COMMENCEMENT
WHAT’S INSIDE
Preschool Moving Up Ceremony
On the cover Cheers greet the Class of 2025 on their way to the 127th Commencement on Gator Nation Field.
SHP GRADUATION
GRADUATION
Celebrating the 2025 Commencements at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton | Video
SHP Celebrates COMMENCEMENT IN ITS 127TH YEAR
Graduates are headed to colleges across the country and internationally
Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP) graduated 160 students at its 127th commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 22 on the Gator Nation football field. Graduates from the Class of 2025 will attend at least 84 different institutions: at least 59 students will study in California, 99 will study out of state, and two will study out of the country. Two graduates will serve the U.S., one enrolling in the U.S. Air Force Academy and one in the U.S. Naval Academy.
For 19 consecutive years, SHP’s athletics program has sent 15 or more student-athletes to play at the intercollegiate level. The Class of 2025 will send 23 athletes to play in college across 14 different sports.
Twenty-six members of the graduating class have been on the preschool – grade 12 Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) campus for 13 or more years.
You are bright, strong, and capable, and the world needs you to carry your Sacred Heart education into your studies, relationships, and character that you will continue to develop.
—SHS DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS RICHARD A. DIOLI
At the ceremony, diplomas were presented by Marnie Marcin, chair of the Board of Trustees; Richard A. Dioli, director of schools; Jorge Reyes, assistant principal, curriculum and academics; and Jason Armstrong, assistant principal for athletics. Dioli gave remarks along with SHP Principal Dr. Jennie Whitcomb, Valedictorian Alexis Verner, Salutatorian Megan Newby, and faculty speaker Dan Kennedy.
Preceding the commencement, a traditional Honors Convocation and Graduation Mass, presided over by Fr. John Whitney, took place on the Gator Nation football field on Wednesday, May 21. Following a century-old school tradition, "Blue Ribbons" were awarded to select students, nominated by the faculty and ratified by the administration. Blue Ribbons are the highest honor given by SHS to graduating seniors and reflect outstanding achievement in academics and standards of character in the fulfillment of one or more of the school's guiding Goals & Criteria.
2025
Blue Ribbon recipients, announced at Honors Convocation
2025 SHP Honors Convocation and Graduation Mass Video
Graduates receiving a Light Blue Ribbon, for embodiment of a particular Goal and its criteria, were awarded to:
Ella Abrams, Elizabeth-Kate Butcher and John Plaschkefor Goal I: A personal and active faith in God; Vishnu Kagolanu, Samantha Pyle and Kate Ragatz for Goal II: A deep respect for intellectual values; Heidi Benitez Nolasco and Chris Almazan Razo for Goal III: A social awareness which impels to action; Ginger O’ Grady, McKinley Palmer, and Grace Rocha for Goal IV: The building of community as a Christian value;
James Gremett, and Lucy Newton for Goal V: Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.
Colette Kling and Megan Newby received Dark Blue Ribbon, for embodiment of the values implicit in a Sacred Heart education.
Other notable academic achievements are the three students—Megan Newby, James Smith, and Alexis Verner—who earned recognition as National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Another 19 students received recognition as Commended students.
With college choices ranging from public and private institutions large and small, the Class of 2025 shows a breadth of interests in its future academic goals. Students plan to pursue programs as wide ranging as STEM, visual and performing arts, humanities, social sciences, business, and more.
In closing, Valedictorian Alexis Verner said the following to the Class of 2025, “I’ve been here for the past 13 years of my life, and, if I could, I wouldn’t go back and pick a different school. I wouldn’t shorten my time here by a single year. Because I am so grateful for the opportunity to be in a class with all of you.”
OF
CONGRATULATIONS
2025 CLASS
I’vebeenhereforthepast13years ofmylife,and,ifIcould,Iwouldn’t gobackandpickadifferentschool. Iwouldn’tshortenmytimeherebya singleyear.BecauseIamsogratefulfor theopportunitytobeinaclasswithall ofyou.Iadmireeachandeveryoneof you.Iloveeachandeveryoneofyou. AndIamgoingtomisseachandevery oneofyou.
VALEDICTORIAN ALEXIS VERNER
When we leave this place, it’s not the big moments we’ll remember. It’s not the grades we earned, or our accomplishments. It’s the everyday. It’s a hello between classes, it’s a smile in the halls. It's showing up for one another day after day after day. It’s a lifestyle built on love.
