Stissing Mountain Seniors Embrace Change as they Receive Their Diplomas

It was standing room only at Stissing Mountain High School’s class of 2025 commencement ceremony, held on June 21. Family and friends spilled into the foyer adjacent to the auditorium, waiting to snap photos and cheer on students as they entered.

The 65 graduating seniors gathered beforehand in the cafeteria — some in formal wear, others sporting shorts and crocs — to don robes and hand-decorated mortarboards, have corsages pinned in place, and prepare to line up for the processional.

“I’m excited to move on,” said Mairead French, who will attend University at Albany – SUNY in the fall. “But it’s bittersweet: I’ll be leaving people here that I’ve grown up with.” Her friend Eliza Essery agreed: “It’s exciting to start something new: I’ll be going to SUNY Geneseo. But it’s also scary not to know exactly what’s coming next.”

Natalie Kenny, who will attend SUNY Brockport in the fall, stood still as her mother, Elizabeth, pinned on a corsage. “I’m really going to miss all my teachers,” she said.

Sebastian Cruz Barron reminisced with friends Ryan Quijada and Rowelin Wyant. “My most memorable school moment was in sixth grade when I started choking on a lifesaver,” Cruz Barron said. “If it hadn’t been for my teacher, I might not have been here today.” (Foreign language teacher Sean White dislodged the candy with the Heimlich maneuver.)

The students proceeded into the auditorium in pairs to a recording of “Pomp and Circumstance”, performed by the high school band, under the direction of Erin Marlow. The school chorus, directed by Alec Sisco, assembled before the stage to sing an a cappella rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and provided musical interludes throughout the ceremony.

Principal Christopher Boyd welcomed the crowd, then spoke briefly. “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing these students grow; I want to thank them for all the memories we made this year,” he said. Boyd described this year’s senior prank: On the last day of school, the 12th-graders parked their cars in the teachers’ spaces, then cooked breakfast for one another in the parking lot. 

“A few days after that about 15 to 20 students showed up at my house at 5:30 in the morning,” Boyd told the Herald earlier. “They had a pound of bacon, some sausage, and pancake batter; I cooked them breakfast out on my driveway. This is a fantastic senior class!”

Remarks were given by Amie Fredericks, Board of Education president, and Brian Timm, district superintendent. “You did it!” Fredericks said. “You’ve learned that being in a one-traffic light town doesn’t limit what you can do.” She gave the results of a senior questionnaire on what it means to be a Pine Plains Bomber: The students ranked helping the local community and school pride at the top of the list.

Timm quoted educator Peter Stenge, advising the graduates to engage their creative tension to help them grow, change, and lead. “Hold onto your vision, your responsibility for learning, and act with integrity,” he said. “You’ve already shown this is intact. And don’t be afraid to stretch your limits, because it’s worth it.”

Student reflections, given by seniors Molly Eiffert and Joseph DiCarlo, had the common theme of change. “We’re leaving a special place behind,” Eiffert said. “We will all embrace the change.” DiCarlo, whose comedic remarks began with, “We’re all excited to get out of this tiny town,” ended with, “We went through the adversity of COVID-19, but we all still graduated. We’ll miss this tiny town!”

In her address, salutatorian Madison Rego said, “Today is about everything that got us here: It’s as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Now we’re ready.” Rego reviewed the high points of the school year, then became tearful while thanking her family for its support.

Valedictorian Alana Scofield said she was “excited and eager to see what’s to come.” She stressed the value of student relationships: “We all know each other — and we’ve provided guidance and encouragement. Even though we may take different paths, we’ll always have our little family here.”

The crowd whooped and clapped for each senior receiving a diploma and when it was disabled student Wesley Tietjen’s turn, the applause became deafening.

Graduates paused mid-stage for photo ops. Some — like Brian Russell — pointed to their diplomas and smiled, while others made more personal statements: Jocelyn Reyes-Lopez unfurled a Mexican flag.

After moving their tassels to the left side of their mortarboards — an official sign of graduation — the students recessed, bumping fists and performing secret handshakes.

“These kids are outstanding: kind, compassionate, and driven,” Boyd said. “They’re not the future, they’re the present; they’re making a difference in the community right now. We’re in good hands.”