On Thursday, June 26, a class of 333 students from Bethlehem Central High School received diplomas at a commencement ceremony held at the MVP Arena in downtown Albany. It was a joyous event for the members of the class of 2025, their families, friends, teachers, staff, administrators and members of the Board of Education.
Principal Dave Doemel, Superintendent Jody Monroe and Board of Education President Holly Dellenbaugh addressed students and guests. Board of Education members Lauren Grasso, Meredith Moriarty, Robert Tietjen and John Walston were also onstage as the students were presented with their diplomas.
There were also three student speakers at the 91st BCHS Commencement Exercises.
Skylar Maurer delivered an opening address with advice about supporting one another by embracing what it means to be human.
“One of my favorite parts of senior year are the things I’ve learned. Now I know that sounds scripted by Mr Doemel, but I promise it is not,” said Maurer. “Every single person here is totally different, and that is the thing we can relate to. That is so beautifully human.
“Everyone in the infinite vastness of life has experienced their own unique life. Everyone in this room could watch the same movie or read the same book and think something different. I, personally, love that fact,” said Maurer. “The human experience is so beautiful because you will never meet the same person twice.”
You can read Skylar Maurer’s opening address here.
The keynote address was delivered by Clare Megahey, who tapped into her experience as a mentor at BCHS Freshman Orientation to find words of encouragement for the Class of 2025.
“I love to remind (incoming ninth graders) that the high school is built like a spider web, and that if you ever get lost, go back to the main foyer and try again. If you get lost in life, which we all someday will, center yourself, seek out the people who ground you and try again,” said Megahey.
Megahey urged students to “work hard and play hard” but said her best piece of advice was to “pull up a seat” and get involved. “Pull up a seat at whatever table you are interested in, because there is always room for one more and because you all have unique and important gifts,” said Megahey. “The table needs you.”
You can read Clare Megahey’s keynote address here.
Johanna Radcliffe closed the ceremony with a poem she wrote for the occasion that would take her classmates on a bittersweet journey through their school years. Radcliffe entitled the poem “Grown-ish.”
A passage from the poem Grown-ish by Johanna Radcliffe
We again felt grown when in middle school
When, as if we ate wonderlands cookies the hallways no longer feel huge
We’re learning
We’re growing
We’re changing
I mean we are aging into our new selves
Our more true selves
Learning our likes and dislikes
Choosing our paths
Auditioning or trying out for that you remember
The entire ceremony was livestreamed. You can view a recording of the 91st Commencement ceremony here.
Students were also accompanied by their high school counselors as well as the 2025 honorary graduation marshals who are faculty members selected by the students as having had a significant impact on their time in Bethlehem. This year’s marshals were Michele Atallah (BCHS), Kelly Babic (BCHS), Teresita Barcia (BCHS), Mckenzie Barrett (BCMS), Lester Betor (Slingerlands), Eileen Browne (Eagle), Michael Charvat (BCMS), Cori DiFabbio (BCMS), Kristy Eldeen (BCHS), Corey Fong (BCHS), Kathleen Hahn (BCHS), Evan Harley (BCMS), Amanda Huszar (BCHS), Melissa Leach (Hamagrael), Maryann Lynch (BCHS), Thomas Maldonado (BCHS), Sean Mooney (BCHS), Shawn Mowry (BCHS), Mark Nealon (BCMS), Kenneth Neff (BCHS), Kimberly Panaro (BCHS), Maria Qualtere (Slingerlands), Mackenzie Riegel (Glenmont), Anthony Scott (BCMS), Stephen Smith (Middle School), Eileen Turo (BCHS), Michael Valenti (Elsmere), Anthony Wilson (BCHS, William Wojcik (BCHS) and Christine Zemsky (BCMS).
Congratulations to our newest BC alumni for their hard work and their contributions to the BC community. We wish them the very best!
Commencement Program – Digital Version
The 91st Commencement Exercises program can be viewed online at this link. The program includes a list of senior award winners and honorees.
A full list of graduates can be found below.
Graduation 2025 Photo Highlights
An large album of candid photos taken by the district’s Communications Office is being shared with the graduates and families directly via ParentSquare. Highlights from that album will be posted to Facebook and Instagram throughout the weekend and are available at the links below. Professional photos taken at the ceremony will be shared with families individually.