—SALUTATORIAN MEGAN NEWBY
Visit Vidigami for graduation photo albums (log-in required):
SHP Graduation Ceremony
Senior Honors Convocation & Graduation Mass
SHP Graduation Portraits & Class Photo
Visit SmugMug for alumni photo albums (no log-in required):
Alumni Pinning Ceremony SHP 2025
“Be humble, be simple, and bring joy to others . . .” has been St. Madeleine Sophie’s message to you this year. It is a message to take with you as you make the transitions that will sometimes feel rocky, sometimes smooth.
—SR. SHEILA HAMMOND, RSCJ
Graduates Reflect on Long 12-15 Year Tenure at SHS | Video
What's Next for SHP '25? | Video
SHP Collegiate Athletes
23 SHP STUDENTATHLETES COMMIT TO COLLEGIATE SPORTS
THE GATOR ATHLETES WILL GO ON TO PLAY FOR 18 DIFFERENT
COLLEGES
For the 19th consecutive year, Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP) in Atherton, California, will send 15 or more student-athletes to play at the intercollegiate ranks. The Class of 2025 will send 23 student-athletes to play in 14 different sports.
“Collectively, this senior class has helped lead SHP athletics to extraordinary accomplishments in the last school year, including a school-record 8 Central Coast Section (CCS) titles, three NorCal championships, and 12 CCS Scholastic Team honors—highlighting not just athletic talent, but an equally powerful commitment to academic excellence,” said SHP Assistant Principal for Athletics Jason Armstrong.
The SHP baseball team ctallied 10 wins in 2025, competing in the ultra competitive PAL - Bay Division. The Gators will send senior captain and all-league honoree Daniel Gee to play for Delta College, and all-league honoree and the 2023 CCS Pitcher of the Year Devin Saltzgaber to Pomona College.
The SHP boys’ basketball team capped off another impressive season with a 16-11 overall record and will send 2025 WBAL all-league honoree Alex Straser to play for Emory.
SHP girls’ basketball senior Eva Arceo helped lead a resurgence for the team, guiding the Gators to eight league victories across 2023 and 2024, the program’s most in over a decade. The two-time WBAL all-league honoree will go on to play for Solano College.
SHP’s cross country and track and field star Sophie Cheung holds multiple school records, has placed in the top five multiple times in the CCS championships, and has qualified for the state meet four times; she has committed to MIT.
The SHP football team claimed the program’s first CCS title since 2021, and will send threetime first team PAL-Bay Division honoree and two-time Bay Division Lineman of the Year Aseli Fangupo to Claremont McKenna.
In boys’ golf, the team’s nine wins overall and eight league wins were the highest in program history. Logan Mills, a four-time first team all-league golfer, has committed to Claremont McKenna.
The SHP boys’ lacrosse team finished the season 17-7 overall and 6-1 in the West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL), capturing the CCS Championship for just the second time in program history—and the first since 2021. They closed out the year ranked 8th in the state. The team will send three players on to collegiate lacrosse: three-time allleague honoree Jack Barton (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), all-league goalie Hampton Galletti (United States Air Force Academy), and all-league honoree Connor Lis (MIT).
The SHP girls’ lacrosse team completed a historic season, finishing with a 19-2 overall record and an 8-2 mark in WBAL play. They captured the CCS Championship for just the second time in program history—and the first since 2021—earning a final MaxPreps ranking of No. 2 in California and No. 11 in the nation. Standout athlete Ellie Shen - a twotime WBAL girls’ flag football first team all-league wide receiver, starter of the State Champion girls’ soccer team, and all-league lacrosse honoree - will go on to play lacrosse for Claremont McKenna College.
Just one year after fielding only 16 players in the entire program, the SHP boys’ soccer team strung together nine wins in the team’s final 10 matches, clinching a berth into the CCS Division III playoffs. The team will send all-league honoree James Smith to Haverford College, and Zachary Ehrenpreis to the University of Virginia.
The SHP girls’ soccer team completed arguably its finest season in program history, capturing a CCS Division V championship and securing its firstever NorCal Regional title. The team will send twotime girls’ tennis all-league honoree and the 2024 WBAL Goalkeeper of the Year Shannon Bennitt to Claremont McKenna College, and two-time allleague honoree Leah Lynch to Penn.
The SHP swim team has claimed 15 straight WBAL championships and will send three-time WBAL all-league honoree Cam Kazemipour to Chapman University. His 50 freestyle time of 21.31 ranks him among the top five performances in school history.
