Alliance for Catholic Education
ACE Ambassador & Internship Programs
📣 ACE Ambassador & Internship Application Update
Thank you for your interest in our ACE Internship & Ambassador programs, ACE Teaching Fellows' early admission program for domestic students who are rising seniors. Our next application window for our ACE Internship & Ambassador programs will open February 2026 for those interested in serving with ACE beginning Summer 2027. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of our Recruitment & Admissions Team if you have any questions.
ACE 34 Ambassador & Internship Application Dates
- February 3, 2026: Application Opens
- March 24, 2026: Application Deadline
- April 23, 2026: Application Decisions Released
- April 28, 2026: ACE 34 Ambassador & Internship Commitment Deadline
- June 21-24, 2026: ACE 34 Early Commit Institute at Notre Dame
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
Important Application Dates
- February 3, 2026: Application Opens
- March 24, 2026: Application Deadline
- April 23, 2026: Application Decisions Released
- April 28, 2026: ACE 34 Ambassador & Internship Commitment Deadline
- June 21-24, 2026: ACE 34 Early Commit Institute at Notre Dame
Contact Us
Contact Patrick Ryan (pryan22@nd.edu; 574.631.0046) or Will Tiller (wtiller@nd.edu; 574.631.2758) 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 18th 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
- 2-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
Spencer Cole
Keenan Hall
Pat Dolan
Duncan Hall
Rocco Granieri
O'Neill Family Hall
Emily Houston
Pasquerilla East Hall
Abby Klink
Welsh Family Hall
Harry Larson
Graham Family Hall
Sammie McCarthy
Johnson Family Hall
Sean McFarlin
Dillon Hall
Kate Rafford
Lyons Hall
Lindy Skube
Flaherty Hall
Rachel Sweeny
McGlinn Hall
Emily Williams
Lyons Hall
Hometown
Hometown Modesto, CA
Dorm
Keenan Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Science-Business
Activities: Agricultural Student Association of Notre Dame, Ski Club, Biology Research - Tank Lab
How do you hope to grow in your experiences as an ACE Intern?
I hope to be able to grow in service and learn how to best share with my peers the benefits of not just ACE, but of a Catholic education. This will also help me learn how to best reflect this passion in the classroom.
Hometown
Hometown Sea Girt, NJ
Dorm
Duncan Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Economics
Activities: TutorND, Economics Club, Holy Half Marathon participant
What experiences during your undergraduate education shaped your decision to pursue ACE?
I served as a Rising Teacher through ACE's PATH Program in Tucson, Arizona. I had such an amazing experience teaching math to a bunch of Rising 6th-graders and forming strong relationships with all of my students. The impact that I felt I had as an educator in those short five weeks was immense, and the decision to serve in a similar position for two years through ACE Teaching Fellows was thus a no-brainer.
Hometown
Hometown Reno, NV
Dorm
O'Neill Family Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior and Theology
Hometown
HometownWashington, DC
Dorm
Pasquerilla East Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior and Spanish
Activities: Delight Ministries, Red Cross Club, Transpose
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to inspire young students. My teachers sparked a sense of curiosity in stem focused classes and I hope to be able to do that as well. Additionally, I hope to help illustrate how to be a person practicing faith in such a tough time. One of my favorite high school teachers showed me how to read my Bible and I really looked up to how she practiced her faith. I would not have the relationship I have with God if it were not for her.
Hometown
HometownArlington, WI
Dorm
Welsh Family Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior
Activities: Welsh Family Hall Staff, TutorND, CLAD Lab, Club Softball, Club Curling, and Basilica Liturgical Minister
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I want to be a teacher who reminds students that they are made for greatness and walk with them as they accomplish amazing things.
Hometown
Hometown Halesite, NY
Dorm
Graham Family Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Political Science and Film, Television, and Theatre
Activities: Liturgical Choir, Pasquerilla East Music Co (PEMCo), intramural sports, campus ministry
What experiences at Notre Dame helped shape your decision to pursue ACE?
I have been blessed to have had a handful of teachers throughout the years that I've looked up to and seen as role models. It is exciting to think that I could have the opportunity to have that kind of impact on future students of mine. Through participating in clubs such as the ND Liturgical Choir, I have been fortunate to be able to hear about others' experiences in ACE.
Hometown
Hometown Vienna, VA
Dorm
Johnson Family Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Neuroscience & Behavior
Activities: I play club basketball, and I am involved in campus ministry as a lector, altar server, and Eucharistic minister.
What experiences at Notre Dame helped shape your decision to pursue ACE?
I took a class here at Notre Dame called "Developmental Neuroscience" that focused on early childhood experiences and their impact on life outcomes. This course involved a community integration component, and this aspect of the class really opened my eyes to social correlates of health and the importance of good role models in childhood.
Hometown
Hometown Pittsburgh, PA
Dorm
Dillon Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Science-Business and Economics
Activities: Bengal Bouts, TutorND
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE intern?
As an ACE intern I look forward to growing personally and professionally. Being an intern allows for great moments of reflection and growth. But getting to spend time meeting new people and being an advocate for ACE provides a great opportunity to learn and grow.
