LAWRENCE — When Michelle Oviedo walks to the podium to receive her high school diploma, she will be making history — twice.

She will become the first in her family to attend college. And she will be a member of the first graduating class of Notre Dame High School.

"I'm happy and proud because it's a good start for the school," Oviedo, 17, said of the June 7 commencement.

But the graduation only tells half the story of the Class of 2008.

The other precedent is that all 51 seniors have been accepted to four-year colleges, some with full scholarships. Among the schools they will be attending are Fairfield University in Connecticut; Hofstra University in New York; Bucknell University in Pennsylvania; and Suffolk University and Boston College, both in Boston.

Oviedo plans to study nursing at Boston College. Her classmates are looking at careers in engineering, medicine, culinary arts, pharmacy and teaching.

School principal Steve Mook said the Class of 2008 is special not only because it is the first to graduate, but for what they accomplished.

"By being the first class, (they) had a sense of ownership over how the school developed," Mook said.

"The Class of 2008 has shared in and experience almost every facet of the school's growth whether it was the development of the athletic programs, the elective programming or the expansion of the school's college-preparatory curriculum."

Mook said the students got to know each other in a high ropes activity.

"Their teamwork in that activity four years ago is symptomatic of who they are as a group: close-knit, concerned about each other, more like family than classmates," he said.

They are also leaving a great legacy.

"As the vanguards of the school, the Class of 2008 leaves a distinct sense of leadership and direction," Mook said. "They are dedicated students and they know how to set goals and achieve them."

Jay Robie, director of the corporate internship program at Notre Dame, was just as impressed.

"They not only had a lot of firsts, but significant firsts including achieving the American dream of going to college," Robie said. "It's just amazing, a fantastic thing to get 100 percent of the class into school. We thought we were going to do well, but it's just been great.

"Being the first class, they took a chance on us and we took a chance on them and with faith, hard work, it all worked out," he said.

Suzanne White, the school's college counselor, echoed his sentiments.

"I'm extraordinarily excited to say the least," she said. "Our goal was to take them on to college."

And with her help, the school succeeded. White led a class in college writing, taught kids to write resumes and essays, took them on college tours, conducted college searches and talked to parents.

"It's part of a commitment we made to them and they made to us," White said.

Karen Santacruz, 18, of Haverhill, said they heard the college message loud and clear, and heeded to it.

"From day one, they pushed us to think about college, that's what really got us into it," said Santacruz, who is headed to Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I.

Seniors credit their teachers, the AP classes and their work study program as reasons why they were able to succeed. Students at Notre Dame work one day a week to help pay for their tuition. The work study concept attracted Ashley Farnsworth, 17, of Haverhill.

"I wanted to be able to work to pay for my tuition and get work experience," said Farnsworth, who will study at Massachusetts School of Pharmacy in Boston.

"A lot of us are the first in our family to go to college and with that motivation we were able to get through school," Farnsworth said.

In addition to their strong academics, the seniors also bonded as a class to raise money to buy solar panels in Africa, and held a food and clothing drive for classmates who were victims of the South Lawrence fire in January.

They also took part in a park cleanup in the city and played bingo with residents at M.I. Nursing and Restorative Center.

"We are like a community because we all came together to make Lawrence a better place," said Isimely Vargas, 18, of Haverhill.

Others, like Jennifer Reyes, 18, also of Haverhill, sees the high school as a family unit.

"We're like a family because our parents are involved in the school and our education and try to make it a better place," said Reyes, who is attending Rivier College.

Notre Dame High School opened it doors in 2004 at 207 Hampshire St., as part of the Cristo Rey Network. The school combines college prep courses and a work-study program to help students pay for their tuition and teach them professional skills. The school is sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the same group of religious women who came to Lawrence Aug. 20, 1859, to teach the children of immigrants.

There are 240 students and 19 teachers. Tuition at Notre Dame is $9,600 annually, but 80 percent of students receive financial aid to help them pay for the portion of tuition their corporate internship job does not cover. Students hold entry-level positions in 62 businesses, from insurance companies to hospitals and investment companies.

Braulio Rodriguez, 18, of Derry, N.H., said Notre Dame does not limited learning to the classroom.

"They taught me that talent without hard work means nothing," said Rodriguez, who will study engineering at Fairfield University.

Jinelly Urena, 17, of Lawrence, said she is proud of the legacy her class is leaving to future students. She plans to study biology at St. Peter's University in New Jersey.

"We were like the experimental class because we had to deal with the unknown about college and other staff," she said.

What you don't know

Money raised in 2006-2007: $1,787,791

Students on the honor roll: 88 out of 183, or 48 percent

Tuition earned by students through internships: $816,057

Rate of job and school attendance: 97 percent

Number of corporate partners: 62