- Photo Highlights: BCHS Graduation 2025 – Getting Ready
- Photo Highlights: BCHS Graduation 2025 – At the Ceremony
- Photo Highlights: BCHS Graduation 2025 – Outside the Arena
Follow us on Instagram @bethlehemschools
Post-Grad Plans – Class of 2025
What do our newest alumni have planned for themselves? Many members of the graduating class of 2025 recently shared their plans for after graduation. If you would like to be included in this list (or if a correction needs to be made), please email JoEllen Gardner at jgardner@bethlehemschools.org.
List of Graduates
* – Honors graduates, Lab School honors graduates and Bethlehem Academic Achievement Award winners with a 90 or above GPA for 3 ½ years wear gold cords.
** – President’s Award for Educational Excellence
*** – President’s Award for Educational Achievement
+ – National Honor Society Members wear blue and gold cords.
> – Seal of Biliteracy
< – Seal of Civic Readiness
# – Foreign Exchange Student
- Dinorah Itzel Aguilar Hernandez ***
- Sabrina M. Aiezza
- Xavier Michael Aiezza * **
- Marwa Al Essa
- Cole L. Allen
- Yousif A. Alsammarraie ***
- Romero Cavan Ambia
- Armen Alexander Amirbekian * ** +
- Tido Anthony Aponte
- Declan Armbruster **
- Ceren Ayar <
- Sophia Ayers ** + >
- Timothy Michael Bailey * ** +
- Anna K. Baltis * **
- Katherine Marie Bannigan * ** + >
- Ruby Julia Bannister * **
- Nathan Robert Barkman
- Megan Rae Barnes <
- Lily Anne Barra *** <
- Matthew J. Barron **
- Duncan Patrick Alanson Bartholomew
- Gianna Marie Berghela <
- Jayden R. Bleyman
- Ayden C. Blockston
- Morgan Anne Blodgett >
- Sage E. Blodgett ** +
- Jacob Isaac Bloom ***
- Eva Luna Bolke * ** + >
- Markiem H. Brace ***
- William M. Bradley * **
- Andrew Joseph Bradt * **
- Hope Sutton Brown
- Katherine E. Browne * ** +
- Samantha Jeanne Buchanan **
- Nyara Nibras Bughrara * ** + < >
- Alexa R. Burger
- Lukas Jaxson Burns
- Spencer T. Buttereit *** <
- Thomas A. Carlson * **
- Amanda Catherine Caswell *** < >
- Michael A. Caulfield
- Estela Ceci * ** >
- Brody Douglas Chambers * **
- Amiryn Charpentier
- Alice Jiayi Chen ** >
- Murat Cicek
- Derek Mateo Clark * ** + >
- Owen F. Clark
- Lily Ann Paige Coggins ***
- Cassandra Lynn Collen * **
- Griffin Joseph Collette * ** +
- Jordan E. Collins *** < >
- Katelyn M. Collins * **
- Andrew Kenneth Conklin * **
- Kathleen E. Connolly ***
- Nathaniel J. Contento ** <
- Bannon Michael Corbett
- Catherine M. Corbitt
- Maura K. Corbitt
- Gregory Whitman Courtney * **
- Lucia Creamer * ** + < >
- Gabriel Quinn Cronin
- Sakura Curry * ** >
- Patrick S. Dailey *** <
- Margot Kim Danziger * ** +
- Kimberly Grace Davenport *** < >
- Marcela I. De Tuya
- Catherine Ainsley Dellenbaugh * ** >
- Chloe Anne Denno * ** >
- Natalie Burke DeSanti * ** < >
- Audrey P. Despres *** <
- Nolan Haig Devejian * ** +
- Alexis Noelle Dievendorf * ** <
- Isabella Joan DiMura * ** +
- Nova Bae DiRamio ** <
- Sierra J. Doherty ***
- Neve R. Donohoe **
- Sean Mark Donovan * **
- Logan Anthony Downs ***
- Quinn Gabriel Drury **
- Lauren Marie Dudgeon * ** + <
- Ian A. Duffy ***
- William G. DuPont ***
- Joy Aku Dzifa Dzigba *** < >