MaxPreps’ third-ranked team in the nation, SHP boys’ water polo, will send three studentathletes to play in college: three-time WCAL all-league honoree Nelson Harris to Claremont McKenna College; all-league water polo player and swimmer Luke Kirincich to the U.S. Naval Academy; and three-year letter-winner and co-captain John Plaschke to Pomona College.
The SHP girls’ water polo team completed its finest season in program history, going 30-2 overall, with a perfect 8-0 in WCAL play.
Following an historic season, the Gators earned the honor of being named MaxPreps’ firstranked team in the nation, marking the first time any SHP team has finished a season with a No. 1 national ranking. The team will send four girls to play in college: three-year letter-winner and co-captain Isabella Dova to Pitzer College; San Mateo Daily Journal and CCS Water Polo Player of the Year Vivian Golub to Princeton; four-time all-league honoree and CCS Scholar Athlete of the Year Megan Newby to Brown; and San Mateo Daily Journal Water Polo Player of the Year and three-time Academic All-American Natalia Szczerba will play for Stanford University.
“Each of these student-athletes will carry with them the lessons learned, relationships formed, and the resilience built during their time as Gators,” said Armstrong. “Our community will be cheering them on—today, tomorrow, and in the years ahead.”
WHERE DO GATORS GO?
Graduates from the SHP Class of 2025 are headed to a wide range of colleges and universities across the United States and abroad.
American University
Washington, DC
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Boston University
Boston, MA
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
Brown University
Providence, RI
Cañada College
Redwood City, CA
California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo)
San Luis Obispo, CA
California State University (San Marcos)
San Marcos, CA
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
*Results accurate as of May 20, 2025
The hearts show the number of students headed to each state.
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Chapman University
Orange, CA
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Colorado State University (Fort Collins)
Fort Collins, CO
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Cosumnes River College
Sacramento, CA
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Denison University
Granville, OH
Elon University
Elon, NC
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Harvard University Cambridge, MA
Haverford College Haverford, PA
Indiana University (Bloomington) Bloomington, IN
Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
New York University New York, NY
Northeastern University Boston, MA
Northwestern University Evanston, IL
Oxford College of Emory University Oxford, GA
Parsons School of Design at The New School
New York City, NY
Pitzer College
Claremont, CA
Pomona College Claremont, CA
Princeton University Princeton, NJ
Purdue University (Main Campus)
West Lafayette, IN
Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA
San Joaquin Delta College San Jose, CA
San Jose State University San Jose CA
Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
Scripps College Claremont, CA
Solano Community College Fairfield, CA
Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
Stanford University Stanford, CA
Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD
University of California (Berkeley) Berkeley, CA
University of California (Davis) Davis, CA
University of California (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles, CA
University of California (Riverside) Riverside, CA
University of California (San Diego)
La Jolla, CA
University of California (Santa Barbara)
Santa Barbara, CA
University of California (Santa Cruz)
Santa Cruz, CA
University of Chicago Chicago, IL
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
University of Denver Denver, CO
University of Georgia Athens, GA
University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR
University of Oxford Oxford, England
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
University of Redlands Redlands, CA
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA
University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
University of St Andrews St Andrews, Scotland
University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
University of Virginia (Main Campus) Charlottesville, VA
University of Washington (Seattle Campus) Seattle, WA
University of Wisconsin (Madison) Madison, WI
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
Villanova University Villanova, NC
Washington University in St. Louis Saint Louis, MO
William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
Yale University New Haven,CT
on SHP Fine Arts Grads '25 | Video
Spotlight
EIGHTH GRADE COMMENCEMENT
2025 8th Grade Commencement Ceremony Video
Congratulations, EIGHTH GRADERS!
Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) graduated 69 students in its 119th eighth grade commencement ceremony on Friday, May 30, on the Lower & Middle Schools campus. A beautiful stage was set, with tenting providing shade for families to enjoy the ceremony on the sunny lawn of Michael Murphy Memorial Grove. It was a formal ceremony including the traditional reading aloud of each graduates’ name, with diplomas presented by Director of Schools Richard Dioli, and Preschool – Grade 8 Principal Francesca Brake and Assistant Principal, Gr Academics Kyle Kalmbach. The ceremony included an invocation by retiring Middle School teacher Jennifer Vaida, remarks by both the director of schools and principal, student speaker Madison Min, and a blessing of graduates by Sister Kathleen Dolan (RSCJ). Closing out the ceremony was a musical reflection by the Voce choir, which performed “Fly Away Home,” conducted by Middle School Choral Director Amanda Poon. Several special acknowledgements including the American Legion of Honor Citizenship Awards and the Kate Basile de Bois Alumni Scholarship Award were presented to students by Assistant Principal for Student Life Sarah Kane Coogan. For the second year in a row, the Goals Awards were bestowed upon students who exemplified the five Goals of Sacred Heart Schools: Quincy Quattlebaum for Goal I: A personal and active faith in God; Emma Kunihiro for Goal II: A deep respect for intellectual values; Madison Min for Goal III: A social awareness which impels to action;
Jihoon Lim for Goal IV: The building of community as a Christian value; Sydney Whalen for Goal V: Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.
This was also the second year for other middle school grades – sixth grade and seventh grade – to receive the Goal Awards. Those awards were announced at Prize Day, a traditional celebration stemming back well over 100 years at Sacred Heart network schools, where students’ exemplary achievements in academics, service, and/or character are recognized.
In the evening preceding the commencement, eighth graders and their families, along with educators, came together for a special Graduation Mass, presided over by Fr. John Whitney, SJ. The Mass featured readings and reflections by many graduates, as well as student cantors.
Altogether, the commencement celebrations were a beautiful tribute to an exemplary graduating class that honored centuries-old Sacred Heart traditions while also marking several deeply meaningful new traditions that served to honor both individuals and the class as a whole.
PRESCHOOL MOVING UP CEREMONY
The Montessori “Moving Up” Ceremony serves to signify the "crossing over" into a new stage of development for our littlest students on campus. The Montessori Preschool teachers honor the work students did this year by asking them each to reflect and recall their most heartfelt moments from the school year. As each student crosses the bridge, they pause as their favorite memory is read aloud, allowing time to truly shine in front of an auditorium full of families, loved ones, educators, and administrators. Next, teachers hand each child a “certificate of promotion”—a frame-worthy memento to cherish for years to come. Both preschool first-year and second-year students participate in crossing the bridge—the latter cross the bridge into their kindergarten year while first-year students cross over to signify becoming leaders in the classroom next fall. Each child receives a compilation of memories in a precious, photo-filled booklet to take home.
Montessori Preschool teacher Sorcha Buret shares a heartwarming moment with her student Harrison Vincent, who proudly presents her with a bouquet of flowers. His beaming smile says it all, pure joy and gratitude after a wonderful preschool graduation celebration.
Led by the preschool teachers and accompanied by music and movement teacher
Matthieu Roques, the students gave a delightful performance featuring the song “Each of Us Is a Flower” by Charlotte Diamond, a movement poem “A Little Seed” by Mabel Watts, and an uplifting piece called “I Can Do It” by David Kisor.
Montessori Preschool student Hannah Windsor crossed the bridge during the "Moving Up" ceremony, as teacher Joy Roldan read aloud her favorite memory from the school year: making necklaces.
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Montessori Preschool Moving Up Ceremony
THANK YOU!
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2025
WE ENCOURAGE ALL COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND QUESTIONS; EMAIL SHSMAGAZINE@SHSCHOOLS.ORG. PLEASE NOTE, SUBMISSIONS MAY APPEAR IN A FUTURE ISSUE AND MAY BE SHORTENED FOR LENGTH OR CLARITY.
TO ALL OUR NEW GRADS, WE WISH YOU HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS AND CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT’S NEXT ON YOUR JOURNEY! ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE A HOME HERE ON CAMPUS, AND THAT YOU ARE—AND ALWAYS WILL BE—A BELOVED AND BLESSED CHILD OF THE SACRED HEART.
AS A GRADUATE, YOU ARE NOW A MEMBER OF OUR SHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. STAY CONNECTED: VISIT SHSCHOOLS.ORG/ALUMNI AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO OUR ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT MANAGER SHANNON MELINAUSKAS AT ALUMNI@SHSCHOOLS.ORG.
Don’t just be yourself. Be all of yourselves. Lean into the many archetypes that make up who you are. Don’t limit yourself to a single version… You can be the scholar and the athlete. The poet and the dancer. The friend, the leader, the advocate, the peacemaker. Be bold enough to contain multitudes.
—FACULTY SPEAKER DAN KENNEDY, SHP ENGLISH TEACHER
