A TURNING POINT IN OUR LIVES: Shenandoah graduates reflect on years past, road ahead
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - JayLynn Endicott gathers streamers that flew after the Shenandoah Valley Class of 2025 officially became graduates of the high school on June 2, 2025 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
SHENANDOAH – “For the past four years, I’ve been looking forward to this moment. And now that I’m actually standing here, all I can think about is looking back.”
“I guess that’s what happens when your speech topic is ‘reflection,’ suddenly you’re seeing everything through a rearview mirror.”
Class of 2025 At A Glance
Graduates: 84
Valedictorian: John Boctor
Salutatorian: Morgan Labosky
Class Speaker: Angelique Zamudio Carmen
Class Officers
President: John Boctor
Vice President: Dante Garcia
Treasurer: Brayden Maksimik
Secretary: John Burke
Co-Historians: Morgan Labosky and Angelique Carmen Zamudio
Class Colors
Black and White
Class Flower
Rose
Class Song
“Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Class Motto
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory,” Dr. Seuss.
Shenandoah Valley Valedictorian and Class President John Boctor shared these words with his fellow graduates during Monday night’s commencement ceremonies at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the west end.
At SV, the valedictorian, salutatorian, and class speaker each speak on the three “R’s.” Reflection, Respect, and Responsibility.
Boctor, for his speech, said reflection is “not about living in the past.”
“It’s about understanding how we got to right here, right now,” he said.
“Four years ago, we walked through those doors thinking we had it all figured out,” Boctor said. “We had our expectations, our plans, our ideas about how high school would go. Reality had other plans.”
“And honestly? Reality’s version turned out way more interesting,” Boctor said. “I keep thinking about those moments when nothing went according to plan.”
Boctor recalled the days of the coronavirus pandemic during freshman year.
Split schedules, teachers moving from room-to-room instead of students.
“At the time, it felt like everything was falling apart,” Boctor said. “Looking back now, I can see that was actually when everything started coming together, just not in the way we expected.”
“When I really think about these four years, what strikes me most is how much we’ve changed without even realizing it,” he added. “We came here as kids who thought growing up meant having all the answers. We’re leaving as young adults who’ve learned that the best questions are usually the ones we didn’t know we should be asking.”
Morgan Labosky, salutatorian, spoke on Respect, saying it “is more than just a rule we’re told to follow or a word printed on a poster hanging throughout the school.”
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“It’s the foundation of everything meaningful in life,” Labosky said. “It means recognizing the value in others and in ourselves. It means listening, even when we disagree. It means doing what’s right, not for recognition, but simply because it’s the right thing to do. And it means holding ourselves accountable, even when no one is watching.”
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Ayden Zamudio looks on. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – George Lopez Vasquez leads the Class of 2025 in the singing of the National Anthem. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Gordon Slater looks on. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Tristian Karosas looks on. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – The brand new grandstands at Veterans Memorial Stadium are packed as the Class of 2025 commencement ceremonies are held. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – A decorated cap of a Shenandoah Valley graduate. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Decorated caps of Shenandoah Valley graduates.
“Tonight marks a turning point in our lives. We’re stepping out of high school and into a world full of unknowns,” Labosky added. “It will challenge us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine yet. But wherever we go, the lesson of respect will follow. It will help us build meaningful relationships. It will guide our decisions. And it will remind us to treat ourselves and others with the respect we all deserve.”
Class Speaker Angelique Zamudio Carmen spoke to hear peers about responsibility.
“After 12 long years of rigorous work and perseverance, we sit together one last time as a class, reflecting on our memories,” she said. “These previous years have had an abundance of demanding courses, mountains of homework, and difficult tests.”
“I can remember staying up late studying and revising vocabulary till the early hours of the morning,” she added. “Even though we all complained about these tedious assignments, we’ve made it to the end, and now I understand that all of our effort and hard work has paid off, we can celebrate our successes and begin the next chapter of our lives.”
“As a class, we are dedicated and committed to working toward our goals,” Zamudio said. “Several of us have taken leadership in our extracurriculars, such as being captains and officers. This has given us the responsibilities and opportunities to guide, lead, and uplift.”
Boctor took the podium again for his speech as class president.
“I figured you’ve heard enough from me for one night, so I won’t bore you by going through the whole list of [admin, dignitaries, etc.] again,” he quipped.
“Everyone keeps telling us the same thing: ‘Go out there and chase your dreams,’ and they’re absolutely right. We should. We’ve put in the work, we’ve earned our place here, and we deserve to go after everything we want in life,” Boctor said. “But there’s something else I really want to talk about tonight-something I hope we all carry with us as we leave this place.”
The things that will truly make you happy in this life aren’t things. They’re people,” he added. “The people who pick up the phone when you call at 2am. The ones who celebrate your wins like they’re their own. The people who see you-really see you-and love you not because of what you’ve accomplished, but just because you’re you.”
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Shenandoah Valley Class of 2025 Valedictorian John Boctor speaks during commencement ceremonies on June 2, 2025. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Shenandoah Valley Class of 2025 Salutatorian Morgan Labosky speaks during commencement exercises. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Class of 2025 Class Speaker Angelique Zamudio Carmen speaks during commencement exercises. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – John Boctor gives a heart gesture to family and friends in the crowd. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Brayden Maksimik embraces mom Trisha during commencement exercises at Shenandoah Valley. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Streamers fly after the now-graduates turned their tassels. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – George Lopez Vasquez leads the band in the playing of the Alma Mater. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL
He passed the mantle to Jasmin Hurtado, president of the Class of 2026.
She referred to the class of 2025 as “truly inspiring to us underclassmen.”
“Your dedication and hard work has been shown throughout the years,” Hurtado said. “Knowing many of you, one side of me is sad to see you go, but the other side is very proud of all you have accomplished.”
In her speech of congratulations and good wishes, she switched to Spanish midway through.
Translated back to English, she said. “I want to take the time to congratulate all those who came to this country in search of better opportunities. I want to congratulate you for your dedication and the effort you have put in. Despite the difficulty of learning the language, today is a day to be proud of yourselves for everything you have achieved. Being here today is a great example that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Never give up.”
In English, she concluded, “as class president I promise to pass on the legacy you have left to us. Today is a day to celebrate your accomplishments and I truly wish you the best of luck in pursuing your goals.”
Superintendent Brian Waite said members of the Class of 2025 are headed to Princeton, Villanova, Bloomsburg, Shippensburg, Penn State, and more, with $6.8 Million in scholarship funds, pursuing careers in fields like economics, nursing, engineering, computer science, cyber security, biology, kinesiology, pharmacy and exercise science.”
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Five students are joining the armed forces and numerous others are headed for the workforce, he said.
“This ceremony does not define who you are,” Waite said. “Who you are—and who you will become—is defined not by a tassel turned or a diploma received, but by the quality of your character, your compassion for others, your determination in the face of adversity, and your ability to uplift those around you. It is your grit, your perseverance, your vision for a better world, and the desire to better yourselves that truly sets you apart.”
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