At the Middle Country Central School District commencement for the Class of 2025, student speakers and district officials highlighted the class’s community service, fundraising efforts and college matriculations while the Board of Education formally recognized that graduates met New York State requirements.

A student speaker who identified themself as a senior class officer said the graduating class had supported charitable efforts including an annual food drive with Yohani Chen and the Long Island Little Dragon Chinese School, which the speaker said donated “around 32 boxes of canned food” to people in need. The speaker also described fundraisers run by the Class of 2025 — candy grams, bingo nights, sports night and gift-basket sales — and thanked class officers and the class advisor, Ms. Petruzzo. The speaker asked the audience to “please give Ms. Petruzzo a round of applause.”

Sean Edbert, introduced as the class valedictorian, and Benjamin Tasiak, introduced as salutatorian, each delivered remarks thanking family, teachers and peers. The salutatorian was identified as bound for Binghamton University; the valedictorian was identified as bound for the University of Pennsylvania.

Denise Haggerty, representing the Board of Education of the Middle Country Central School District, addressed graduates on behalf of the board and said, “On behalf of the Board of Education of the Middle Country Central School District, it is my distinct pleasure to recognize that each of you has successfully met the graduation requirements of New York State.” Haggerty also noted that one student, Noen Jean Brown, was unable to attend and that the ceremony would honor him by pulling his name first for his diploma.

Speakers and administrators acknowledged support staff by name for preparation of the ceremony and for ongoing work during the school year. The district’s remarks named custodial and security teams, guidance counselors, secretarial staff and graduation directors for their roles in staging the event.

The ceremony concluded with the senior class officers leading the traditional turning of the tassel to signify the transition from student to graduate. The program included the reading of student names as diplomas were presented.

Details recorded in the ceremony — including the cited 32 boxes of canned food, the list of fundraisers described by students, the colleges identified for the valedictorian and salutatorian, and the board’s explicit acknowledgment of compliance with New York State graduation requirements — were stated on the record during the event.