Fox Chapel Area High School senior Anna Mohn believes asking odd questions is among the best ways to get to know someone.
As editor of the school’s weekly student newspaper, she has sought knowledge such as someone’s hype song, what they are most thankful for and their favorite word.
Mohn said being curious has allowed her to go beyond what is seen in a classroom, on stage, on a field or social media.
Her final question — “What is your favorite type of cheese?” — was asked during her graduation speech on June 8 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland.
“There (is) so much more to someone’s story than their highlight reel,” Mohn said. “Learning the unique fun facts that make someone who they really are allows us to break down this wall of curated perfection and truly understand one another. Our society has taught us to assume, but today I encourage you to be curious.”
Reflecting on shared experiences became a major theme in the messages to the more than 300 new alumni, as did giving thanks to parents and others who supported the students along the way.
Graduates sat calmly in their red caps and gowns following performances by the high school symphonic band and assemblage. Some had artistic designs and flowers on their caps, while others had college logos like the Penn State Nittany Lion. A couple of caps had 2025 accented with sparkles, while one grad had a collage of her cats.
Michael Hower, lead principal of the high school, noted that he’s an avid boater. He shared some advice on exploration.
“Wear some of that sunblock that your loved ones gave you,” Hower said. “It is really important to heed their advice because they only have your best interests in mind. Second, people will always judge the decisions that you have made and the way in which direction to steer your boat, but they don’t always know the choices that you’ve had. So, make sure that you’re kind to yourself along the way.
“Third, never take criticism from anyone that you would not ever let take the wheel. Lastly, if you want to make the wrong decision before you set out to sea, make sure you take the time to literally ask everyone. The point is, trust your gut and trust the people that gave you the sunblock. Those are the ones that are going to help steer you along the way.”
Senior Rohit Velankar represented the students-at-large and talked about an old hand-me-down graphic T-shirt with a weathered gas station in the desert at night with the question, “Where do we go from here?”
He said the apparel changed his speech to the class. Pondering the shirt’s question resulted in the consideration of exploring and celebrating where they came from, as well as their future.
“Like the coffee that we drank to stay awake in chemistry, moving on is bittersweet but ultimately necessary,” Velankar said. “At the gas station, we filled up our fuel tanks with knowledge to keep us going, inflated our tires with the resilience against bumps in the road. Spent our parents’ money on mac’n cheese bites. Now that we have the key in the ignition, it begs the question, ‘Where do we go from here?’ The answer is onward.”
Student body vice president Kellan Bleier introduced English teacher Thomas O’Connor, who reflected on student preparation, apparel worn to class and how a raised hand to a thought-provoking or open-ended question came with a request to go to the bathroom.
His speech received multiple moments of laughter. O’Connor also asked the roughly 3,000 attendees to bring their cellphones to the front and they would get them back at the end of the ceremony.
“Sorry, that’s a force of habit,” O’Connor said. “Speaking of these, when a baby becomes fussy or cries, parents give them a pacifier and they are soothed. When (students) become fussy, you take this (cellphone) and you are soothed and calmed by your pacifier. … This thing certainly has made things easier and faster, but I think that having your head down for 18 hours a day in this is preventing you from fully enjoying life.”
He told students to “be real” and keep their heads up as they move on from the district.
School board president Marybeth Dadd offered celebratory remarks to the graduates and their families.
Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac accepted the class and encouraged them to be kind.
Senior scholars representative Gabrielle Generett focused on a line from a Maya Angelou poem: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”
Featured Local Businesses
High school program principals Michelle Young and Nicole Smith read the names of the graduates with the enthusiasm of main event boxing announcers.
School board members assisted with diploma distribution.
A video of commencement was posted on the district’s YouTube page.
Graduate list
Youssef Ahmed Abdelsalam*
Jennifer Sydney Adamo**
Caleb Ross Adams**
Jackson Philip Adams
William Joseph Adams
Omar Mohammad Al-bataineh***
Zaid Al Maghazachi*
Tessa Elizabeth Allan*
Taylor Jane Aluise
Ainsley Veronica Anderson**
Ava Irene Andrascik*
William Tyler Apitsch
Claire Adele Auffenberg**
Murugan Velayutham Ayyanar***
Mikhail Bagrov**
Kent Baker*
Talin Ellis William Ball
Kristofer Eli Bandurski
Katherine Jane Banyas**
Matthew Robert Begg**
Sydney Ann Bennett
Sophia Maria Berger*
Jack Sebastian Bergmann**
Parker David Biehl*
Brennan Harris Bielawski*
Tyanne Georgia Binion
Baustin Sofia Bitar**
David Antonio Black***
Kellan John Bleier*
Lilah Parker Blyth**
Emilia Rose Boleng*
Ridglee Carroll Boychuk**
Jonathan Eli Branch*
Shane Albert Browell*
Lincoln Jacob Burgess**
Adelyn Noelle Bursick**
Maleke Jelani Butler-Austin
Aidan James Byrnes*
Judah Aaron Casey**
Dominic Peter Casile**
Luca Sebastian Catone
Cameron Rae Cavlovich
Shallah I-Peace Cehum*
Henry Ames Chamberlain*
Rebecca Yo-Hui Chang**
Isabella Renee Cheatham**
Zoean Sachin Chittur**
Milo Lok Chiu**
Mohamad Tarek Chok**
Malik Choset**
Maurena Rachel Cilenti*
Everett Russell Clanton**
Alison Lorraine Clark**
Derrick Michael Clements*
Sophia Grace Clouse*
Nicholas Andrew Clump***
Jayla Shantel Cohen*
Ava Noelle Condron**
Elena Grace Curran**
Marin Scott Cusano**
Robert Daniels Jr.
