Class of 2025 honored amidst calls to pursue lives of meaning, value people over the virtual, and find strength in facing the unfamiliar
Graduation Notes Commencement Photos
St. John’s Preparatory School held its 115th Commencement exercises on Saturday afternoon as Head of School Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. P’19 ’21 ’26 conferred diplomas upon 288 seniors during an outdoor ceremony held on the School’s campus. The one hour and 52-minute ceremony was marked by themes of prioritizing time well spent, embracing lived experience vs. chronicled milestones, and tackling the future emboldened by past adversity.
The Senior Class Speaker was Matthew Theodore of Stoneham, who preceded a valedictory address by Peter Truong of Andover. English Teacher Andrew Fondell of Rowley delivered the commencement address. The Salutatorian Medal went to Theodore Karlin of Swampscott. Nathan Bernarducci of Greenland, NH received the Xaverian Award, the highest honor the School can bestow upon a graduating senior and presented to the class member who best epitomizes the values and tradition of Xaverian education. Bernarducci will matriculate at Wake Forest University (NC) this fall. More photos on SmugMug.
In his remarks to graduates, delivered under brightening skies with the temperature touching 72 degrees, Dr. Hardiman implored graduates to meet the moment and, in the spirit of Pope Leo XIV’s first post-election homily, to take in the marvels that have occurred during their past four years.
Xaverian Award winner Nathan Bernarducci.
“Each person here has most likely experienced challenges, and may still be, but this afternoon, let the marvels, the amazing deeds sink in and in the midst of them, see the many blessings, graces, and experiences of love that have marked your time as students, graduates, and members of the Prep community,” said Hardiman. “Your class has achieved great things. We have talked to you about servant leadership, embracing everyone as created in the image and likeness of God, and empowering all whom you encounter to be unique expressions of God’s love in the world. Our hope and prayer is that you always remember these words, that you live by these words, and that you allow these words to inform your actions as you seek to become the change we need to see in our world.”
Introduced by Karlin, who will attend Bowdoin College, the student-selected keynote speaker was Fondell, a native of Minnesota. He delivered a quick-witted, earnest, and instructive address that was greeted by a 33-second standing ovation. Fondell advised graduates to be mindful of and generous with their time, but not free with it.
“For the next four years and the many years beyond them, your life will increasingly be a product of your own time management,” he said. “Time is valuable because it is scarce and it is perpetually growing more scarce. So, how will you choose to spend your most precious resource? I wouldn’t dare answer that for you. Each of us must answer it for ourselves and we have to continue answering it as time marches on. Nevertheless … I will venture to make three open-ended suggestions.
“One: Spend time pursuing your passions,” Fondell continued. “Figure out what you most want to accomplish and don’t wait to get started. Two: Spend time savoring the present. If we’re constantly telling ourselves that our best life is somewhere in the future, we might fail to appreciate the life right in front of us. Three: Spend time with other people. Preferably people you like. Better yet? People you can serve. If you’re going to spend your most precious resource on anything, spend it on people.”
Faculty speaker Andrew Fondell.
Fully 62 percent of Prep graduating seniors were members of the National Honor Society, while eight were National Merit Commended students and two—Winchester’s Daniel Cahill and Beverly’s Matthew Church—were honored as a National Merit Scholar Finalist. There were 38 legacy graduates, meaning their father, grandfather, and/or great-grandfather also graduated from the Prep. A remarkable 55 Eagles student-athletes signed commitment papers to continue their sports careers in college.
Stoneham’s Theodore, the senior class speaker who will attend Georgetown University this fall, urged his classmates to trust their proven ability to navigate the uncertain. “We have found friendships in places we never thought we’d find them and meaningful experiences in activities we previously knew nothing about. In embracing the unfamiliar, we learned to be for something: To be curious, not cool; to grow and explore our passions–whatever they may be. Today, we are standing at the edge of something new—a future that in many ways mirrors a time when we were all strangers coming together for the first time. And we will face what comes next as mature, thoughtful, and caring young men.”
Altogether, this year’s graduates represented 43 cities and towns across the Commonwealth, including as far south as Revere, as far west as Tewksbury, and as far north as Amesbury. One was an international student. A class-high 20 seniors hail from the towns of Marblehead and Danvers, followed closely by Swampscott with 17, and Lynnfield and Boxford with 15 each. Another 15 seniors commuted from 11 cities and towns in New Hampshire, including six from the Seacoast region. One senior is an international student.
In his valedictory address, Marblehead’s Truong encouraged his classmates to look beyond the photos on family cell phones marking occasions just like graduation day and, rather, reflect on the lived experience that led to those snapshots. Bound for Harvard University, he suggested “We’re going to remember this day, but let us be sure to appreciate what it took to get here. The pictures we see may show moments of growth, but you often won’t see setbacks, the anguish that comes with failure, the stress that comes with trying to achieve our best. But those moments are just as needed; the unglamorous process of learning, experimenting, and growing should be remembered and captured in the photographs of our minds.”
At 3:18 pm, the Prep’s newest alumni turned the tassels on their mortarboards from right to left, symbolizing the official conclusion of their high school experience.
College acceptances for the class will send five graduates to Ivy League schools, including four to Harvard, and two schools in the UMass system as well as Bentley University, Boston College, Clemson, Colby College, College of the Holy Cross, Georgetown, the University of Indiana at Bloomington, the University of Michigan, Northeastern University, Northwestern University, Purdue University, Ohio State University, Tufts University, Stanford University, USC, the University of Virginia, Villanova, and Williams College, along with 14 schools in New York, seven technical or aeronautical institutes, and 45 other schools throughout New England among 190 total institutions to date.
