Alliance for Catholic Education
ACE Ambassador & Internship Programs
📣 ACE Ambassador & Internship Application Now Closed
The ACE Ambassador & Internship application window is now closed. For those who may be interested in applying, but missed the application deadline, please contact Michael Comuniello, Senior Associate Director for Teacher Recruitment (mcomunie@nd.edu | 574.631.6561).
Our next application window will open in February 2025. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to request more information or schedule a meeting with a member of our Admissions team!
Spring 2025 Important Application Dates
- February 4, 2025: ACE 33 Early Timeline Application Opens
- March 25, 2025: ACE 33 Early Timeline Application Closes
- March 31 - April 16, 2025: Interviews
- April 24, 2025: Application Decisions Released
- April 30, 2025: Commitment Deadline
- June 22-25, 2025: ACE 33S Early Commit Institute at ND
Program Overview
The Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Ambassador & Internship programs offer a transformative experience that empowers aspiring educators to make a meaningful impact in Catholic schools. As part of this experience, participants engage in a unique combination of formation, mentorship, and hands-on teaching experience, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed for success in the classroom. ACE Ambassadors and Interns earn early conditional admittance into ACE Teaching Fellows and spend their senior year of college advancing ACE's mission in a variety of capacities - including teacher recruitment, communications, and among other responsibilities.
Internship Benefits
- Early conditional admittance into ACE Teaching Fellows
- Development of personal & professional relationships with ACE M.Ed. faculty & pastoral administrator team
- Opportunities for personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
ACE Ambassador & Internship Application Instructions
Spring 2025 Important Application Dates
- February 4, 2025: ACE 33 Early Timeline Application Opens
- March 25, 2025: ACE 33 Early Timeline Application Closes
- March 31 - April 16, 2025: Interviews
- April 24, 2025: Application Decisions Released
- April 30, 2025: Commitment Deadline
- June 22-25, 2025: ACE 33S Early Commit Institute at ND
Contact Us
Contact Mike Comuniello (mcomunie@nd.edu; 574.631.6561) or Cat Swick (cswick@nd.edu; 574.631.9273) if you have any questions.
We look forward to hearing from you and welcome you to call, e-mail, or visit us in Remick Family Hall on Notre Dame's campus!
Application Details
Part 1: Online Application
- Biographical & Educational Information
- Short Essays & Placement Consideration Form
- Unofficial Transcript
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Professional Headshot Photo
Part 2: Three Letters of Reference
The ACE application requires three, but no more than four, letters of recommendation be submitted on your behalf. You will need to obtain references from 2 professors and 1 individual who can attest to your success in living and working in a community atmosphere (e.g. Dorm Rector/Residence Director, Campus Minister, Service Project Leader, etc.).
Reference letters, which are requested directly through the application, require the following:
- A short evaluation of the five dispositions successful ACE Teachers possess (zeal, coachability, persistence, servant leadership, & hunger for spiritual growth)
- A letter of reference
Note: You will be asked to provide the name and contact information of each reference in the online application. An electronic request will automatically be sent to each reference so that they might submit all materials online.
ACE Internship
In 2008, the Alliance for Catholic Education piloted an exciting initiative open to all Notre Dame juniors the ACE Internship. Our internship program, now in its 17th year, attracts students interested in becoming ACE teachers after graduation and eager to work for ACE during their senior years to advance its mission in service to under-resourced Catholic schools.
Drawing on the diverse gifts and experiences of selected participants, these paid internships (approx. 5 hours per week) will offer challenging work in close collaboration with the ACE team in a variety of areas:
- Raise awareness of ACE’s mission at Notre Dame
- Outreach efforts and service to local & national Catholic schools through TutorND
- 1-cr. ESS course, Re-seeing & Reflecting on Teaching, during the spring semester
- Opportunities for personal, professional, communal, and spiritual growth
- Cost-free trip to ND's campus for ACE Early Commit Institute in late June
Meet the Interns
Isaac Bernsten
Siegfried Hall
Caroline Bishop
Cavanaugh Hall
Riley Bock
McGlinn Hall
Sophia Buonavolonta
Welsh Family Hall
Barbara Calabrese-Barton
Pasquerilla East Hall
Abby Chittle
Cavanaugh Hall
Stephen DeCarlo
Undergraduate Community at Fischer
Regi Hammond
Cavanaugh Hall
Anna Merriam
Walsh Hall
Jackie Perez
Undergraduate Community at Fischer
Luke Strawn
Dillon Hall
Maria Vaquero
Ryan Hall
Hometown
Rockford, IL
Dorm
Siegfried Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Program of Liberal Studies
Hometown
Hometown Dayton, OH
Dorm
Cavanaugh Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Education, Schooling, & Society and Psychology
Activities: TutorND, CLAD Lab, RecSports
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Intern?