- Avery Beatrice Eick * ** + <
- Francine Charisse Arcangel Ejanda **
- Michael Roman Evangelista **
- Grace M. Evans * ** + < >
- Jay H. Felio ***
- Griffin J. Field
- Anna M. Fishburn * **
- Emma D. Fleming
- Cecilia C. Follos ** >
- Xavier Michael Foro ***
- Benjamin V. Fugitt **
- Liam Seamus Fullem ***
- Sarah Elizabeth Gaetano * **
- Isabella G. Gambelunghe * ** <
- Conor Louis Garcia * ** >
- Ariana Kaelyn Gardy ***
- Ava Grace Gasson * ** + < >
- Sofia E. Genovese * ** + < >
- Owen K. Godlewski ***
- Sydney Olivia Gough ** < >
- Angela Rose Graf ***
- Christopher Scott Graham
- William F. Gray V
- Matthew Kenneth Greenblatt * ** +
- Roman D. Greenfield
- Owen George Greenwood *** <
- Adam Michael Griesbach **
- Luke Thomas Grimaldi **
- Averi Lynn Haertel * **
- Tyler Scott Harbinger
- Alexis Grace Hartson ***
- Timothy J. Harwick
- Camilla Grace Heckman ** + <
- Kaylin M. Heffern ** <
- Erin Elizabeth Hennessy *** <
- Madelyn Virginia Hennigan * ** <
- Josephine Margaret Higgs * **
- Allison Katharine Hill ** <
- Nathaniel George Holbrook *** >
- Kripa Hongalgi **
- Dillon J. Hoogkamp
- Andrew W. Hopper
- Coleman L. Hughes
- Shayna Leah Huli * ** + < >
- Nora Ikasalo **
- Olivia Mona’e Jackson
- Ila Rose Parikh Jerabek ***
- Ian Jin * ** >
- Elyssa Hope Johnson * ** + < >
- Andrew Michael Johnston
- Abbott Jones
- Cade Owen Jones * ** +
- Matthew R. Jones
- Anika Kalam * ** + >
- Muamer Kanic
- Emmet Kauffman * **
- Hayley Alexa Kibrick * ** <
- Justin B. Kibrick ***
- Tabatha Cora Klink * **
- Aika Moon Knox * ** + < >
- Isao McCall Knox **
- Abigail D. Koennecke ***
- Rayka P. Kogut **
- Andrew D. Koller
- Jonah A. Koplik * **
- Chloe Kristen Kosoc **
- Flint R. Kuznetsov ***
- Autumn Labore
- Jacob Lambert
- Hannah D. Lauenstein ** < >
- Samantha Nicole Leach ***
- Nico A. LeFevre-Paonessa
- Treyton Lenihan * ** +
- Willow Eve Lilkas-Morse <
- Owen Michael Lilly
- Grace Nicole Long **
- Jolie Virginia Lucarelli * ** <
- Paul Douglas Lurie * ** +
- Brian Scott Lyda
- Leah H. MacLaughlin **
- Jeremiah Mangini <
- Braeden J. Manning * **
- Anthony J. Martin ***
- Benjermin H. Martin
- Gavin Martin
- Diana Evelyn Martocci ***
- Nathan N. Martocci
- Brendan R. Martone * **
- Feli’Sia M. Masao
- Sanzia Mathews >
- Seth Mathews ***
- Sean Thomas Matrose * **
- William Alfred Matrose
- Skylar M. Maurer *** <
- Megan Elizabeth May * **
- Naima Rose Mazeau * ** + <
- Lily Cail Mazmanian ***
- Kaylee Eileen McAllister * ** + <
- Ellen Teresa McCaffrey * ** + <
- Nikolai W. McCloskey
- Dylan J. McCoo ***
- Haley Bisset McDermott * ** <
- Reesa Shaw McGowan
- Ava Jacqueline McGrath * **
- Aiden J. McGuiness * ** +
- Dylan Rory McInerney * **
- Riley A. McInerney
- Kevin P. McNabb ** <
- Mairead Swift McPhillips * ** <
- Camryn A. McReynolds
- Courtney Medert
- Clare Kathleen Megahey * ** + < >
- Nathaniel David Menia ***
- Calla Noelle Meyer * ** +
- Stephanie Nicole Milton ***
- Sora Miyazaki #
- Mia Jenifer Moffre
- Jack Moore
- Madison Avery Mullaney
- Kiera Ruth Murphy ** <
- Michael Daniel Murphy * ** + >
- Harrison Nace
- Miriam Lee Nester * ** + < >
