Pennridge High School students, faculty and families gathered Tuesday at the Stabler Arena for the 2023 graduation ceremony. At 6 p.m., the lights went down and the audience erupted excitedly to see the class process into the arena. The school choir and band came together to start the ceremony with performances of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the school’s alma mater and a song the students chose, “Homeward Bound.”
Class President Alesandra DiMario welcomed the audience and said a few words to her classmates. DiMario congratulated her class on never giving up and stated that “from training wheels to driving cars,” they made it through school together.
Student speakers were Bennett Hansbarger and Zarah Malik. Hansbarger addressed his classmates as “future leaders, innovators, and inspirers.” His speech drew smiles across the auditorium as he shared optimism for their future endeavors. Malik highlighted the diversity of the 2023 class. She challenged her classmates to “embrace what makes them unique” as they leave Pennridge High School.
Following student Vice President Sabrina O’Shea’s presentation of the class gift, 12th-grade Principal Ray Ott addressed a class that was so special to him over the past four years. He asked students who received university, college or technical institute scholarships to stand. He said the total scholarship money awarded to the class was a whopping $2.5 million.
Students going into the military were asked to stand and received a powerful round of applause. Ott recalled when he first met the Class of 2023 at a meeting in August 2019. At the time, he saw “nervous boys and girls.” Looking out into the crowd of students in caps and gowns, he saw nothing short of “confident young men and women.” He thanked them for all that they did for Pennridge High School.
Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Scheid told the class that two things define success. She proceeded to discuss the importance of character and hard work. She asked the graduates to remember this as they entered the world.
The presentation of diplomas was an exciting moment as over 600 students crossed the stage to receive the piece of paper that’d been the stuff of dreams.
Students Riley Chodoroff, Kylea Hegen, Lauren Lee, Liam McPhelin, Payton Muth, and Sawyer Russell created a special video for the Class of 2023 and presented it at the ceremony. The video, titled “Remember OUR year,” captured memories and the spirit of the graduating class.
DiMario returned to lead the class in the tassel ceremony. The cheers and hollers of students, faculty and families brought the ceremony to a fitting conclusion.
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