Class of 2011 Graduates from Saucon Valley High School

Standing on the precipice of what will be the rest of their lives, the members of 's Class of 2011 were filled with optimism and enthusiasm Friday night, as they marked the transition from being high school seniors to graduates during Commencement Exercises held in the auditorium.

After the ceremony began with a moving performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by graduates Jeannine Riley and Christine Masucci, Class President Kristen Ferrani welcomed family and friends to the high school, which she said has been a special place for her and the 200 other graduates over the past four years.

"'Graduation' is the title of the book that's going to define our lives," Ferrani said.

She encouraged her classmates to be unafraid of what the future holds for them, "because that will take away from the experience."

"I think it's important to know that we shouldn't get too consumed with the future," she added, before eliciting a laugh from the audience by comparing the high school experience with one of life's often unmentioned necessities.

"High school's like toilet paper," Ferrani said, near the end of her remarks. "You only miss it when it's gone."

Salutatorian Patrick Kowalski, who will attend Penn State in the fall, told members of the audience that the Class of 2011 "accomplished a lot" in four years at Saucon Valley.

To his classmates, he offered this advice: "Don't limit yourself."

"Your goal next year should be to find something new about yourself" and to "focus on the good stuff," he added.

Delivering the second commencement address of the evening was Valedictorian Patrick Miller, who will attend Vanderbilt University in the fall.

Miller waxed nostalgic, when he reminisced that the Class of 2011 is the last Saucon Valley graduating class to include members who attended Reinhard Elementary School in Hellertown.

The 101-year-old school building, which was in use as an elementary school until the late 1990s, is scheduled to be demolished this summer.

Quoting Gandhi, Miller told his classmates that they must embrace change in order to make their world a better place.

"Many argue that modern American society has effectively blurred the lines between good and bad," he said. "I hope we can each, in some form--as Gandhi put it--be the change we want to be in the real world."

School district superintendent Sandra Fellin echoed those words of advice in her remarks to the Class of 2011, who she encouraged to take a relaxed but thoughtful approach to life.

"Live life as if you were at the beach," Fellin advised. 

At the beach, she explained, "everyone's happy. Everyone's getting along... Families are together, talking, walking, laughing, swimming, surfing."

"Be in the moment," she continued. "Appreciate all you have (and) love those around you, before they are gone."

School board president Lachlan Peeke told the sea of bright-eyed faces looking back at him from the stage to "be proud of your accomplishments."

"Be happy with who you are, where you are and what you are," he said. "Have confidence in your future. Have fun getting there."

Finally, Principal Eric Kahler told the Saucon Valley High School Class of 2011 to "leave your mark on the world, not for glamour, not for glory, but for the benefit of others."

"I am so proud of you becoming the young men and women that represent this school district so wonderfully," he said. "The future of this great land is in your hands, and I know you are up for the challenge."

The commencement exercises concluded with Kahler's formal presentation of the class and the turning of tassles on graduates' mortarboards, to indicate their transition from students to graduates.

After the school's "Alma Mater" was sung, the members of Saucon Valley High School's Class of 2011 recessed out of the auditorium and picture-taking and celebrating began in earnest.

CLASS OF 2011*

Arkady I. Apelchuk

Jade Lynn Appel

Faith E. Appolloni

Kristina Marie Arnold

Sara Beth Baab

Sandi Lynn Baer

Garrett E. Bartley

Daniel Bauder

Kelsey Beckett

Joshua Worthington Beedle

Sarah Beernink

Soumaya Bendjilali

Daniel T. Berardesca

Daniel Berger

Travis Russell Biechy

Neville R. Billimoria

Courtnie A. Bisson

Dayna Leyanne Bloch

Brian K. Bogart, Jr.

Jeremy B. Bohan

Katrina E. Bohnhorst

Kerry Borger, Jr.

Alex M. Bowen

Melissa R. Boyd

Daniel Anthony Brozoski

Alex Burgos

Katlyn Burns

Matthew T. Cao

Julie Carr

Brandon M. Carregal

Nicholas S. Carvis

Christopher J. Casale

Shannon Cassidy

Courtney Cawley

Michael R. Citrola

Jonathan Jeffrey Clark

Victoria Ann Clark

Sara Noelle Cote

Miranda Ann Craig

Desiree Cressman

Tyrell Hasan Cromwell

James Robert Cullen

Kyle Daniel

Samantha N. DaSilva

Kyle Davies

Ryan Alexander Davis

Patrick Liam Deegan

Elisabeth Yvonne Delmore

Margaret DeSalvio

Derrick Allen Deschler

Leona Lynn Deschler

Lindsay Michelle Diehl

Mary Kate Diehl

Jacob D. Dishong

Joshua Dylan Dishong

Daniel M. Doheny

Jenna Doklan

Zachery T. Duffy

Tyler Earle

Ashley M. Eckert

Brittany Ego

Jessica Ehritz

Roger Lee Eldredge, Jr.

