Head of School Letter: Celebrating the Class of 2025

Tomorrow morning in the Janet Root Theatre, we will gather to celebrate and honor the members of Shorecrest’s Class of 2025. The individuals who make up this class have displayed impressive leadership and enormous talent in a wide array of endeavors, including academics, arts, athletics and other co-curriculars activities. Throughout their Shorecrest journey they have celebrated many of life’s accomplishments with each other. Together they have also grieved the loss of their classmate, Graham Floto, who will always be a part of the Class of 2025. These seniors have embodied the Mission of Shorecrest, as lifelong learners who value academic excellence, physical well-being, creative achievement and a commitment to social responsibility. I want to share some of the impressive accomplishments of the Class of 2025. 

These seniors have challenged themselves academically throughout their Shorecrest careers. These past two weeks they took a total of 177 Advanced Placement exams, and throughout their four years at Shorecrest most have participated in Honors and Advanced Placement courses. A number of students elected to be a part of Shorecrest’s Signature Programs; ten Chargers will graduate with their Global Scholars Initiative (GSI) diplomas and 11 - a record number of seniors - will earn STEAM certificates. Seven students created six Independent Studies in subjects such as Russian Language and Literature, Leadership in Business, Ukrainian Economics, Zoology, C+++,  and Lymphatic Health in Space. 

This year members of the Class of 2025 were accepted by a total of 167 different schools and will attend 51 colleges in 23 different states. Our seniors were accepted into highly selective colleges and universities including: American, Boston University, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Bucknell, Case-Western Reserve, Clemson, College of William and Mary, Davidson, Duke, Elon, Emory, Florida State, Fordham, Georgia Tech, Loyola, New York University, Northeastern, Ohio State, Savannah College of Art and Design, Southern Methodist (SMU), Tulane, United States Coast Guard Academy, The Universities of: California/Irvine, California/San Diego, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois/Urbana-Champaign, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina/Chapel Hill, Richmond, South Florida, Tampa and Virginia, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington and Lee, The American University of Paris and the University of York (UK), along with many other impressive colleges and universities. For a complete listing of college acceptances and matriculations, visit the Class of 2025 page of our website. 

Forty-nine members of the graduating class are choosing to attend college outside the state of Florida and 39 students will be the only Shorecrest student to attend their college or university. 15% of the senior class were accepted via Early Decision and 78% of the senior class were admitted via Early Action into their chosen college or university. A number of students will enter the Honors programs at their colleges, entering their universities as designated Scholars, selected for special talents and skills. 

For the fourth time in the past five years, a member of the graduating class will be serving their country as an officer candidate at a national service academy. This year one senior has earned an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy. In addition, thus far, the Class of 2025 has earned approximately $7-8 million dollars in scholarships for their college careers, with additional scholarship funds still being awarded for this fall. Twenty-four have thus far been awarded Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholars and 19 have earned the distinction as Florida Bright Futures Medallion Scholars, with more recipients forthcoming.  

The Class of 2025 includes a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and three National Merit Commended Students. Two seniors were Finalists for the 2025 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Program and three seniors were recipients of the College Board National African American Recognition Award. In addition, three seniors received National Hispanic Recognition Awards and one senior was honored with a College Board National Indigenous Recognition Award. Finally, five of our seniors were recipients of the College Board’s First-Generation Recognition Award.  

The Class of 2025 includes numerous talented athletes who have been role models for the school’s younger students. Their involvement has supported the Shorecrest athletic program; their sportsmanship and participation leave a positive legacy. This class has athletes who over their four years of interscholastic competition have been leaders in our athletic programs. 10% of this class will be participating in intercollegiate sports programs and will pursue athletic careers in basketball, equestrian, football, sailing, soccer and tennis. We will miss their talents at Shorecrest and wish them well as they compete on the collegiate level.  

Artists abound in the Class of 2025! There are thespians who earned recognition and awards for their talents, including nominations from the Broadway Star of the Future program. Presented by the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, this award honors artistic excellence from around the Tampa Bay Area and recognizes our students for their work in Shorecrest’s theatrical productions. Visual artists in this class also earned Gold and Silver Key recognition, along with Honorable Mentions distinction from the 2025 Pinellas County Art Region of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program. One senior was awarded a Scholastic National Gold Medal for her painting and will receive the award at a ceremony held in June, at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Student musicians performed in the Shorecrest rock and concert bands throughout the school year and dazzled their audiences with their talent. A number of students will continue their artistic career in performing and visual arts on the collegiate level. We are delighted with their artistic pursuits and look forward to their successes on the stage and in galleries. 

Service learning is an important component of Shorecrest’s educational mission. This year’s Senior Class completed over 12,000 service hours! During their time at Shorecrest, our seniors traveled locally and across the nation for their Service Week commitments, venturing as far away as the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and the Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee. Some local nonprofit organizations served by Shorecrest students include Kind Mouse, Positive Impact St. Pete, Dali Museum, Honor Flight, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Goodwill Industries, First Tee of St. Petersburg, Great Explorations, Sunshine Center and Creative Clay.  

Family connections are an important component of community-building here at Shorecrest. The Class of 2025 includes six legacy students, with at least one parent who attended Shorecrest in the past. In addition, 25 students are “lifers” at Shorecrest. This senior class also includes 8 students who are children of current faculty/staff members.

Near or far, we know that the Shorecrest Class of 2025 will remain Chargers, committed to lifelong learning and to making a positive difference in the world. We are so proud of these accomplished individuals and look forward to watching them excel not only in colleges and universities, but also in their professional and personal adult lives.  

We are proud of the Class of 2025 and send congratulations to our graduates and their families on this milestone occasion. 

Meet the Class of 2025

All the best, 

Nancy

Learn more about the Class of 2025 or stream Commencement online at www.shorecrest.org/2025