Angelina Ning '23
Angelina Ning ‘23 didn’t expect high school to look quite like this. Sports and activities canceled, her friends quarantined, and class after class over video chat. It’s easy to forget the world was upside down until recently for young adults in their most formative years. And though much has been written about the generation that endured COVID protocols, cameras-off breakout rooms, and worse, not enough can be said about Angelina and her classmates' perseverance. They weren’t just contending with a pandemic, but reshaping Riordan’s culture, now that the school was newly open to co-ed enrollment. Riordan, with its focus on faith formation and family spirit, would, in turn, shape Angelina too.
A sophomore transfer from Wallenberg, Angelina took a chance on Riordan when co-ed enrollment was announced. Her mother was encouraged by the school’s mission and its more holistic approach to student education and wellness. Angelina was excited to be among a diverse cadre of students eager to make their mark on the world. The small size of those initial co-ed classes and the shared experience of COVID learning protocols made the class of 2023 especially close. “I still talk with a lot of my friends from Riordan. I text them almost every day. Even though most of us have gone on to different colleges all over the country, we come back together each break and revisit our friendships. We all care for each other so much. It’s really amazing.”
Even in the harshest conditions, some seeds only need a little water to grow. So with students. Angelina credits her teachers for preparing her for the rigorous demands of pre-law at UCLA in spite of the challenges of the pandemic. One teacher in particular really encouraged Angelina to chase her dreams. As a writer and feature editor for the school newspaper, Angelina worked closely with Ms. Sutton, the paper’s moderator and the English department head. In her senior year, Angelina approached Ms. Sutton with a wild idea. Could she start a multimedia magazine? “I said it kind of in a joking manner, but Ms. Sutton said, yes, we can do that. It meant a lot to me. She really cared about her students’ ideas and wanted to make them come true.”
Ms. Sutton pitched the idea to the administration and soon Riordan’s first multimedia magazine, The Shield, was launched. Angelina still had to apply to be its editor-in-chief, but it wasn’t long before she was calling the shots. “She set the tone for the magazine,” says Ms. Sutton. “She was the George Washington of The Shield. That precedent is still alive.”
Journalism wasn’t Angelina’s only interest. Inspired by her mom’s example, Angelina was always hard at work, always balancing multiple schedules. She captained the girls’ tennis team, led the house of Cana, and was a member in student parliament. Carpooling to and from her Sunset home, she got home many nights after dark.
Looking back on the experience now, she treasures her friendships the most. “I had friends from all different types of backgrounds. I made some of my best friends from Riordan’s international program. It was such a great experience for me. I’m really appreciative of that.” And although she isn’t Catholic, Angelina came to love mass and the religious retreats the school held every year, “especially the in-person ones.” That’s a qualifier, God willing, no student has to use again.
Angelina is now a junior in the pre-law program at UCLA. She hopes to practice intellectual property or international law.