Rebekah Evangelista

Kristy Anne Evans

Margaret FaRannte

Kelly Feher

Katrina Fenstermacher

Kristen B. Ferrani

Bryanna Fetzer

Abraham M. Figueroa

Trisha A. Filo

Chloe Fisher

Benjamin Alan Fistner

Venua Alexandria Fontanez

Brittany Nicole Ford

Eric Benjamin Frans

Gregory Frey

Michael Fye

Megan Elizabeth Geiter

Jacob Germanoski

Kyle John Gertz

Ian R. Gimbar

Timothy A. Gold II

Chelsea Green

Alec W. Guito

Jared D. Hagenbuch

Marina Ameys Hierl

Raynold Hill

Lori Ann Hillegass

Tanya Sarah Johnson

Patrick James Kane

Chelsea Lee Kaufman

Amanda Kehs

Kimberly Dwyer Kelly

Hailey M. Kemmerer

Lauren Elizabeth Kennedy

Samantha Jean Veronica Kiefer

Lyndsey T. Kincaid

David M. Kinker

Corrinne A. Kirk

Amanda Elizabeth Kirka

Sarah Marie Kish

Matthew J. Knauss

Jacob Ahren Knowles

Aimee Christine Konkolics

Patrick Kowalski

Anthony Kreitz

Austin G. Kuba

Greg Kurtz

Rachel LaBelle

Jonathan D. Lascelle

Kyle Edward Lascelle

Courtney M. Laub

Quantera A. Lightner

Brooke Kathryn Loller

Alyssa Lombardo

William Jesse Lopez

Michael Lee Luttinen, Jr.

John Anthony Lynch, Jr.

Kaila Ann Mackey

Sarah Rachel Macsek

John Tyler Mahoney

Eric Warren Mantz, Jr.

Samantha A. Marri

Danielle Brita Martin

Katherine L. Martin

Christine Masucci

Halina McCain

Michael J. McCall

Nigel McIntosh

Ellen McManus

Ryan G. McQueen

Stephanie Mettler

Monica Marie Michael

Patrick Michael Miller

Tyler J. Miller

Sean Morgan

Tyler Mosher

Cory A. Newhard

David R. Nonnemaker

Kirston Novisher

Daniel F. O'Connell

Zachary David Oatis

Jason Okken

Patrick C. Oliver

Allison Omdahl

Matthew David Orban

Chelsey Elizabeth Outman

Kelly Nicole Palenchar

Jonathan Pearson

Adam Michael Peterson

Todd Alan Pfeiffer

Paige Michelle Phillips

Kaitlyn Elizabeth Pinczok

Emily A. Polefka

Keri Lynn Polgar

Ailsa Reichard

Kevin Reilly-Rice

Andrew Edwin Remaly

Jonathan P. Remmey

Talia Patrice Richelieu

Jeannine Leigh Riley

Slobodan Ristic

Johanna Catherine Roche

Jesus M. Rodriguez

Kelsey L. Roetenberg

Morgan C. Rothacker

Kolby K. Rutherford

Michael Christian Sandberg

Triston L. Schafer

Samantha Schirner

John M. Schmidt

Cody D. Schneider

Jaimie Schneider

Tyler Patrick Seitter

Colton Shoenberger

Brandon Thomas Shuck

Jimmy Skibo

Sarah Elizabeth Snyder

Julia Deanne Solosky

Ashley W. Soong

Megan E. Stack

Alyssa Victoria Stahler

Andrew J. Stauffer

Cheyenne Stickel

Lenard Stimmell, Jr.

Britney Stiver

Dimitrios C. Valianatos

Danielle A. Van Buren

Erika B. Velho

Christopher James Voag

Melissa S. Wagner

Jillian Washburn

Erika Weisbach

Andrea White

Coryn J. Wister

Paige Marie Wolst

James E. Yob

Alexa Young

Lucas Young

* Names listed in the official program for the Commencement Exercises of Saucon Valley High School, Class of 2011, June 17, 2011. Names listed do not necessarily confirm completion of graduation requirements.