I hope to be a welcoming presence and representative for ACE, developing confidence in my ability to invite others into ACE and get to know prospective teachers.
Hometown
Hometown Los Angeles, CA
Dorm
McGlinn Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior and Education, Schooling, & Society
Activities: TutorND, CLAD Lab, Resident Assistant, Service Commissioner in McGlinn Hall, Class Council
What experiences at Notre Dame helped shape your decision to pursue ACE?
Working through TutorND and with the CLAD lab was absolutely transformative for me. I loved getting to work with students who were really in need of additional support. I have also loved getting to know the older interns! They were so inspirational in encouraging me to consider ACE.
Hometown
Mendham, NJ
Dorm
Welsh Family Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: English & Anthropology
Hometown
HometownEast Lansing, MI
Dorm
Pasquerilla East Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Mathematics & Italian
Activities: Research Assistant for the Center for STEM Education, TutorND, Notre Dame Bands
What experiences at Notre Dame helped shape your decision to pursue ACE?
My experiences with ESS and TutorND have taught me the importance of supporting students in all aspects of their life, and I believe that ACE will allow me to create and sustain relationships with my students where this is possible and encouraged.
Hometown
Hometown Hendersonville, TN
Dorm
Cavanaugh Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Environmental Science & Theology
Activities: TutorND, Cavanaugh Hall, Chorale, Interhall Sports
What experiences at Notre Dame helped shape your decision to pursue ACE?
My decision to pursue ACE was formed by my experiences working with students through TutorND and my interactions with current ACE teachers and upper classmen. My classes in Education, Schooling, and Society have also fostered my passion for Catholic education and helped me to grow as a student.
Hometown
Hometown Arlington, VA
Dorm
Undergraduate Community at Fischer
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: English & Arabic
Activities: TutorND, PATH Rising Student Teacher, Frassati Malpass Fellow, God and the Good Life Fellows Program, Resident Assistant
What experiences at Notre Dame helped shape your decision to pursue ACE?
In my intro philosophy class, “God and the Good Life,” I learned how important a Catholic education is to the development of the full person. Ever since then, I’ve been committed to bettering Catholic education in any way I can.
Hometown
Hometown Nashville, TN
Dorm
Cavanaugh Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior and Latino Studies
Activities: TutorND; Interhall/Intramural Sports; Sleep, Stress, and Memory Lab; WSND Student Radio board member; Mercy Works; The Juggler Student Magazine member
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to make a positive difference in kids’ lives, creating an environment that fosters a love for learning and for each other. I hope to become a great teacher and active member in whatever community I will be serving in.
Hometown
Hometown Lewis Mcchord, WA
Dorm
Walsh Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Political Science and Education, Schooling, & Society
Activities: TutorND, NDCCI, The Gateway Program
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
While I am so excited for my faith formation and academic advancement, the most exciting part about ACE is the relationships I’ll develop with my students. I cannot wait to serve as a role model and leader for my students and help them grow and learn.
Hometown
Canadian, TX
Dorm
Undergraduate Community at Fischer
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Psychology & Spanish
Hometown
Clive, IA
Dorm
Dillon Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior
Hometown
Richmond Hill, NY
Dorm
Ryan Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Psychology and Education, Schooling, & Society
ACE Ambassadors
In 2017, the Alliance for Catholic Education piloted an exciting opportunity open to all college juniors, not currently enrolled at Notre Dame: the ACE Ambassadors Program. Our ambassadors program empowers selected students to sustain and transform Catholic schools, while also offering conditional acceptance into ACE Teaching Fellows following graduation.
