to have received the Padre Pio Scholarship,” says Henry, who intends to major in Christendom’s new natural science major. “I know that at Christendom College, I will be able to pursue and grow in my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ more fervently. On top of that, I am excited to be challenged by their rigorous liberal arts education. I view a strong faith and education as the main foundations of a successful life, and I believe Christendom will prepare me to achieve the goals I have for my future self. The love and support of the staff and community at Christendom are unmatched by any other college I have visited, and I am delighted to take part in it.”
Gideon, who hails from Littleton, Colorado, attended the Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory and was also homeschooled for high school. Initially, Christendom wasn’t even on her radar — until her mother, an alumna, encouraged her to apply. The Padre Pio competition was her first time on campus, and the joyfulness, peace, and authenticity she experienced convinced her Christendom was exactly what she was looking for.
“The willingness to converse, the personal emphasis in the classes, and the laughter throughout my visit expressed a student body that knew who they were and where they were going,” says Gideon, who plans on majoring in English language and literature. “I found the willingness of professors to interact with students very appealing. They provided insights that were both insightful and founded in the truth and beauty of the Catholic Church. I am very excited and grateful to be given the chance to go to Christendom and intrigued to see more next fall of how the faith permeates everything the campus does.”
Kernan, who traveled from Texas, first experienced Christendom during The Best Week Ever high school summer program, quickly falling in love with the college. She sees the school as a place where she can thrive as a musician, thanks to the college’s many fine arts offerings and music track in theology, but also where she can receive an education that will adequately prepare her to go out into the world and share the Gospel.
“I am honored to have received this scholarship and am looking forward to experiencing and contributing to this joyful place,” says Kernan, who plans to major in theology, with a focus on sacred music. “Attending Christendom, steeped in the historical Catholic intellectual tradition, will enable me to become more fully myself as I grow closer to God. Engaging the thoughts and ideas of the great theologians, philosophers, artists, and writers of history will be invaluable in helping me prepare for whatever God has created me to do. Through the sacraments, good moral formation, challenging academics, wonderful community, and a love and understanding of the truth I will be prepared for the journey of my life.”
In addition to the full-tuition scholarships, the college awarded seven $5,000 William Carrigan Scholarships to Joseph Harrigan, MaryGrace Kavookjian, Serenity Fedoryka, Lillian Taylor, Mary Klucinec, William Zuberbueler, and Edmund Brugger. These scholarships honor the memory of late Christendom benefactor William Carrigan, who was a personal friend of St. Padre Pio and asked that Christendom’s full-tuition scholarships be named in the saint’s honor. Carrigan’s great legacy continues through these awards, enabling even more students to attend the college he so generously supported and loved.
Based on the feedback of panelists and the scholarship committee, this was one of the strongest and most competitive groups of Padre Pio finalists in the college’s history. The college looks forward to welcoming these exceptional scholars — and the entire Class of 2029 — to campus this August, where they will learn the truth, live the Faith, and thrive as Catholics.