CLASS OF 2025 COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
June 8, 2025
Lea Adams†
Bianca Araujo
Rishi Bala†*
Alexander Balsera
Nathan Lee Baris†
Agastya Batchu
Max Leo Biezin†
Gabrielle Bilenker
Aleah Bisrat†
Justin Andrew Blann†
Zelah Booker
Siyona Bordia†*
Saul Joseph Brauns†*
Evan Jacob Breckman
Madeline J. Bulbulia
Cecily Snow Burns†*
Josie Busch-Vogel
Evan L. Caplan
Maya Jacqueline Cappello†
Arjun Caprihan
Cienna Cetrulo
Michael Armando Cetrulo
Yu Hao Duncan Cheng†
Alexandra Chevance-Singh†*
Samuel Chikvashvili
Jacob Alzadon Cole†
Benjamin Collins-Siegel
Lúcia Corrêa-Kendall†
Theodore Judis Crall†
Samina Maelei Dargan†
Elizabeth Agnes Dephtereos
Ashley Dragović†
Ivie Mae Drogin†*
Caleb Koufax Epstein
Chase Fink
Aidin Paul Flores
James Foerst†
Mia Freeman†
Anya Gadhvi†
CLASS OF 2025
Cami Andrea Gallagher†
Sophia Garguilo
Margaret Rose Gavenda
Noah Gezahegn†*
Sachi Goel†
Benedikt Constantin
Johannes Guth†
Lucy Halstead†
Jasper Elliott Heitin
Anouk Anji Hemingway
Jaeden Henry
Matthew John Herbert†*
Matthew Thomas Higgins*
Edward Ho†*
Abigail Hsu†*
Riley Yilun Huang†
Veera Aneja Jetley†*
Vihaan Jetley†*
Lilly Kanter†
Phoebe A. Kaplan
Madeleine Kayyali†
Gregory Bernard Keeler
Marygrace Kelly†
Laura Kim†
Lynna King*
Hannah Ko†
Mina Ko†
Elliot Leung Kung
Jeffrey Kunzweiler†*
Cyann Anisa Leverett
Jared Matthew Levine
Brody Linenberg†
Delilah Mei Loncar†*
Aditya Krish Mahadev†
Brett Alexander Matlosz
Lucas Mendes Martinez
Giacomo Messina
Sienna Leigh Murphy
Akhilesh Leju Nair†
Esther Ojo
Evan Oliver†
Benjamin Ooi
Ethan Padilla
Ishan Parmar†
Emily Qin†*
Lucas Kevin Rakela†
Anousheh Reid
Alejandro Rodriguez-Ananin†*
Nicholas James Santos
Vir Sarai†
Leon Sarkissian†º
Ella-Simone Scantlebury
Alexa Harley Schonbraun
Nathan Jacob Schwartz†*
Noah Shoman
Zachary Shoman
Jaden Simon
Jadyn Joan Soares†
Kabir Srivastav†
Isaac Stein
Jonathan Sterling
Ethan Alexander Tai†*
Grace Thompson
Nicholas Thorpe
Ayanna Varma
Val Harman Wagner Jr.
Elimena Margaret Wallace†
Jinqiu Wang
Sarah Wang†*
Claire Wong†
Eric Wong†
Declan Wright†
Michael Lawrence Wyche†
Aryik Yadav
Akshra Yagnik
Evan Bohua Yao†*
Joanna Yu†
Gabriel Zhao†
Ruoxi Zhuang†*
COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM
Gathering and Processional Brass Choir
Welcome Donald M. Austin Head of School
Choral Selection Toward The Light (Alma Mater) Performance by Concert Choir
T.C. Abbey Oration
Introduction of Speaker
Commencement Address
Presentation of the Class
Awarding of Diplomas
Abigail Hsu ’25
Samuel W. Croll III ’68 Chair of the Board of Trustees
The Honorable Cory A. Booker United States Senator for New Jersey
Donald M. Austin Head of School
Catherine Atwell, Ed.D. Upper School Principal
Traci Osterhagen Brock Dean of Faculty
Pegeen Galvin Director, Upper School Student Life
Closing Remarks
Tassel Turn & Cap Toss
Pegeen Galvin Director, Upper School Student Life
Matthew John Herbert ’25 Senior Class President
Recessional Brass Choir
Following the ceremony, there will be a reception at the Somberg Family Athletic Hospitality Building (concession stand) for graduates, faculty, families and friends.
THE T . C . ABBEY ORATION
Newark Academy established the T.C. Abbey Oration in 1982 to honor the memory of this beloved teacher, who died on October 22, 1981. Each year at Commencement a senior, chosen by the Cum Laude Society, delivers the oration.
T.C. “Charlie” Abbey devoted more than 50 years of his life to the education of young men and women. He was on the faculty at Newark Academy for 22 years, serving at various times as English Department Chair, Debate Coach, Director of Admission and Chairman of the Discipline Committee. Prior to coming to Newark Academy, Mr. Abbey taught for 31 years at the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
OFFICERS OF THE CLASS OF 2025
President, Upper School Council
Brett Alexander Matlosz
Senior Class President Matthew John Herbert
Senior Class Vice-President
Max Leo Biezin
Class Representative Maya Jacqueline Cappello
Class Representative and Eric Wong Vice President, Upper School Council
newarka.edu/commencement