Believe, grow, achieve
Grace Zaucha, a spring 2026 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, in her former classroom at St. Peter the Apostle College in Fort Worth alongside her former teacher, Diana Yandell on May 19. Zaucha attended Nolan Catholic High School and just graduated from the University of Notre Dame. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)
When she was a child, Grace Zaucha, sometimes felt she could perform better academically. But now the 20-year-old shares with her family and former school the joy of recently graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the prestigious University of Notre Dame in Indiana — a school she had always dreamed of attending and one that admits only about 9 percent of applicants.
In mid-May, Grace paid a visit to St. Peter Catholic School in White Settlement, where she had been welcomed with open arms a decade earlier. She reflected on her early teachers and expressed her gratitude to them.
It was in those small, humble classrooms, she said, that she learned about "human dignity," gained confidence in herself, and, above all, discovered that "God's greatness is seen in the smallest among us."
BLESSED TO WORK HARD
Before entering St. Peter, Grace had struggled with insecurity. She had spent five years in Italy because of her mother's job and briefly returned to her hometown of Houston.
Adapting to a new culture and language had been difficult and some former teachers had underestimated her ability. But Grace found renewed hope in her new teachers at St. Peter’s, especially Mrs. Diana Yandell.
“Mrs. Yandell took me in on day one and she really enabled me to believe in myself and to grow in confidence and really strengthen my spiritual life to the point that I started altar serving here at St. Peter's and I've alter served ever since,” she said.
Grace explained that it wasn't only about what she learned academically, but also about realizing that "I am worth other people's time."
She graduated from eighth grade at St. Peter in 2019 and went on to attend Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth. Through determination, hard work, and the support of her teachers, she graduated from Nolan with high honors in 2023 and was accepted into her dream school, Notre Dame, having earned a scholarship covering 90 percent of her tuition because of her academic achievements.
This past spring, Grace graduated from Notre Dame with honors and received the Business Excellence Award. She completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting in just three years while participating in honors and service programs.
In between her studies, Grace said she frequently served as an altar server at Notre Dame, where she estimates approximately 160 Masses are celebrated each week. She also served as a university ambassador, helping secure donations for the institution. Additionally, she studied for a semester at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, earning one of only seven available spots after, as she put it, "fighting for a year" to be selected.
"I'm grateful to God, but also to my mom," Grace said of her mother, who immigrated from Querétaro, Mexico, 26 years ago with "two suitcases and $700." Grace added, "Everything I've accomplished isn't mine alone because no one achieves anything by themselves. It was the effort of my family and my community, and having them with me is the greatest blessing God has given me."
NEW BEGINNINGS
This fall, Grace will continue her studies at Notre Dame's law school, pursuing what she calls her "childhood dream" of becoming an attorney so she can help single mothers, both within the Hispanic community and among women "of other nationalities who do not speak English." She hopes to use her fluency in English, Spanish, Italian, and French to serve women with significant needs, especially by simply listening to them, she said.
Grace "simply needed someone who believed in her so she could truly flourish and become who she was meant to be," said teacher Diana Yandell, adding that the same is true "for every student." Yandell taught Grace religion, mathematics, and history and now volunteers at St. Peter after serving as a teacher there for 18 years.
"To think that I made even a small difference in her life fills me with emotion, and I'm amazed by how much this school still means to her," Yandell said through tears. "I know Grace is exceptional because she is never afraid or embarrassed to praise our God," she continued, highlighting Grace's continued service from St. Peter through Notre Dame. "That's something you rarely see."
Rebekah Yarmchuk, M.Ed., chair of the Social Studies Department at Nolan Catholic High School, remembers Grace as "an enthusiastic and meticulous student" with the character of "a servant leader who leads with compassion and inspires others to be better through her own actions," said Yarmchuk, who taught her Advanced History in the 11th grade.
"I know she approached her decision with much prayer and a methodical process," Yarmchuk said, noting that Grace arrived at Notre Dame prepared both academically and spiritually to excel. She praised Grace's ability to manage her time, communicate with professors, and work effectively in groups, describing her as a deeply positive person "who demonstrates great loyalty to the people who helped her become who she is today."
Argelia Zaucha, Grace's mother, said she has never regretted providing her only daughter with a Catholic education. Despite the countless sacrifices she made as a single mother, "I was not alone; with God's help and the intercession of our Blessed Mother, I was able to do it," she said, also expressing gratitude to the pastors of St. Peter the Apostle and the parish school’s teachers. "I would do it again a thousand times," she said, recalling the advice a close friend gave her when Grace was very young: "Even if you have to eat canned tuna every day, send your daughter to a Catholic school."