Mimi Lagarde, Daniel Cole, Sienna Lowman, and Jonah Burchill have been named the winners of Christendom College’s 2026 Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition.
One hundred and ten students from 28 U.S. states and Canada participated in this year’s scholarship competition, which was the largest ever for the college. 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 career services, alumni outcomes, and how students mature and grow through the formation offered on campus during a talk from Vice President for Enrollment Tom McFadden. For the competition itself, participants wrote a timed essay responding to a prompt on Josef Pieper’s Only the Lover Sings and interviewed with a scholarship panel.
College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., welcomed all participants and their families to campus for the Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition.
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.
Mimi Lagarde, who hails from Winchester, Virginia, currently attends Chelsea Academy and plans to major in natural science. Drawn to Christendom’s vibrant intellectual culture, she looks forward to joining a community deeply committed to the pursuit of truth.
“What excites me most about attending Christendom College is being surrounded by students and professors alike who are enthusiastic about pursuing knowledge for its own sake,” says Lagarde. “In many academic settings, there is a growing sense of apathy—where learning becomes simply a requirement rather than a genuine pursuit. What draws me to Christendom is the absence of that indifference. I am inspired by the idea of a community in which both students and professors are fully invested in the life of the mind, engaging seriously with great texts and ideas because they recognize their timelessness and inherent value. What I find most compelling is that this intellectual vitality is not isolated from the college’s campus culture but is strengthened by it. Through this culture, I hope to deepen my understanding of humanity and come to recognize the universal truths that connect the arts, nature, and Faith, allowing me to more freely choose to love God.”
Like Lagarde, Sienna Lowman was drawn to Christendom through her experiences visiting campus and witnessing its distinctive culture firsthand, especially during the Best Week Ever high school summer program. From Vermilion, Ohio, Lowman is currently a student at Kolbe Academy Online and intends to major in philosophy.
“Every time I have been on campus, whether during Best Week Ever or a regular visit, I have witnessed how all aspects of Christendom – its mission, academics, and campus culture – are firmly rooted in not only the Catholic intellectual tradition but also the active permeation of Catholicism among the student body,” says Lowman. “Paired with the rigor of the academic track, I’m positive Christendom will assist me in becoming a better and stronger person who can go out into the world and contribute to restoring all things to Christ.”
For the competition itself, participants wrote a timed essay responding to a prompt on Josef Pieper’s “Only the Lover Sings.”
The same spirit of community and formation also stood out to Daniel Cole, a homeschooled student from Cat Spring, Texas, who plans to major in natural science.
“The thing I love most about Christendom is the joyful Catholic community,” says Cole. “I look forward to conversations with friends, singing songs, and especially dancing when I arrive on campus.”
All participants also interviewed with a scholarship panel as part of the competition.
That sense of Christ-centered formation was equally important for Jonah Burchill in his college decision. From Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Burchill attends Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh and plans to major in political science and economics.
“I love Christendom because of the Christ-centered education that the college offers,” says Burchill. “I know that here I will be formed as a whole person, firm in the Catholic faith, and ready to succeed in whatever career God calls me to.”
In addition to the full-tuition scholarships, the college awarded seven $5,000 William Carrigan Scholarships to Katie McCloskey, Isaac Bir, Charlize Brons, Marie MacDougall, Damian Deitchman, Isabelle Trandem, and Ariana Ochoa. 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.
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.
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 students who participated in this year’s competition are going to be great additions to our already vibrant and joyful student body,” concludes Vice President for Enrollment Tom McFadden. “I had many conversations with the students while they were here, and they are academically curious, eager to add to our campus culture, and on fire to learn the truth, live the Faith, and thrive as Catholics. Orientation weekend cannot come soon enough. It’s going to be very exciting to see the impact that this Class of 2030 makes on Christendom College – and the world.”
View more pictures from this year’s competition here.
View the highlight reel from this year’s competition below:
