Class of 2020 Valedictorians and Salutatorians

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Each year, Catholic New York salutes the hard work and dedication of the members of the senior class graduating from the 44 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York. Each school’s valedictorians and salutatorians are recognized for their academic achievements in the listings below. If a school does not use those designations, and instead has selected student speakers, they are noted. Also listed is the number of graduates of each high school.

La Salle Academy, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Elijah Perez-Mendez

Salutatorian: Steven Dumeng

Graduation: Thursday, Aug. 13, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral;

74 graduates.

 

Academy of Mount St. Ursula, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Aurora Pepaj

Salutatorian: Dannerys Peralta

Graduation: Date to be determined; 69 graduates.

 

Maria Regina High School, Hartsdale

Valedictorian: Katelyn Czerniewski

Salutatorian: Emily Carreira

Graduation: Date to be determined, 112 graduates.

 

John S. Burke Catholic High School, Goshen

Valedictorian: Daniel Katz

Salutatorian: Madelyn St. Amand

Graduation: Outdoor ceremony, Saturday, July 18;

94 graduates.

 

Dominican Academy, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Angel Rose Latt

Salutatorian: Sophie Smith

Graduation: virtual ceremony, May 29, 66 graduates.

 

Cathedral High School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Trinae Yagumyum

Salutatorian: Tahira-Jahnai Vera

Graduation: Date to be determined, 100 graduates.

 

Fordham Prep, the Bronx

Speaker for the graduates: Maclane F. Farrel.

Graduation: May 27, with in-person commencement at

a later date; 242 graduates.

 

Cardinal Hayes High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: L’Hussen Touré

Salutatorian: Michael Maturana

Graduation: Virtual, by invitation, Saturday,

June 6, at 8:45 a.m.; 201 graduates.

 

The Ursuline School, New Rochelle

Valedictorian: Stella Catherine Banino

Salutatorians: Jeannine Elizabeth Lynch and

Domenica Rose Voli.

Graduation: Date to be determined; 148 graduates.

 

All Hallows High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Marco Perez  Salutatorian: Elijah Polanco

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, Saturday, June 6, at 3 p.m.; 118 graduates.

 

Mount St. Michael Academy, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Mandela Simon

Salutatorian: Deiondre Simon

Graduation: Date to be determined; 149 graduates.

 

Preston High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Emmalee Gomez

Salutatorian: Elona Nacaj

Graduation: Date to be determined; 113 graduates.

 

St. Barnabas High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Dominique Mirabile

Salutatorian: Briana Broomfield

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, May 29; 61 graduates.

 

Cardinal Spellman High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Emma Bucaj

Salutatorian: Ethan Butler

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, Saturday, June 6,

at 9:30 a.m.; 276 graduates.

 

Moore Catholic High School, Staten Island

Valedictorian: Alyssa Slaven

Salutatorian: Shengguang Zhou (Jayson) 

Graduation: Virtual Baccalaureate Mass/Graduation, Auxiliary Bishop Edmund Whalen and Father Rhey

Garcia, with a message from Auxiliary Bishop

John O’Hara, on the school’s YouTube channel,

Saturday, June 6, at 10 a.m.; 84 graduates.

 

Msgr. Scanlan High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Nana Achampong

Salutatorian: Oluwatosin Williams

Graduation: Virtual ceremony,

Monday, June 29; 99 graduates.

 

St. Raymond Academy for Girls, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Emma Schuwerer

Salutatorian: Lizbeth Perez

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, May 29; 54 graduates.

 

Cristo Rey High School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Leslie Hernandez

Salutatorian: Afrida Rahman

Graduation: Ceremony livestreamed on school’s YouTube channel, Friday, June 5, at 4:30 p.m.; 81 graduates.

 

Xavier High School, Manhattan.

Valedictorian: Michael Manta

Salutatorian: Timothee Kambouris

Graduation: Date to be determined; 237 graduates.

 

St. Joseph Hill Academy, Staten Island

Valedictorian: Veronica Arciprete

Salutatorian: Emilie Tristano

Graduation: Combined virtual and live ceremony via Zoom, Friday, June 5; 119 graduates.

 

John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, Somers

Valedictorian: Dorrian Cohen

Salutatorian: Daniel Savino

Graduation: Saturday, June 13, with modified drive-in and church walk; 152 graduates.

 

Notre Dame Academy, Staten Island

Valedictorian: Julia Macaluso

Salutatorian: Rosemary O’Neill

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, Friday, June 5. Before graduation day, each graduate will walk across Marguerite’s Way on campus with diploma in hand; 124 graduates.

 

Albertus Magnus High School, Bardonia

Valedictorian: Morgan Daly Dedyo

Salutatorian: Tara Mae Holihan

Graduation: Virtual Baccalaureate Mass, Wednesday,

June 17: Virtual Graduation, Thursday, June 18;

Distribution of Diplomas, Friday, June 19; 105 graduates.

 

Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Poughkeepsie

Valedictorian: Theodore DeGuzman

Salutatorian: Adrian D’Souza

Graduation: Traditional ceremony planned Saturday, Aug. 1. Should regulations not allow that to occur, a drive-through event is planned for the Class of 2020; 177 graduates.