Graduating Eagles will fly away to locales as far west as Hawaii, as far north as Maine, as far south as Texas, and as far east as Southampton, UK, along with many states in between, including Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Utah, among others.
Graduation News & Notes
German Teacher Chris Lynch of Peabody led the processional with the ceremonial academic scepter, or mace, one of the earliest totems of medieval university officials.
Campus Minister Mike Driscoll, introduced by Senior Class President Sebastian Latusky, offered the invocation, leading those assembled in a prayer by entreating God to help the graduates “Recognize that wisdom is gained through humility. May (they) continue to be guiding lights for one another, illuminating the way with kindness, integrity, and understanding.” School chaplain and Reverend James Ronan, Ph.D. ’62 gave the benediction.
The top five percent of the senior class in academic performance (alphabetical order, excluding valedictorian and salutatorian) were: Church, Nathaniel Colby, Nathaniel Grenier, Matt Henderson, Marcus Irwin, Nirvik Iyer, Gavin Lockner, Lucas Nieto, Jackson Quigley, Brady Scudder, Matt Theodore, Michael Wagner, and Harrison Waldman.
The anniversary class of 1975, having all reached “Golden Eagle” status, was asked to stand before being honored by the commencement audience.
Three seniors will attend college under the ROTC Scholarship program: Merrick Barlow of Newburyport (United States Naval Academy), Charlie Cammarata of North Andover (United States Military Academy West Point), and Charlie Weld of Reading (United States Military Academy West Point).
Class of 2025 senior Ethan Ho.
On May 8, the School’s Senior Awards Convocation honored recipients across a variety of disciplines. Richard Rodriguez of Lawrence was recognized with the Multicultural Affairs and Community Development Advocacy Award. In recognition of distinction in athletics, lacrosse player Ryan DeLucia of Winchester received the Scholar-Athlete Award, three-sport athlete Josh Haarmann of Boxford earned the Best Athlete Award, and four seniors were honored with the Paul “Buster” DiVincenzo ’50 Athletic Director's Award: lacrosse player Charlie Angell of Winchester, wrestler Alex Bajoras of Gloucester, lacrosse player Drew Bossi of Stratham, NH, and baseball player Braeden Hurley of Wenham.
More than a fifth of the class (61 members) received the designation of Eagles Wings leader, an application-only affiliation of student-leaders who introduce new students to the high school community and serve as ongoing peer mentors for the freshman class throughout the year. There were 58 seniors in this year’s Spire Society, a Prep leadership group for students in grades 9-12 where candidates can apply to help both the admission and advancement teams as ambassadors for the School.
Class officers for this graduating year were Latusky, of Danvers, and Vice President Anthony Turco of Boxford along with class representatives Cammarata, Haarmann, and Graham Roberts of Swampscott.
In the countdown to graduation, seniors took to the Ryken field under the commencement tent for the True Blue Reception on May 15. The evening included the signing of diplomas by Dr. Ed Hardiman and Dr. Keith Crowley, a brief speaking program, the dedication of the Class of 2025 yearbook to Heidi Rubin, a school nurse at the Prep since 2016, and the debut of the Class of 2025 video. A video featuring Social Studies teacher, ice hockey coach and 2024-25 Distinguished Alumnus Dave Hennessey ’83 was also shown. View more photos from the reception on SmugMug.
On the eve of commencement, Rev. Ronan ’62 celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass honoring the Class of 2025. The liturgy included live music by the Baccalaureate Choir and representation from the 50th Reunion Class of 1975. The Mass also featured an awards presentation for select seniors. Loyalty and Service Awards are given to those seniors who have modeled the call to be servant leaders and personified Xaverian values. This year’s honorees were Bossi, Carter Gibbs of Rowley, Romen Hlatshwayo of Salem, Marcus Irwin of Ipswich, Vincent Occhino of Beverly, Jack and Lucas Prokopis of Lynnfield, Tyler Spear of Swampscott, and Samuel Wilmot of Topsfield.
The Sonia Schreiber Weitz Human Rights Award went to Harrison Waldman of Andover. Jordan Pasterczyk of Raymond, NH, won the Sean Lynch ’85 Scholarship Award, established by Lynch’s family and friends after his death on 9/11 in the World Trade Center. The recipient must be a graduating senior who will attend Boston College, must be active in his school and surrounding community, and maintain an above-average academic record.
Turco was the recipient of the Student Council Scholarship Award, while Seth Mootafian of Peabody earned the Margaret Klein Memorial Scholarship Award, awarded annually to a senior planning a career in healthcare.
During his homily, Reverend James J. Ronan ’62 shined a light on a reading from the Apostle James to encourage the Class of 2025 to trust in their ability to ‘be doers of the word, not just listeners.’ “On the eve of your graduation, never be afraid to act boldly in the face of injustice— never,” said Ronan. “That may sound like a big job, but be assured, when you choose to do that, you don’t do it alone. The antidote to the indifference of (our) times is you and me and us. God created us. It is that relationship you have with Jesus Christ, the Savior, the one who comes to teach us with incredible boldness.”
St. John’s Prep will hold an eighth grade promotion ceremony on campus for the Class of 2029 on the evening of May 29. The event will serve to recognize the students of the 114-member class for their resilience, leadership, and focus throughout this school year as well as honor individual and collective achievements. Students and faculty at the Middle School reflect on the event’s significance here.