Christian Elom-Lau Dantey**
Anna Catala Delale-O’Connor***
Megan Henning Delaney**
Molly Kathryn Delaney*
Eleanor Grace Dering**
Gabrielle Elizabeth DeVita*
Noelle Grace Dick***
Emanuel James DiNatale Jr.**
Anhquan Dinh**
Maya Katherine DiPasquale***
Emma Grace Donovan**
Olivia Kate Dugan*
Marina Kay Dunham**
Jacob Todd Duppstadt
Avrianna Lorraine Ebig*
Reed Mark Echnat**
Kai David Yoshinobu Edwards***
Paden Alexander Eury
Mark Nicholas Farah**
Claire Elizabeth Feczko***
Brooke Natalie Fenton***
Benjamin Michael Fiedler***
Vie Grace Filar*
Ethan Bryant Filter*
Jonathan Charles Finch
Amelia Joy Finn
Timothy Robert Fire*
Regina Rae Fitzsimmons*
Liam Michael Foley**
Tommaso Davide Fontecchio*
Anthony Xavier Fourquet
Riley Rose Francis-Perka*
Mary Ann Frauenholz**
Mason Finn Friday**
Landon Christopher Funk*
Stephan Vittoria Fusaro**
James Michael Gaghan IV*
Ethan Nicholas Gale
Gabrielle Givens Generett***
Owen Alexander George*
Ava Marie Gerasole
Selin Geylani**
William Kaveh Ghaznavi*
Josephine Christiane Giguere**
Maria Lynn Gill
Talan Richard Gniewkowski
Robert Warren Goehring III**
Tyler Samuel Goldstein**
Milan Dev Golla**
Caden John Goodworth**
Lindsay Elizabeth Gould**
Madeline Paige Grimsley**
Joshua Robert Gunzenhauser*
Parker Jake Haberman*
Jackson Reed Hagler**
Shahed Hamada**
D’Angelo Rayjon Hamilton
Gabriella Julianne Hample*
Natalie Grace Hanlon**
Adam Peter Hartmann
Jude Thomas Hasenpflug**
Brody Brian Helsel*
Chase Anthony Hendren**
Cooper Payne Hendren**
Alaina Sonali Batra Hershey***
Brianna Christine Hnatow**
Zayne Vaughn Holmes
Finnigan Cutty Holton*
Justin Robert Horne**
Shayna Rose Horwitz*
Riley Katherine Hourvitz*
Owen Young Howell***
Rayna Lu Huang***
Sydney Hudock
Tristan Alexander Huffine
Moonyoung Hwang**
Francesca Gemma Iasella**
Nicholas Michael Ingramm**
John Thomas Jarvis**
Ella Raine Jennings**
Etash Jhanji***
Patton Alexander Johnson***
Brady Morgan Johnston
Daniel John Jones
Madeleine Lorraine Jones***
Ariana Elizabeth Mae Kaiser*
Caden Desmond Scott Kaiser*
Nicole haeun Kang*
Ryan David Kaufman*
Seamus Q. Kelley
Adin Noel Kelly
Alex Gwanghyun Kim*
Sahara Lily Kinderlehrer*
Kolton Robert King*
Alana Ann King-Bennett
Anna Katherine Kintner**
Haley Elizabeth Kiro
Davis Franklin Kittsley*
Nathaniel Richard Klamut**
Jonah Edward Kline***
Liam Patrick Koffler**
Grace Elizabeth Kovach***
Maisie Sarah Krajcovic*
Featured Local Businesses
Micah Charles Kramer*
Adeline Jane Kress**
Evan John Krieg
Carson Thomas Krushansky*
Arnim Kuchhal***
Blake Dylan Kuhn**
Joseph Telios Kuhns***
Paris Marie Kulikowski
Daniel Dexter Kwiatkowski III**
Adam Matthew Laing*
Charles Bradley Larsen**
Antonio LeDonne*
Vaughn Anthony Leventry*
Weidi Li***
Pablo Marcelo Linzoain**
Douglas Charles Lisotto
Riley Lynne Little
Joshua David Lowe**
Kaelynn Elizabeth MacFarlane
Nathan Richard Mackey**
Eamonn Kahlil Mahone**
William James Marcussen III**
Timothy Paul Marks III
Lincoln Edward Marshal
Peter Anthony Mascilli**
Lily Justine Massaro**
Preston William Mazzie
Dylan James McCaffrey*
Daniel Jeriel McCree
Isa Stone McCutcheon*
Devon Grimsby McDonald**
Davis Andrew McDonnell
Cooper Michael McIntyre
Owen Parker Mettrick
