Class of 2025 Commencement

On May 17, 2025, Shorecrest Preparatory School celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2025. Of the 87 graduates, nearly a third of the group chose to personalize their learning through Shorecrest signature programs including 10 Global Scholars, 12 in the STEAM Signature Program and a variety of independent studies. 10% are student-athletes committed to play at the college level and many are award-winning artists on the stage and in the studio. 

Family and friends filled the Janet Root Theatre as trustees, faculty, and the Class of 2025 processed to their places on stage. The ceremony opened with a heartfelt welcome from Head of School, Nancy Spencer, who offered reflections on the character and spirit of the class:

“This is a class made up of 87 individuals, whose creativity and work ethic have developed the confidence necessary to be leaders in our world today. Through joyful events and times of sorrow and hardship, this class has come together to support each other and our School. Their commitment to each other, along with the involvement and learning that has been displayed by these seniors, defines what it means to be a successful Shorecrest graduate.”

Next, the Class of 2025 Salutatorian, Sabrina Everhart ‘25, addressed her classmates about their uncertain futures, and assured them they are capable and resilient.

“The ‘real world’ we’ve been so subtly warned we’re entering needs our bravery,” Sabrina spoke. “It needs people who think boldly, lead with courage and act with empathy. If there’s one thing we choose to carry from our time at Shorecrest … let it be the belief that we are more than capable of facing what lies ahead. Not because we’ll never be afraid, but because we’ve learned how to move forward anyway.”

Erich Schneider, Head of Upper School, followed. He recognized the 25 students from the Class of 2025 who are Shorecrest “Lifers,” and attended Shorecrest for 12 years or more. 

Next, the ceremony turned personal and heartfelt as student-selected speaker Max Baschinsky ‘25, known for his voice behind the Chargers’ sports broadcasts, shared a reflection that highlighted the deep bonds of friendship in the class:

“I think I speak for everyone when I say the unwavering support we provide each other is infectious. When it’s the last class of the day and many of us have our free period (meaning we can leave early), our gratitude for one another keeps many of us at school until the bell, choosing to be a constant part of this community. You know it’s impressive when Fatima asks us why we haven’t left yet!”

The ceremony also featured Honored Community Speaker and Visual Arts Faculty Casey McDonough, who brought both humor and humanity to the stage as he recalled the wisdom once displayed on the bathroom walls of his childhood home by his late mother. He prefaced his remarks with a gentle reminder of their authenticity:

“I want to state outright that none of the speech you are about to hear was generated by, reviewed by, corrected by or otherwise influenced by AI in any way. A human wrote this.”

In a touching moment of remembrance, he acknowledged the collective loss still felt by the class:

“I would say to the folks on stage who continue to process the loss of their friend and classmate, focus on all of the ways he affected your life while he was still with us, rather than the pain of his absence. Long Live Graham.”

Bringing his trademark energy and humor to the stage, “Mr. Spirit” Tommy Murphy ’25 delivered a lively student reflection that captured the camaraderie and character of the Class of 2025:

“Resilience and loyalty—those are two strengths everyone in this room should cherish. Because you don’t often find a group of people who will teach you some of the greatest life lessons just by being who they are.”

It is a tradition at Shorecrest to name an Outstanding Senior each year. This member of the graduating class returns in ten years to speak at Commencement. Mr. Schneider named Salutatorian Sabrina Everhart ‘25 the Outstanding Senior of the Class of 2025.

(On Monday Sabrina came back to campus to have a photo taken with the second graders to whom she will speak in 10 years at their Commencement.)

Keeping with tradition, the Commencement Speaker was the Outstanding Senior from a decade earlier. Anne Michelle Frey ‘02, Assistant Head of Upper School and Academic Dean, introduced Jackson Willis ‘15, the Valedictorian and Outstanding Senior from the Class of 2015, and also Shorecrest Lifer and Legacy student. She detailed his many academic and humanitarian accomplishments, which served as a powerful example for the Class of 2025 of what can grow from Shorecrest roots.

“In the 10 years since graduating from Shorecrest Jackson completed a bachelor’s degree in economics and humanities at Yale. As the recipient of a coveted Rhodes Scholarship in 2021, he earned two master’s degrees at the University of Oxford: one in the History of Art and Visual Culture, and the other in Economics for Development. He has finished his second year at Yale Law School, where he was one of 20 graduate students nationally to be named a 2023 Samvid Scholar. 

“Jackson is someone who follows his heart -- as he did when he postponed his senior year at Yale at the last minute in order to become a Peace Corps Response volunteer. Working with a youth employment accelerator in Guinea, West Africa, is just one example of his commitment to service. Fueled by a strong belief in giving back, he has always made time to volunteer for programs such as the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project and Brooklyn Legal Services.”

In his remarks to the Class of 2025, Jackson charged the graduates to "give yourself the license to believe that you are in a story."

“Philosophers say the stories we see and tell make us who we are. Our friends’ and families’ stories create our moral imagination, through which we relate to the world. A good turn you do no matter how minor in your own story, no matter how minor, might reverberate in someone else’s, and that gives your actions weight. Whose story do you pay attention to every day? When you answer that question you explain who you are.

"When you feel adrift from the certainty of life, take a humanities class, the lessons there will anchor you in the realization we are all in it together and always have been. For this, your Shorecrest teachers have prepared you. They have prepared you magnificently, generously and admirably in college. No matter how complex your relationships or demanding your studies, the simplest stories can teach the most. 

"I don't know your story and neither does your family or closest friends. Only you will write the real tale of your life… I see you and the many people who have wisely written into your story. To these teachers and parents of this talented class, I thank you for a story well told. Godspeed. Good luck and come back someday to tell us your tale."

The ceremony continued with a Valedictory Address by Brody Jaquish ‘25, who thanked the adult community that supported the Class of 2025.

“To all of our parents, thank you for being there for us throughout not just these last four years, but for our entire lives. Everything we’ve all done wouldn’t have been possible without your support and sacrifices to put us in the positions we are in today.

"To our teachers and faculty, thank you for making our experience at Shorecrest a memorable one. … You have created a group that’s driven, kind and more connected than I thought a class could become.”

Following the Valedictory Address, Nancy Spencer, Erich Schneider and Pamela H. Greacen ’84, Chair of the Board of Trustees, awarded diplomas to each graduate; while Kara Earle Daley ’05, President of the Shorecrest Alumni Association, presented alumni pins. 

Following Shorecrest tradition, diplomas were presented in random order to symbolize life's unexpected ups and downs. The final member of the class to receive a diploma was Max Baschinsky '25, who then proudly wore the golden mortarboard, a sign of good luck for the future.

The final remarks came from Student Council President Eve Bonnemort ‘25, who captured the bittersweet feeling of moving on:

“It’s that moment when we realize we’ve already lived our ‘lasts’ — our last time laughing at the senior tables together … our last time calling our parents begging to message Ms. Morlando and let us sign out early. The last time we complained about having to go to school, without realizing how much we’d miss it when it was over. And the hardest part? We didn’t even realize they were the last. Now all we’re left with are the memories — moments that felt ordinary at the time, but looking back they were everything.”

Commencement closed with the Class of 2025 tossing their caps in unison, a final symbol of their shared journey.

A video of the ceremony and diploma photos are available at the link below. More photos are coming in early June.

Meet the Class of 2025