Kindness and Love Characterize Class of 2025

In the lower level of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the mood was happy and excited as the soon-to-be graduates of Saint Raphael Academy took selfies with friends and their favorite teachers, donned honors cords and straightened their caps and gowns. After gathering for one last informal photo as a class, they took their positions in two lines to file upstairs, to the pride and delight of their families and friends.

The graduation program began with a welcome from Judy Baxter, vice principal of academics, who acknowledged the special centennial anniversary of the Academy.

“To the Class of 2025, you are the centennial class. You will forever be remembered not just for when you graduated, but for how you carried yourselves. You have endured and excelled in a world that keeps changing, and you have done so with resilience, spirit, and creativity. You are the bridge between our past and our future. You are the living legacy of all who came before and the bright promise of everything yet to come.”

The Class of 2025 is special in other ways as well. They were offered nearly $34 million in scholarship funds. They donated more than 6,500 hours of community service. They started a Kindness Club and looked after one another’s mental health. Student-athletes won five division championships this year, and about 69 percent of the class was inducted into at least one honor society.

Salutatorian Alexandre Ramos took to the podium. He will be attending The Catholic University of America in th fall. He spoke of the care that his class received and gave to others. “All the while our class is filled with loving and supportive characters. We care for each other and listen to one another as we live through each other’s accomplishments and struggles,” he said. “Much of this has been fostered by our teachers. They have exemplified how to be compassionate learners who challenge each other within the classroom but also care for one another. Lastly, there is an energy that comes from our class I cannot quite explain. Our class is made up of inspiring young men and women bound to make a difference in society because of the shining light within each of us.”

Degrees were then conferred upon the 107 graduates, and the class congratulated themselves with cheers and wide smiles when the last degree had been handed out. Class president Gabriell Leon then led the class in the traditional turning of their tassels, signifying their new status as alumni. Gabby was also the recipient of the Edith Peck Philips Memorial Award, the Academy’s highest award, given to a student whose dedication to academics, service to others and leadership within the school and the community, and reflects the Catholic-Lasallian identity of faith, service and community.

After a welcome to the alumni community from Director of Advancement Ron Dalton ’79, valedictorian Jules Costello was introduced by Mrs. Baxter, who noted that Jules earned a 119.1 GPA, the highest final GPA of any student ever at Saints. He will be attending Harvard University on a full scholarship.

Jules was keenly aware of the people who helped him get to where he stood before the podium that day.  “I owe my accomplishments and title to you—every single one of you—sitting before me. I stand here only because a number of people in this cathedral took the time and effort to invest in me,” he said. “Even if you didn’t know my name before I said it, though, you have uplifted the people who helped me, I can assure you. I am only as intelligent as the people who taught me, only as kind as the people who decided I was good enough, only as funny as the people who have had me doubled over laughing.”

He talked about how life is like walking down a dark hallway, looking for the doorway that leads to the right pathway. Jules urged his fellow classmates to look toward the light of others to show the way.

“Our friends, families, mentors, and teachers are the lights which line this passage. They illuminate the options which they know will appeal to us and help to guide us towards the future we might not even know we desire,” he said.

Principal Dan Richard summed up the afternoon by speaking of love—“We all seek to be loved, and as Jesus states we are called upon to love each other as he has us. So here is my final homework assignment to all our graduates. Sometime before this day is over, tell the people who matter to you that you love them. My favorite rock and roll band, The Beatles, had a song that makes my point: “All You Need is Love”!  If you want to be really successful in life, make that your daily mantra.”­

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