Montini's top two students, best friends, headed to Notre Dame

As the 2019-20 school year comes to a close, Montini Catholic High School celebrates two accomplished seniors.

During the school's first virtual academic awards presentation, Montini announced Tess Noonan as valedictorian and Kylie Boyer as salutatorian for the Class of 2020.

Coincidentally, the girls, who are best friends and teammates on the volleyball court, will meet again in the fall when they attend the University of Notre Dame.

Noonan, a Willowbrook resident, will major in biology and Spanish on a pre-med track. She admits, however, that it was the faith life at Notre Dame that stood out to her.

"I loved how much faith is incorporated into their daily lives on campus and can’t wait for that next year,” she said.

At Montini, Noonan was a member and captain of the varsity volleyball team.

She was also the co-founder and vice president her senior year of Montini's Future Medical Professionals Club, president of the National Honor Society (NHS), Mu Alpha Theta, Spanish Club and the Spanish Honor Society. In addition to earning top honors as valedictorian of her class, she earned AP Scholar honors her junior year and was named an Illinois State Scholar.

"I always had Notre Dame as one of my top picks, and when I got accepted in December I was so excited,” she said. “I have been a Notre Dame fan since I was a kid, and I still have the tickets of the first game my dad ever took me to.”

Parents Tom and Anne Noonan couldn't be more happy with their daughter’s decision.

"They're super happy," she said. "They were both very excited when I got in and even more excited when I made my decision. They’re not thrilled about me being gone all of next year, but they both know it will be a good fit for me."

Noonan is also comforted by the fact that Boyer, her teammate and friend, will experience this new world at college with her.

"Kylie is one of my best friends and I can not wait for the next four years with her,” she said. “It will be really nice to have a friend there when everything else will be new."

Boyer, a Downers Grove resident, shares Noonan’s enthusiasm for their shared future at Notre Dame. She will major in preprofessional studies.

"Tess and I have been friends since I met her in 8th grade when we were on the same club volleyball team," Boyer recalls. " I was actually the first person she told that she had decided to come to Montini. I was almost as excited then as I was when I found out that she had decided to go to Notre Dame, too."

The two have been best friends since their first day as freshman and bonded even more as the only freshmen chosen for the varsity volleyball team.

Even though they were both on the same track both academically and athletically, Boyer stressed that there was never a hint of competition between them.

"We both wanted the other to do the very best that they could, and it didn’t matter to us who actually did better,” she said. “We helped and encouraged each other all four years at Montini, and I truly believe that we each played a part in the other’s success."

In addition to being captain of the volleyball team with Noonan, Boyer was a four-year member of Montini's lacrosse team and earned academic all-conference accolades throughout her four-year sports career.

She was a member of the math team, secretary of the Mu Alpha Theta Club, a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Club and Spanish Honor Society. She was treasurer of Montini's student government and represented the school as a student ambassador and peer minister.

She achieved AP Scholar and Illinois State Scholar status and was homecoming queen. She also traveled to Jamaica during her sophomore year to aid families in need and has spearheaded countless service opportunities throughout her high school years.

Boyer admits that she has always been a Notre Dame fan.

"My dad, Brooks Boyer, actually played basketball at Notre Dame,” she said.

Boyer considered several other colleges due to their competitive nursing programs.

"There are so many incredible aspects of the university that impressed me in addition to its phenomenal academic reputation,” she said.

Boyer is drawn to Notre Dame's smaller class size and beautiful campus as well as its family atmosphere.

"I come from a very competitive family and Notre Dame is a school that, just like Montini, takes great pride in their athletics,” she said. “I can't wait to cheer for the Irish at all sporting events.”

Knowing just how hard she's worked to reach her college destination, Kylie's family is thrilled for her.

"My parents feel a combination of excitement, extreme pride, and some relief due to their confidence in Notre Dame,” she said. “They know it will bring me to an amazing future and they are relieved because the pressure of college acceptances is over for me and my hard work has paid off."