 

St. Vincent Ferrer High School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Orla Hagan

Salutatorian: Sarah Sweeney

Graduation: Official date, May 30. In-person graduation is planned for Saturday, June 20, with a possibility of postponement; 104 graduates.

 

St. Peter’s High School for Boys, Staten Island

Valedictorian: Luke Whalen

Salutatorian: Ryan Heming

Graduation: Virtual commencement ceremony and drive-through diploma distribution, dates to be determined;

122 graduates.

 

St. Raymond High School for Boys, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Neil Sharma

Salutatorian: Kasar Profit

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, May 30, 110 graduates.

 

Salesian High School, New Rochelle

Valedictorian: Michael Krajniczyn

Salutatorian: Aidan Martinez

Graduation: Date to be determined; senior tribute planned for broadcast, Saturday, June 6; 109 graduates. 

 

Sacred Heart High School, Yonkers

Valedictorian: Lisa Gentile

Salutatorian: Molly Barrett

Graduation: Thursday, June 4.

 

St. Catharine Academy, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Emra Redzematovic

Salutatorian: Kismet Crossdale

Graduation: Thursday, June 4; 118 graduates.

 

Iona Prep, New Rochelle

Valedictorian: Michael Bachmann

Salutatorian: Nicholas Cannistraci

Graduation: Ceremonies, in-person while observing social distancing, planned for Saturday, June 27; 198 graduates.

 

School of the Holy Child High School, Rye

Valedictorian: Alexa Marciano

Graduation: On-campus ceremony, Saturday, July 25; ceremony was originally planned Saturday, June 6. 55 graduates.

 

Archbishop Stepinac High School, White Plains

Valedictorian: Matthew Halas

Salutatorian: Stephen Buckley

Graduation: In-person ceremony planned Thursday, July 16, at 4 p.m. If that is not possible, a drive-through ceremony will be held the same day; 180 graduates.

 

Notre Dame High School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Erin Pender

Student speaker: Danica Mercado

Graduation: In-person ceremony, Thursday,

July 30, 80 graduates.

 

Convent of the Sacred Heart, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Lauren Rooney

Salutatorian: Catherine Grimes

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, June 2, with in-person ceremony planned at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Manhattan, Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m.; 58 graduates.

 

Regis High School, Manhattan

Class speaker: John Clyne

Graduation: Virtual ceremony, Saturday, June 6, with in-person graduation for the Class of 2020 planned for the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 25; 128 graduates.

 

Marymount School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Sophia Villacorta

Salutatorian: Anna Monaco

Graduation: Virtual commencement ceremony

June 2, with in-person commencement at a date to be determined. 64 graduates.

 

St. Jean Baptiste High School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Paulina Enriquez

Salutatorian: Alexa Rodriguez

Graduation: Ceremony planned Friday, Aug. 7, at St. Jean Baptiste Church, Manhattan, with a virtual graduation

project. Original date was Friday, June 5. 83 graduates.

 

Aquinas High School, the Bronx

Valedictorian: Chantal Jimenez

Salutatorian: Chrisel Monegro

Graduation: Thursday, June 4, at 5 p.m. The evening will begin with a virtual Baccalaureate Mass followed by the commencement ceremony; 54 graduates.

 

Msgr. Farrell High School, Staten Island

Valedictorian: Thomas Mormino

Salutatorian: Christopher Lombardi

Graduation: Virtual Graduation Mass, May 23, with Auxiliary Bishop Edmund Whalen, a former Msgr. Farrell principal and alumnus of the Class of 1976, serving as principal celebrant. Commencement exercises will be held at a later date; 236 graduates.

 

Loyola High School, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Sidney Essex

Salutatorian: Tara Clark

Graduation: St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Manhattan, Friday, July 31. Planned for in-person ceremony with a minimum number of guests; livestreaming for other family members.

53 graduates.

 

St. George Academy, Manhattan

Valedictorian: Precious Mann

Salutatorian: Alexandra Pabon

Graduation: Virtual commencement ceremony, Saturday, June 13, via the school’s online teaching platform. Graduates will be recognized for academics with an award ceremony and conveying of diplomas virtually distributed by Bishop Paul Chomnycky, O.S.B.M., Eparch of Stamford Diocese, and Andrew Stasiw, principal; 13 graduates.

 

St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Staten Island

Valedictorian: Maria Elaina Gregotowicz

Salutatorian: Keryn Theresa Lee

Graduation: Saturday, June 27, with a ceremony modeled on the Air Force Academy graduation; if that is not possible, a drive-up ceremony will take place, with a full ceremony on Friday, Nov. 27; 269 students.

 

The Montfort Academy, Mount Vernon

Co-Valedictorian and Greek Rhapsode:

Kiersten Thompson

Co-Valedictorian: Gabrielle Margand

Salutatorian and Joel L. Shin Memorial Latin Orator:

August Boland

Graduation: Drive-in ceremony, Friday, June 5; 27 graduates.