Even at a young age, Evangeline Catanese has already made an impact – both in her school community and beyond. And she has plans to continue to spread good in the future.
The 18-year-old Cape May native, who recently celebrated her graduation from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Newfield, is also responsible for co-founding an organization that seeks to address both food waste and food insecurity by bringing both issues together.
Inspired by her interest in gardening and her care for the environment and supporting the community, Catanese established Firefly Gardens along with one of her friends, Eva Gulea – a fellow senior who graduated Wildwood Catholic Academy on June 2. The initiative is a network of recreational gardeners who donate excess produce to local food pantries. In return, members receive special discounts at local businesses like garden centers.
“Firefly Gardens NJ was first created because of a school assignment, but it quickly grew to become much more,” she said. “I simply saw a problem and decided that I had the power to create a solution.”
Catanese has also brought her innovative spirit to her own school community, where she teamed up with a peer to launch a school newspaper, the Villager View.
“My school created an opportunity for students to create our own clubs, and my friend Erin McGonigle and I always thought our school should have a newspaper written by the students and for the students, so we saw a chance to make it happen,” she said. During their junior and senior years, they led a team of about 20 girls to create the publication, which highlighted “OLMA’s amazing community and accomplishments,” noting it helped capture “special moments and memories” in their writing.
With elements like a sports section, “Teacher Feature,” “Student Spotlight,” and special monthly pieces about things like the school’s Christmas traditions, women’s history month and coverage of events and other school happenings, the publication highlighted the student experience at the school while keeping students informed.
In the fall, Catanese – a member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Cape May – will attend the University of Maryland and pursue business studies. She will also be part of the Civic Engagement for Social Good Scholars Program at the school.
Looking back, Our Lady of Mercy Academy was the perfect fit.
“Coming to OLMA was a big decision, and also one of the best decisions of my life,” said Catanese. “I drive an hour to school every day and an hour home, and I fully believe it is worth it.”
She credits her school for preparing her well for college and noted in particular a leadership course she took this past year that included insights about future career paths and guidance about how to be a strong leader and adapt to challenging situations. She also credits the high school for offering mock interviews and sessions on creating resumes, to help students be as prepared as possible for what comes next.
“I feel prepared for college because of what OLMA taught me throughout four years of high school,” she said. “The teachers and staff at OLMA always guided me and provided valuable advice and insight as I navigated through high school.”
Nicole Donovan, the school’s director of admissions and communications and a member of the social sciences department, spoke highly of Catanese and the legacy she will leave behind there.
“Evangeline has an incredible curiosity about the world around her and a genuine thirst for knowledge. She approaches every experience as an opportunity to learn, grow, and gain a deeper understanding of herself and others,” said Donovan. “What stands out most is her strong sense of self. Evangeline knows who she is, what she believes in, and remains true to those values. Her confidence comes not from seeking attention, but from having a clear understanding of who she is and what she stands for. Evangeline truly left her mark on OLMA.”
Catanese cannot say enough about how Our Lady of Mercy Academy has helped her to grow.
“I learned to be confident in myself, to take initiative, and how to not only take opportunities, but use the resources around me to make opportunities,” she said. “I am very grateful for my experience at OLMA and look forward to the next four years at UMD. Without the supportive community I found in high school, I would not be the person I am today.”
To learn more about Firefly Gardens, visit Fireflygardensnj.org.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
