May 4, 2026
By Zahara Chowdhury
Editor-in-Chief
Fifteen years ago, Class of 2011 graduate Francesca Ilardi was taking her seat on stage at her fourth Academic Awards Dinner. Now, she is preparing to deliver a speech at the event, where she will be inducted into LHS’ Academic Hall of Fame.
The event, which will take place on May 4 at The Fiesta in Wood-Ridge, will be attended by the top 10% of LHS students and their guests.
Ilardi received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and linguistics from Rutgers University–New Brunswick. After graduating summa cum laude, she earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Montclair State University.
Ilardi said her undergraduate double major was her gateway to speech-language pathology.
“It gave me this excellent foundation, not only to work with people but to truly understand language and how the brain [processes it],” Ilardi said. “By the end of my freshman year [of college], I definitely knew that I wanted to be a speech pathologist.”
“It’s nice to offer guidance and for a family to trust us with their child.”
Since graduating from Montclair State in 2018, Ilardi has worked as a therapist and was promoted to director of business operations at Montclair Speech Therapy in 2023, specializing in pediatric feeding and motor-based speech disorders.
Ilardi said the most rewarding part of her job is building trust with her patients and their loved ones.
“Here, we really celebrate all the small wins because they lead up to really big wins for our clients. Families are coming to us… and they’re making an effort,” Ilardi said. “It’s nice to offer guidance and for a family to trust us with their child.”
At LHS, Ilardi took on leadership roles in clubs and sports, serving as Student Government Association president her senior year and captain of the girls varsity volleyball team. In band, Ilardi started on clarinet and moved to baritone saxophone in her sophomore year.
Ilardi said she gravitated toward her writing-intensive classes.
“I loved my honors and [Advanced Placement] English courses. I always knew I wanted to do something with language… so I ventured into that,” Ilardi said.
She said one of her favorite teachers was Mr. Newman, who taught her Economics-Business class her senior year.
“He’s just such a great teacher, and he was very personable with all the students. He gave me that intro to business, which was something I was considering when I was a senior,” Ilardi said.
Newman said Ilardi was one of the best students he ever taught at LHS.
“Francesca was a student who seemingly excelled at everything she put her mind to at LHS. She was a renaissance woman, even back as a high school student,” Newman said.
He said Ilardi is deserving of a spot in the Academic Hall of Fame.
“Francesca’s academic record, along with her ability to socially function amongst all her peers and to our faculty seamlessly, is a big part of why she was the perfect selection for the LHS Academic Hall of Fame,” Newman said.
Board of Education Director of Student Services Ms. Jamie Stevens, who was Ilardi’s school counselor her senior year, said she nominated Ilardi for the Academic Hall of Fame last year because she knew Ilardi’s drive would inspire current LHS students.
“When I Googled her and saw her accomplishments and what she was doing, I was like, ‘She’s definitely one of our Lyndhurst kids that we should be proud of,’” Stevens said.
She said Ilardi’s career proves that the sky is the limit for LHS graduates.
“She got her foundation here, and look [at] the wonderful things she’s doing now,” said Stevens.
