Grand Island Board of Education honors top 10 graduates

Story and Photo by Alice Gerard

Senior Contributing Writer

At its March 10 meeting, the Grand Island Central School District Board of Education honored the Class of 2025’s top 10 graduates.

“Tonight, we are proud to recognize our Grand Island High School academic top 10 students for the Class of 2025,” said Hillary Kretz-Harvey, principal of Grand Island High School. “These students have demonstrated exceptional dedication, perseverance and commitment to academic excellence throughout their high school careers. Their achievements are a testament to their hard work, intellectual curiosity, and their passion for learning. Beyond their impressive GPAs, these students have balanced rigorous coursework, including AP courses and honors classes, while also excelling in extracurricular activities, leadership roles and service to our school and community. Each of these students has made a lasting impact on our school, and we have no doubt they will continue to achieve great things in their future.”

Dr. Brian Graham, superintendent of the Grand Island Central School District, asked the students to describe as fully as they could their plans for their next steps:

• Grace Carpenter (valedictorian) plans to attend Houghton University for biochemistry.
• Kailyn Ash (salutatorian) plans to attend SUNY at Buffalo to study biochemistry on the pre-med track.
• Kiera Murray plans to attend Mount Aloysius College to study nursing and play Division III lacrosse.
• Isabella Burt plans to attend Pitt University (University of Pittsburgh) for neuroscience.
• Evan Pickering hadn’t yet chosen his school. He said he plans to “study something STEM-related.”
• Anna Cipollitti, who hadn’t yet chosen her school, said she plans to study education.
• Zoe Anna Weselak plans to attend Buffalo State University, where she will study fashion design.
• Hailey Green, who hadn’t yet chosen her school, plans to study engineering.
• Alper Celik, who hadn’t yet chosen his school, plans to study engineering.
• Madelyn Gallagher plans to attend D’Youville University to study pharmacy and to play soccer.