Sarah Jean Michalak*
Noah Robert Miller**
Alina Kaye Minturn***
Stella Marie Minturn***
Anna Grace Mohn**
Aniket Mohnot**
Jacob James Henry Mooney
Jayson Andrew Morado
Kyle Alessandro Moreira*
Rileigh Anabelle Morgan*
Isaac Robert Moser*
Wyatt Jack Muller**
Bekhruz Mumindzhanov
Kennedy Ann Murton**
Avanti Muvvala**
Swati Sevanthi Mylarappa*
Salome Alejandra Navas Grijalva**
Victor Dominic Nernberg*
Zhana Elise Neumann***
Justin Minh Nguyen*
Tiffany Ngoc Nguyen**
Rachel Evelyn Nist**
Osman Nurmuhammedov*
Rowan Michael O’Brien
Sean Emmett O’Connell**
Liam Joseph O’Donnell**
Alaina Rose OKunewick**
Kyle Matthew Santos Ong**
Aidan Lee Ortz**
Pierce Bergier Osterholm***
Gavin Michael Owings
Sangyon Park**
Hannah Criss Parker**
Sarah Joyce Pasquella*
Augustin Asher Passerrello-Carnevali
Natalie Marie Patel**
Nicholas Susanj Patel**
Gianna Grace Patterson**
Rachel Kathryn Pegher***
Jillian Christina Pelcher*
Benjamin Edwin Perez**
Lynda May Perez
Vanessa Christzareth Perez Milano**
Ava Sophia Persichetti**
Shay Bella Pick*
Melisa Azua Pietz**
Francesco John Pistella**
Rocco Silvio Pistella**
Nina Isabella Marina Polderman
Luca John Poli**
Rebecca Marie Poole**
Riley James Puklus*
Alyssa Ann Quackenbush**
Meera Churku Reddy***
Varnujah Rengaramanujam Kanagaraj**
Madison Elise Resek*
Mary Grace Rhodes*
Matthan Robert Ricci*
Josiah Lee Rivera**
Hyunoh Ro***
Gabriel Luc-Thomas Rongier
Adina Michalah Rosen**
Addison Aneilia Rossi**
Margaret Mae Rusche**
Sophia Rose Rzeszotarski**
Simren Sahni
Varad Sant**
Graeson Anthony Santucci**
Cecily Christine Sarra*
Finnigan James Saunders***
Keegan Joseph Scanlon**
Natalia Lauren Schaffer*
Avery Jean Schapira**
William Edward Schlegel
Caleb Jonathan Schreckengost
Joseph Henry Seifried**
Autumn Violet Sheehan*
Gretchen Rose Shelestak***
Ezra Samuel Shensa**
Caleb Benjamin Shirk***
David John Shurina*
Sienna Raquel Siegel**
Rafael Oliveira Seixas Silva
Austin James Sines
Caroline Catherine Slember**
Caitlin Elizabeth Smith
Charlotte True Catherine Smith*
Hannah Elise Smith**
Tye Alexander Smith
Bethany Marie Snook**
Amanda Grace Sokol**
Ayla Solomon
Paige Elyse Solomon**
David Philip Sorisio**
Henry McLain Stallings*
Holden Francis Starz*
Aidan Jacob Stein*
Emma Elizabeth Stein**
Ariana Michelle Stevenson**
Maria Jean Stiger*
Jane Patricia Stone***
Mia Andrea Stover*
Rowan Joshua Straw**
Cameron Richard Swack*
Gianna Angelina Tavolario**
Victoria Leigh Taylor
Oliver Alan Terrick**
Sophie Miranda Thorne**
Landon Hudson Torres*
Luke Christopher Tsai**
Edith Louise Tuthill
Samuel James Ummer**
Bella Theresa-Lyn Urso**
Ethan Tyler Vaughan**
Rohit Sachin Velankar**
Alexandra Rose Vita*
Jack Braxton Viti*
Haylee Vorchak
Colette Marie Walter**
Andrea XinYi Wang*
Jing Wang
Christopher David Warneke II
Teagan Elizabeth Welty*
Asher William White**
Mya Grace Wilson**
Liam Brian Wiseman**
Michael Robert Worsen*
Caterina Wu**
Nola Yagusic
Timothy Dong Ye**
Nathan Edward Yeske*
Kahlil Elijah Young**
Altai H Yumak**
Harmony Jade Zaccagnini*
Owen Alexander Zaremby*
Luca Alessandro Zgurzynski**
JinLiang Zhang**
Yuqi Zhou**
Bradford Donald Zimmerman*
John Richard Zottola
Recognitions
Highest Honor ***
High Honor **
Honor *