Penn Hills High School class of 2022 graduates
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Sydelle Brown could not stop herself from dancing across the stage and waving to everyone after she received her Penn Hills High School diploma on June 10.
She and about 240 other classmates strutted their stuff in the middle of the Yuhas-McGinley Stadium field.
“I wanted to be lit for the crowd because I’m a Brown,” she said following the ceremony. “I didn’t see (anyone) doing anything before me, so I wanted to get the crowd hyped. It feels very great (to graduate).”
Sydelle said some of her fond memories of Penn Hills include spending time with friends, Spirit Week and ‘90s days.
Her future plans include attending classes at Community College of Allegheny County Boyce Campus and possibly going on to major in psychology at a university.
For parents Curtis and Cassandra Brown, it was the end of an era. Sydelle, 17, is the youngest of 10 children and the eighth of the lot to graduate from Penn Hills.
One sibling graduated from a Christian school and another from Pittsburgh Public Schools. All of the children have gone on to college. Both parents said they felt proud and excited.
“It’s a wonderful legacy,” Curtis Brown said. “It comes to an end right now, but it has been a wonderful run. The staff and (Principal Eric) Kostic have been really good to our children over the years. We applaud what they’ve done and their efforts with the kids and how much they pour into them. We couldn’t be at a better place.”
There were 14 valedictorians with white caps and gowns. Other graduates wore the district colors red and gold.
Superintendent Nancy Hines spoke about the importance of community, people’s perception of the district and how students should “consider the glass half full.”
“As many of us know, Penn Hills is a very special place,” Hines said. “It is often misunderstood and unappreciated by those who do not know us. I often describe Penn Hills to outsiders as having blue-collar charm. I use that term in a very endearing way.
“I have seen first hand, and am very proud to be part of a community that maintains a dual focus that includes appreciation and respect of not only theory, but also practice. We know that true talent is not a function of diplomas, QPAs and degrees. We know personal value is not a function of income.”
Seniors expressed their creativity with various messages on their caps, including “To Be Continued,” “And My Story Continues,” “On to the Next Chapter” and “(Forget You) Who Doubted Me.”
Seniors Braden Starver and Jali Ransom-Rodriguez were among the student speakers.
Starver talked about three notions; courage, resilience and to be beautiful.
“To be beautiful is to experience embarrassment, shame, loss, anguish and heartbreak, but also success, jubilation and glory,” Starver said. He also spoke of how overcoming challenges can make people better individuals.
“We made it through Penn Hills, so let’s make it through the world,” Starver said.
Ransom-Rodriguez reflected on the students lost, overcoming the pandemic and how her fellow classmates must now balance life with newfound freedom.
“As young adults finally wrenching off on our own, we inherit the responsibility of freedom,” she said. “A responsibility some of us will take too lightly and have to stumble around life before gathering our bearings.
“Some of us have already been stumbling on our way to this moment, but we’ve made it. We are now at the end of the road … Take a moment and look around at our class. Together we have conquered covid, mass violence, asynchronous learning and all of the drama of high school.”
There was a moment of silence earlier in the program for three students who received diplomas posthumously: Day Boyd, Darin Hobdy and Jason Jackson.
School board president Erin Vecchio and vice president Jackie Blakey-Tate helped with diploma distribution.
List of graduates
Damon Agurs Jr., Abdullah Alkhaleel, Mykya Allen, Tyler Allen, Daiequan Alston, John Alston Jr., Justyn Alston, Tierra Anderson-Frost, Shauntay Bacchas, Oluwatimilehin Badru, Tamyia Bailey, Dallen Banks, Khalil Barley-Morrow, Chase Barney, Deanna Beloshetsky and Anthony Bettuccio.
Elizabeth Blackwell, Cheyenne Bopp, Timothy Bottoms Jr., Day Boyd, Kiera Boyko, Deijah Bracey, Magdalen Bradley, Abigail Brennan, Brandon Broadus, Jordan Broadus, Amaria Broadway-Springette, Raja Brooks, Nadiyah Brown, Sydelle Brown and Syrus Brown.
Trayvaughn Brown, Alexus Bryant, Francie Buckner, Amir Burchette, Gabrielle Burkovich, Phillip Burton Jr., Amonee Butler, Jazmine Byrd, Christopher Caban, Nadia Cain, Michael Caldwell Jr., Angel Calloway, Myla Calloway, Myla Calloway, Taylor Canonico, Lyric Carter and Quency Carter.
