2025 Graduation
A little light rain was no match for these Upper St. Clair Panthers. Upper St. Clair High School celebrated the 347 members of the Class of 2025 during the school’s 65th annual commencement ceremonies on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in the high school’s stadium.
Senior Class President Emma Toosi kicked-off the event with an inspirational message and Student Council President Ryan LaRocco delivered the student welcome. Student speakers included Kriti Gupta, Ishaan Sharma and Ben Seewald.
In his prepared remarks, which were abbreviated due to the light rain, Dr. Timothy Wagner, principal, praised the Class of 2025 for its optimism.
“I have seen firsthand the collective optimism of the Class of 2025 and how it has amplified what you have accomplished,” he said. “Those here today supporting you have always understood that you have limitless potential. Accessing that potential begins with an optimistic outlook. I hope that a spirit of curiosity, lightheartedness and optimism stays with you always.”
Dr. John Rozzo, superintendent of schools, spoke about legacy, not as an abstract idea or a plaque on wall; but as something created and passed on through everyday actions.
“In Upper St. Clair, legacy matters,” he said. “It’s our shared responsibility, not just to uphold it, but to build on it.”
He reminded the Class of 2025 that legacy doesn’t stop at the school doors or at the municipal borders.
“Our alumni are leaders in the fields of medicine, education, business, finance, the arts, technology, and more—making an impact across the country and around the world.” he said. “That legacy is now yours to uphold and evolve. It’s your turn to build upon it. To continue showing the world what it means to be an Upper St. Clair Panther.”
The Class of 2025 includes 22 valedictorians, including John Owen Bell, Samuel James Berger, Ryan Oliver Buonomo, Hannah Sophie Del, Ian Abraham Dvorin, Anna Rose Engelman, Caleb William Guarino, Meredith Reese Huzjak, Yelena Knobel, Ryan Louis LaRocco, Kesahi Mathanachandran, Benjamin Thomas Murtough, Grace Marie Myers, Shriya Vandana Narasimhan, Elise Olivia Parrish, Eli Gabriel Rankin, Meredith Ann Rhodes, Anushka Sharma, Ishaan Sharma, Thomas Walter Slowey, Valentina Sobarzo Hernandez and Sophia Grace Whitman.
This year’s graduating class also includes 10 International Baccalaureate Diploma candidates. Those students include Eva Solenne Dubreil, Anna Rose Engelman, Margaux Gandon, Maya Guizzi, Sydney Alexis Montgomery, Grace Marie Myers, Manav Manish Patel, Erin Irene Shehab, Shreya Sriram and Sydney Rose Waldron.
Dr. Danielle Wetzel, School Board president, deferred her speech due to the rain. Read her remarks.