- Patrick David Noonan * ** <
- Brodie R. O’Connell
- Ryan Joseph O’Connell * ** + < >
- Wendelyn Armstrong-Yan O’Dell * **
- Connor Charles O’Malley * ** + >
- Charlotte Jane O’Meara * ** + < >
- Riley Anne O’Meara * ** +
- Aaditya Ojha * ** + <
- Temisan T. Oke * **
- Dylan Kenneth Pachan * ** <
- Jason Thomas Pajak **
- Constantine Palas * **
- Nicole Pan * ** <
- Joseph Carmelo Papa <
- Zara Pattison * ** + >
- Lucy Caroline Pauze ** + >
- Anna Stephanie Peles * ** +
- Maraya Perez *** <
- Justin T. Pfitz
- Sarina E. Phelps *** <
- Aidan C. Phillips
- Theodore N. Plummer
- Ellie C. Pokabla * ** + >
- Addyson Peyton Poole
- Alexander J. Porter * **
- Paul J. Puccio III * ** +
- Mitchel Geo Rens Pulimoottil **
- Deven S. Quell
- Johanna Jane Ivy Radcliffe *** <
- Vikash Radosevich **
- Aaron Thomas Raker
- Sophia Rose Raydo ** < >
- Claire Emily Reilly * ** + <
- Alyona Sophia Reitz * ** +
- Lila A. Renders *** <
- Katherine E. Reynolds * ** + >
- Maya Tanner Richter ** <
- Avery Rider * ** +
- James D. Robbins * **
- Kaitlyn Rose Robbins * ** + <
- Avi A. Rodriguez
- Alexandra Roe * ** +
- Teagan Marie Rosencranse * ** <
- Olivia T. Rother
- Dylan M. Rowe ** <
- Lorelei Isabella Rufa
- Mason Anthony Ruggaber
- Phinnaeus Patrick Ruggiero
- Malena A. Sabbia
- Emily Rose Sagendorph ***
- Mysha Sajid **
- Jonathan Amos Salzer **
- Nataliah Soniah Samuels
- Abdulraheem Sanaullah
- Katherine Julia Sauders * ** + <
- Evelyn Saunders ** >
- Iris Sunshine Sawyer <
- Cole Patrick Scoville
- Jonathan A. Seedhom **
- Stephen A. Seedhom
- Thomas A. Seedhom * ** + < >
- Logan Zain Semeiks ***
- Richa Shah ***
- Miya E. Sheehan
- Justin Sherer * ** + >
- Julia E. Siegel ** < >
- Joseph D. Silvernail
- Isabella Mary Sindon * ** + <
- Ronan Fitzgerald Singh **
- Lacy M. Smith ***
- Nicholas Nolan Smith
- Sean Patrick Smith ***
- Xem Smits ***
- Emily Joan Snyder ***
- Ella Catherine Spore * **
- Theodore J. Stainbrook
- Esiasyn L. Starr <
- Ethan Staszak *** <
- Lyla Thiessen Stebbins ** >
- Rachel Brianna Stein * **
- Benjamin Lucas Stevens * ** + >
- Mathew Gabriel Evans Stocks **
- Katherine Sutliff ** <
- Destinee A. Tanner ***
- Henry Daniel Tatro * **
- Elizabeth M. Thela
- Racine Abou Thiam
- Amé-Jane M. Tootell **
- Logan R. Toth **
- Greta L. Traynor *** <
- Kuon Tsutsui * **
- Miles B. Tuman * **
- Owen Patrick Turner **
- Zoey P. Tutunjian ***
- Charley Elizabeth VanWie * **
- Nina Isadora Vargas ** < >
- Romeo Vasselon Vashishth **
- Jackson P. Vatter * **
- Rachael Miriam Vener * ** <
- Kelsey Marie vonWedel <
- Harper D. Wagg <
- Max Charles Waldenmaier
- Harper Mae Wallace * ** + < >
- Kevin J. Walters * ** +
- Sophie Wang * ** + < >
- Madeline G. Ward * ** <
- Ryan James Whitbeck **
- Vincent M. Whiting
- Gianna J. Wilcox
- Kyle Wilcox
- Kayla S. Williams ** >
- Veer S. Williams * ** + <
- Wyatt M. Williams
- Molly Wladis * ** + >
- Phoebe Jane Wooster **
- Cassius Woutersz * ** +
- Joy J. Wu * ** + <
- Melike A. Yigit
- Mya Lo Young * ** < >
- Kaan S. Yucel * ** +
- Mahmud Zamamiri * ** +
- Thomas W. Zemsky
- Daniel Zheng * **
- Kevin Zheng **
- Vicky Zheng ***
- Mofei Zhu