ACE Ambassadors are offered a unique and formative additional year in the ACE Teaching Fellows experience. During their senior years, ambassadors work together, alongside the broader ACE community, to share ACE’s mission with fellow undergraduates on their respective campuses. To carry out these paid outreach efforts, our ambassadors receive support from the ACE team in a variety of ways:
- Outreach efforts and service to local & national Catholic schools through TutorND
- Monthly ACE Ambassador Team conversations via Zoom
- Campus visits by ACE Pastoral Team members throughout the academic year
- Opportunities for personal, professional, and spiritual growth
- Cost-free trip to ND’s campus for ACE Early Commit Institute in late June
Meet the Ambassadors
Joseph Baah
DePauw University
Nate Cannizzo
St. Joseph's University (PA)
Natalie Endres
University of Texas, Austin
Sophia Giallanza
John Carroll University
Audrey Greger
Benedictine College
Nathan Hershberger
University of Virginia
Helen Love
Boston College
Lizbeth Lozano
Yale University
Joseph Lutman
Ohio State University, Columbus
Rachel Romero
Saint Anselm College
Joel Tobler
Ohio State University, Columbus
John Henry Walters
St. Joseph's University (PA)
Hometown
Hometown Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate Institution
DePauw University (IN)
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Education Studies
Hometown
Hometown Cranford, NJ
Undergraduate Institution
St. Joseph's University (PA)
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Education
Activities: Philadelphia Service Immersion Program (PSIP), 54th Airborne (student section), Intramural Sports, Phi Sigma Pi (PSP)
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to be a teacher my students look up to, and to foster a comfortable and productive teaching environment where students look forward to class and aren’t afraid to make mistakes.
Hometown
Hometown Austin, TX
Undergraduate Institution
University of Texas, Austin
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Early Childhood Education
Activities: FOCUS
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
As an ACE teacher I hope to be able to share my faith with my students. I hope to create a classroom environment where students are desiring to learn more academically while also growing in virtue that will apply in and out of the classroom.
Hometown
HometownSt. Louis, MO
Undergraduate Institution
John Carroll University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: English; Peace, Justice & Human Rights
Activities: Writing Center Consultant, Service Liaison for Center for Service & Social Action, Staff Writer for The Carroll News, Intramural Sports Team Member
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to be a force for positive change, helping to support students and enhance their relationships to faith and education.
Hometown
Solon, OH
Undergraduate Institution
John Carroll University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: English & Peace Studies
Hometown
Hometown Saint Paul, MN
Undergraduate Institution
Benedictine College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Theology & Elementary Education
Activities: Communion and Liberation University, Education Club, St. Benedict's Enrichment Program, Ravens Respect Life
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
As an ACE teacher, I hope to humbly serve my students and to show them Christ’s love through my accompaniment. I want each of my students to feel seen, known, and loved!
Hometown
Hometown Winchester, VA
Undergraduate Institution
University of Virginia
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Psychology
Activities: Catholic Hoos, University Singers, Chamber Singers, Jefferson Literary and Debating Society
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
I hope to grow and hone my skills as an educator, to be truly authentic in spreading the mission of ACE, and grow deeper in friendship with those already on the team.
Hometown
Hometown Saint Louis, MO
Undergraduate Institution
Boston College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: International Affairs
Activities: Women's Club Water Polo, BC Midwest Society, Residence Hall Association
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
I hope to grow professionally and spiritually, and to form lasting relationships.
Hometown
Smyrna, TN
Undergraduate Institution
Yale University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Statistics & Psychology
Hometown
Hometown Akron, OH
Undergraduate Institution
Ohio State University, Columbus
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Psychology & Computer Science
Activities: Intramural Hockey, Outdoor Adventure Club, Adopt a School, Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence, CAIDe Laboratory
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
I really hope I can help others find an opportunity through ACE that they can feel accomplished and proud of.
Hometown
Hometown Winchendon, MA
Undergraduate Institution
Saint Anselm College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Political Science
Activities: Resident Assistant, Hawks for Life, New Hampshire Institution of Politics Ambassador, Track and Field Team
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
I hope to grow not only as a teacher and mentor, but as a friend and companion, to my students as a teacher and to my team as an ambassador.
Hometown
Columbus, OH
Undergraduate Institution
Ohio State University, Columbus
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Marketing
Hometown
Hometown Delmar, NY
Undergraduate Institution
St. Joseph University (PA)
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: History
Activities: PSIP, APEX, Faith Justice Institute Scholar, SJU Student Section
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope that I leave a lasting impression on the students I am able to encounter. I hope to do this by not only being a good teacher but also a positive role model on their lives.
Connect with ACE
The ACE Teaching Fellows Recruitment and Admissions team will meet with prospective applicants all across the country, attending career & post-graduate service fairs, hosting information nights, and visiting college campuses. You'll have the chance to learn and ask questions about the M.Ed., the application process, community life, and more. To connect with our team, request more information or schedule a time for us to chat. We look forward to meeting you!