Tiante Cephas, Lynnai Chambers, Natausha Chambers, Calen Codrington, Marques Coffey, James Conn II, Kiya Corlew, Symphony Coto, Tahj Coto, Jack Craig, Terry Craig Jr., Erie Cruse, Cahil Cuttler-Glaze, Sariya Darwin, Makayla Davenport, Amya Davidson and Lataysha Diggs.
Jaden Dugger, Samantha Dymerski, Lamya Ebo, Eboni Engram, Deshae Eubank, Cierra Ewing, Taniya Dixon, Laycee Foster, Charles Frachioni, Taniya Franklin, Maurice Fridy Jr., Joshua Garland, Shania Genes, Koby George, Brittany Glaister, Roland Glenn Jr., Shantel Grant and Damarion Gray.
Amir Grigsby, Richard Hanna, Adam Harrington, Geneva Harris, Joshua Harris, Alayla Haynes, Aaliyah Heasley, Taylor Henderson, Kaylee Henry, Brendan Hill, Alyssa Hinkle, Darin Hobdy , Sophia Hoglund-McGuirk, Amya Holliday, Kiylei Holloway and Kari Holt.
Arielle Hoye, Jaelyn Hromanik, Leythan Hughes, Dradaya Hunter, Kyla Iarruso, Lloyd Irish III, Jason Jackson Raysaun Jackson, Brandin Johnson, Quinlan Johnson, Sean Johnson, Brady Jones, Elijah Jones, Jade Jones, Travis Keefe, Tyree Kelly and Danaiza Klassen.
Tahj Lambert, Deuana Lane, Madison Langer, Deuana Lang, Joshua Lee, Mackenzie Losser, Imani Love, Tayvon Ludovici-McKinstry, Nichelle Luster, Shane Lyons, Kiera Mack, Nyree Macklin, Galipu Maina, Aniya Mallory, Brayden Mallory, Brayden Mallory, Tameya Marshall and Micaiah Massie.
Jenna Matassa, Rachael McCann, Jeremy McCracken, Mary McGuire, Alexa McKee, Dream Miranda, Kimora Missouri, Deausa Mitchell, George Mitchell III, Kevin Mitchell III, Irelynn Moltz, Reno Moon, Cory Moore, Jayvon Moore, Aleasa Morrow, Asjanae Moses and Amaya Moyer.
Amier Murray-Turner, Meili Nanthavong, Camren Noel-Brown, Israel Ofseur, Baby Olverson, Akinyemi Orisajobi, Nathan Otley, Caden Paljavcsik, Anthony Palombo, Aki Parker, Allen Parker IV, George Pawlik III, Ethan Payne-Hawkins, Jaemir Perkins, Faith Petronio and Kaden Phipps.
Nicky Pierre, Miniya Pinnix, Austin Pivirotto, Vitaliano Pizzonia III, Cassius Prentice, Lucas Pugliese, David Queen-Walter, Trey Varela, Jali Ransom-Rodriguez, Aujaye Redman, Benjamin Reeves, Caden Reinke, Callie Reiser, Sarah Relyea, Amelia Ressler, Jose Rivera and Nia Rivet.
Eryn Roberson, Deshawn Robinson-Gassette, Ariana Rose, Luke Rose, Charles Rosemeyer, Aniya Ross, Brandon Russo, Supreme Saunders, Caleb Scholze, Thomas Senge, Jada Shaffer, Abdullah Shareef, Larrissa Shelby, Alyssa Shento, Madisyn Simmons, and Kristen Sipple.
Dazure Smith, Olivia Smith, Braden Starver, Joshua Stawski, Kiara-Lee Steele, Gary Stevenson, Elijah Stewart, Tyler Stewart, Dylan Stotler, Dominic Sullivan, Jordan Sullivan, Nicholas Sullivan, Jakaya Taylor, Treshaun Taylor, Tahara Taylor-Dorsey, Caitlyn Templer, Emma Terry and Tamya Terry.
Amir Thomas, Justin Thomas, Isaiah Thompson, Brandon Tierney, Ciara Turner, Sean Turner Jr., Gage Uselton, Xavier Vitalbo, Annie Vo, Pendragon Wachtel, Keith Walden III, Iashia Walford, Takarria Walker-Harris, Jasmyn Wallace-Milling, Romar Watts and Paige Webb.
Gianni White, Mikaila Wilkes, Troy Wilkins, Christian Williams, Jordan Williams, Raymeir Willis-Ausbrooks, Diara Wilson, December Witherspoon, Sanayah Wolf-Cunningham, Ajanae Young and Landyn Zigarovich.