CLASS OF 2011 GRADUATION AWARDS*

American Association of University Women Scholarship (Bethlehem Branch) - Katrina Bohnhorst

Annie Scholarship - Andrew Stauffer

Best of the Best Scholarship Award Program - Kelsey Roetenberg

Bethlehem Apparatus Company Award - Kyle Daniel

Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School Awards

• Best of the Best Scholarship - Jonathan Remmey
• Bridges Scholarship - Ryan Davis, Leona Deschler, Eric Mantz, Jr., Jonathan Remmey
• Elmer Gates Enterprise Award - Ryan Davis
• Outstanding Co-Op Student in Welding - Jonathan Remmey
• Perfect Attendance Award - Eric Mantz, Jr., Jonathan Remmey

Bethlehem Teachers Federal Credit Union Scholarship - Sarah Kish

Colonial League Academic All-Stars - Samantha DaSilva, Patrick Kowalski

Congressman Charles W. Dent Good Citizenship Award - Julie Carr

DAR Good Citizenship Award - Shannon Cassidy

The Donley Award for Excellence - Kyle Daniel

Elmer Gates Enterprise Award - Leona Deschler

Margaret M. Fitzpatrick Memorial Scholarship - Patrick Michael Miller

GFWC-PA Woman's Club Scholarship - Paige Wolst

GFWC-PA Woman's Club Vocational-Technical School Award - Andrew Stauffer

Erik Grubb Memorial Award - Daniel Brozoski

Hellertown Chamber of Commerce Phyllis M. Schnaible Merit Scholarship Award - Andrew Stauffer

Hellertown Lions Club Scholarships - Andrew Stauffer, Paige Wolst

IESI Bethlehem Landfill Environmental Excellence Scholarship - Lindsay Diehl, Austin Kuba

The Sandy Lance Memorial Scholarship - Kristen Ferrani

The David W. Lang Memorial Scholarship - Samantha DaSilva, Patrick Kowalski

Dolores R. Luna Memorial Spanish Award - Lindsay Diehl

National Merit Scholar Program Commended Student - Patrick Miller

National School Choral Award - Christine Masucci

National School Marching Band Award - Austin Kuba

National School Orchestra Award - Tanya Johnson, Christine Masucci

Phi Delta Kappa Award - Emily Polefka

The Prosser Foundation Memorial Scholarship - Alex Bowen, Erika Weisbach

The Reichard Scholarship in Memory of Theresa and Robert Reichard by sons Robert Reichard, Jr. and Ronald C. Reichard - Nicholas Carvis

St. Luke's Hospital Volunteer Escort Service Mary Frances Kuklentz Scholarship - Nicholas Carvis

Saucon Valley Alumni Association Scholarship - Ian Gimbar

Saucon Valley Education Association, M.E. Illick Award - Patrick Michael Miller

Saucon Valley High School Faculty Mae Cowherd and Arthur Oplinger Award - Katrina Fenstermacher

Saucon Valley High School Band Director's Award - Kyle Daniel, Lori Hillegass

Saucon Valley Jaycees Community Service Award - Andrew Stauffer

Saucon Valley Lions Club Scholarship - Alex Bowen

Saucon Valley Lions Club Vocational-Technical School Award - Eric Mantz, Jr.

Saucon Valley Teachers Award - Melissa Boyd

Ernie Savakis Memorial Scholarship - Sara Baab, Jonathan Pearson

Second Mile Community Service Award - Sara Cote

The Steven C. Shermetta Memorial Scholarship - Kristen Ferrani, Jason Okken

The Rhonda Smith Memorial Scholarship - Benjamin Fistner

The Carolyn Snellman Memorial Scholarship - Austin Kuba

Society of Women Engineers Awards

• Highest Honor in Science and Mathematics (certificate) - Kelsey Roetenberg
• High Honor in Science and Mathematics (certificate) - Samantha DaSilva
• Honor in Science and Mathematics (certificate) - Julie Carr

Sons of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award - Eric Frans

John Philip Sousa Band Award - Christine Masucci

Travelers Protection Association of America Altruism Award - Benjamin Fistner

UNICO (Italian-American) Scholarship, Bethlehem Chapter - Sarah Kish

United States Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award - Melissa Boyd, Ian Gimbar

United States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award - Arkady Apelchuk

United States Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award - Kyle Daniel, Tanya Johnson

United States Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award - Samantha Marri

Veterans of Foreign Wars Award, Post 3094 - Patrick Miller

Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Award, Post 3094 - Samantha DaSilva

Marian Wisser Scholarship - Paige Wolst

The Roland J. Wotring Scholarship in memory of M. Louise Neuweiler Wotring - Arkady Apelchuk, Christine Masucci

Zeswitz Instrumental Music Award - Kelsey Roetenberg

* Names listed in the official program for the Commencement Exercises of Saucon Valley High School, Class of 2011, June 17, 2011.