Hometown
Hometown Tempe, AZ
Dorm
Lyons Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Economics and American Studies
Activities: TutorND, ACE student worker, ND club swim, NDSMC Irish Dance, former member of Hall Presidents Council as VP of Lyons Hall
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to make a positive impact on my students' lives and show them that they are loved by God and capable of great things!
Hometown
Hometown Franklin, TN
Dorm
Flaherty Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Political Science and Italian
Activities: Student Government, RA in Flaherty
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to become an educator that teaches life lessons that students will carry throughout their lives, like the lessons my past educators taught me.
Hometown
Hometown Allison Park, PA
Dorm
McGlinn Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Theology
Hometown
Hometown Menlo Park, CA
Dorm
Lyons Hall
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Psychology
Activities: Co-VP of Irish Fighting for St. Jude, Club tennis travel team and social media officer, Volunteer at ECDC-ND, Intramurals, Basilica liturgical minister
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to become a teacher who kids remember as one who helped them develop a love for learning and was a safe person who cared about them as a person and walked with them through life!
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
Matteo Carozza
Providence College
Dominica Delayo
Villanova University
Seamus Dougherty
Fordham University
Stella Higgins
University of Virginia
Sean Kennedy
Fordham University
Liz Koratich
University of Alabama
Kathryn McGovern
Creighton University
Luke McKenna
Stevens Institute of Technology
Dayra Mejia-Reyes
Yale University
Sam Mikitka
Saint Mary's College
Seb Moreland
Villanova University
Jacob Schilf
Marquette University
Emily Short
Boston College
Kimberly Waldschmidt
Augustana College
Hometown
Hometown South Bend, IN
Undergraduate Institution
Providence College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: English & Humanities
Hometown
Hometown Moosic, PA
Undergraduate Institution
Villanova University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Economics & International Business
Activities: Theater, Special Olympics, Campus Ministry, & Orientation
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
As an ACE teacher I hope to make a positive impact in the lives of my students while also growing spiritually and personally alongside the other ACE teachers in my community.
Hometown
Hometown St. Paul, MN
Undergraduate Institution
Fordham University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: English & Theology
Activities: I compete on the Mock Trial team, perform with the FET Improv group, and work as a Resident Assistant
What experiences during your undergraduate education shaped your decision to pursue ACE?
My experiences with my university’s service programs in local schools, especially St Ignatius School in Hunts Point helped to show me how ACE was the right path for me, as well as the exemplary alumni from my university who are currently serving in ACE.
Hometown
HometownYonkers, NY
Undergraduate Institution
University of Virginia
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Religious Studies
Activities: Catholic Hoos, Ballet & Books, IM Volleyball, Religious Education, and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Wedding Guild
What experiences during your undergraduate education shaped your decision to pursue ACE?
Working with my students in Religious Education completely transformed my goals for post-grad. I wanted to pursue ACE because I realized how much working with kids brought meaning to my life, and how doing it in an authentically Catholic way made all the difference.
Hometown
Hometown Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate Institution
Fordham University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Psychology
Activities: Fordham Future Teachers Club; Lector for University Mass; Tutor for Fordham Liberty Partnerships Program
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
I hope to become a leader that is not only ready to lead a classroom, but to spread awareness of the issues in education and how teachers are needed to address these issues.
Hometown
Hometown Spring Lake, MI
Undergraduate Institution
University of Alabama
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Environmental Science & Human Development
Hometown
Hometown Chicago, IL
Undergraduate Institution
Creighton University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Justice and Society & Theology
Activities: Schlegel Center for Service and Justice, Campus Ministry retreats, Music Ministry, Religious Education teacher
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to grow as a teacher and someone who is able to accompany and walk alongside her students. I am excited to join my ACE community and support one another as we support and teach our students and be there for our new school communities as well.
Hometown
Hometown Congers, NY
Undergraduate Institution
Stevens Institute of Technology
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Pure & Applied Mathematics
Hometown
Hometown Asbury Park, NJ
Undergraduate Institution
Yale University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Economics
Activities: Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale, Teatro de Yale, Lawtinas at Yale, Bridges ESL, Yale Interpretation Network
What do you hope to do/accomplish as an ACE teacher?
I hope to be a force of positive impact on my students while embodying God's love and sharing my love for learning.
Hometown
Hometown Naperville, IL
Undergraduate Institution
Saint Mary's College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Elementary Education
Hometown
Bryn Mawr, PA
Undergraduate Institution
Villanova University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Chemistry & Humanities
Hometown
Hometown Warrenville, IL
Undergraduate Institution
Marquette University
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: History, Political Science, & Secondary Education
Activities: Club Baseball, Knights of Columbus
What experiences during your undergraduate education shaped your decision to pursue ACE?
Talking with former ACE teaching fellows teachers made me realize how special of a community and program it is.
Hometown
Stillwater, MN
Undergraduate Institution
Boston College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Majors: Environmental Studies & Transformative Educational Studies
Activities: Midwest Society
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
I hope to grow in my faith and connect with other students who are interested in becoming a part of ACE!
Hometown
Naperville, IL
Undergraduate Institution
Augustana College
Undergraduate Studies & Experiences
Major: Biochemistry
Activities: Tutoring
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Ambassador?
As an Ambassador, I hope to invite passionate students to ACE, where they can bring their talents and compassion into the classroom as educators!
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!