Lancaster, PA—As McCaskey High School senior Zoe Patterson addressed the school’s 91st commencement ceremony, she reflected on the emotions, experiences, and challenges at each step in an educational journey, from elementary through high school.
“We all waited our lives for these moments,” she said, “to only exist as our memories.”
Patterson and the 673 members of McCaskey’s Class of 2025 said they are ready to look to the future.
“For your last assignment,” she said, “you have the rest of your life to complete it. What story will you leave behind and what will your next chapter hold? What will you write next?”
Nearly half of the Class of 2025 plans to attend college in the fall, attending schools such as Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Franklin & Marshall, Millersville, NYU, Vassar, and the University of Pennsylvania. Others are joining the U.S. military, including the Army and the Marines.
A large number of students, nearly one in three, plans to enter the workforce, in careers ranging from the skilled trades to live events to healthcare.
“It’s in all of our differences, our various backgrounds, personalities, and stories, that have allowed us to find our strengths,” said senior Christopher Cruz-Hernandez, who was the first speaker to address the class during the ceremony program.
“Our individuality isn’t what isolates us,” he added. “It’s what connects us—because by embracing who we are, we’ve built a class that’s truly unique.”
Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace gave her final commencement address before she steps down as Mayor at the end of her term in January.
“Thank you, SDoL, for the opportunity to be a parent, and also to walk alongside the leadership team to build a better Lancaster, block by block,” she said. “Class of 2025, you will hold a special place in my heart.”
During the ceremony, the school inducted Genesis Castro as the 51st member of the McCaskey Hall of Honor, the highest award a graduating senior receives. An outstanding student academically, Castro was also a PIAA state champion in discus, served in the principal’s cabinet, and was a member of the Eco Club. She plans to attend Monmouth University on an academic and athletic scholarship.
A musical quartet of Jessa Groff, Annika Locke, Lauren Snell, and Sophia Thompson performed ABBA’s “Thank You for the Music” as a tribute to the school’s music faculty and programs.
The program concluded with a brief fireworks display as graduates tossed their caps in the air and posed for selfies and pictures with friends, savoring a moment to live as a memory.
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