Submitted Photo Pictured is the Dunkirk High School Class of 2025 before the district’s 167th commencement ceremony.

As soon-to-be Superintendent Brian Swatland said, Dunkirk High School’s class of 2025 “truly embraced the joy of simply being kids one last time.”

This past weekend, that group got to walk across the King Concert Hall stage at SUNY Fredonia to celebrate their leap into adulthood as high school graduates. The ceremony was the 167th commencement for graduates of Dunkirk High School.

Swatland said to the class of 2025, “You didn’t just attend this school, you elevated and inspired it, and left it better than you found it.”

First to speak at the ceremony was Superintendent Michael Mansfield, who said he was honored to be with the graduates and their families for the ceremony, his last in the role of district superintendent. Mansfield was followed by the presentation of colors from the JROTC program, then the pledge of allegiance led by class of 2025 graduate Paul Trippy III. Dunkirk students then sang the national anthem.

Mansfield then passed the torch to Swatland, who recognized faculty, staff, and all those who helped plan the commencement ceremony, including Class of 2025 Advisors Kyle Jarrell and Michelle Gilmour. Swatland also paused to recognize all of those in attendance who served or plan to serve our nation in the armed forces.

“Class of 2025, as I look at you today, I don’t just see graduates. I see the young leaders who made this year unforgettable,” Swatland said. He credited the class with “a legacy of resilience, school spirit, and genuine care for one another.”

Swatland highlighted accomplishments of the class of 2025, beginning with the fall season of athletics. When mentioning a varsity football victory over Fredonia at the Orange Bowl, Swatland teased, “We can clap for that.”

Swatland later credited athletic achievements such as the girls bowling team earning a division title; boys basketball star Greg Orcutt Jr. becoming the second male to reach the 1,000-point scoring mark in his career; track and field stars Jareese Gaines and Johnee Thomas, who each made the trip to states; and the baseball team’s first sectional championship in over a decade.

Swatland later celebrated the Unified Club, various arts programs, the National Honor Society, Hispanic youth leaders, My Brother’s Keeper fellows, and P-Tech students as “true leaders in our community and beyond.” Swatland also referenced the school’s Black History Month celebration as a moving event that “demonstrated what authentic leadership and learning look like in the Dunkirk community.”

Class of 2025 President Lauryn McCracken said, “It’s truly unbelievable to think how we always believed we had so much time left, and somehow, that time has run out. We have been given the privilege to share so many memories and experiences as a class together.”

McCracken highlighted specific memories from each year dating back to middle school with her fellow classmates. She referenced both laser tag and the Dunkirk football win over Fredonia as senior year highlights. McCracken even played a part in Dunkirk’s football win with a touchdown-saving tackle on the Orange Bowl field. The same proud smile she had on her face on the sideline after her tackle that night was beaming on the stage at SUNY Fredonia for commencement.

Valedictorian Riley Smith Mallon said to his fellow graduates, “I am honored to represent all of you in this reflection of our academic journey.” He characterized their K-12 academic careers as “a wild ride for all of us.”

Smith Mallon fondly remembered earning prizes for reading achievements in elementary school. He called moving up to middle school “a scary new chapter in our lives”, followed by the pandemic, which only made middle school even more challenging. High school – which he described as “Part three of our adventure” – allowed for a return to normalcy as students formed bonds and strengthened skills for the future.

“We leave here today with the knowledge and skills necessary for the next chapters in our lives,” Smith Mallon said. “… I believe that every one of you has the ability to do great things. All it takes is hard work and perseverance.”

Salutatorian Aleah Dloniak-Kucmierz said of high school graduation, “It’s a big moment, one many of us have been waiting for since kindergarten – sometimes impatiently, and sometimes wondering if it would ever come.”

Dloniak-Kucmierz thanked the teachers of Dunkirk, as well as the Board of Education and administration. “Your leadership and support helped shape the environment we grew up in,” Dloniak-Kucmierz said. She also thanked families and friends of the class for their support.

Dloniak-Kucmierz said to her fellow classmates, “Even though we all are dressed identically today in caps and gowns, what really matters is that each of us is heading out with our own story, our own passions, and our own dreams. Congratulations, class of 2025. Let’s take what we have learned – both the lessons and the laughs, and maybe a little caffeine – and make the future ours.”

The John J. & Helen B. Mancuso Scholarships were awarded to Zoey Jasinski and Joshua Smith. The Dunkirk Teachers’ Association Scholarships were awarded to Jaziel Correa Gomez and Malorie Schmidt. The 2025 recipients of the Spirit of Dunkirk High School Award – Emma Ahlstrom and Mackenzie Curry – were welcomed on stage to lead the graduates in the turning of tassels. Aaliyah Morales led the graduates in tossing their caps in celebration.

Before leaping into the next stage of their lives, the graduates heard from Dunkirk teacher Steve Wright one last time, just before the ceremony concluded. Wright, the senior class’ most popular teacher, said to the class of 2025, “You have a voice, you have a purpose, and you have the Dunkirk community behind you, always.”