Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Commencement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hauppauge High School certifies Class of 2025 at commencement ceremony
Summary
Hauppauge High School held its 2025 commencement June 2, featuring student speeches, a class gift announcement, recognition of graduates joining the armed services and Superintendent Don Murphyofficially certifying the class under authority of the New York Board of Regents.
Hauppauge High School held its commencement for the Class of 2025 on June 2, where Superintendent Don Murphy certified students as graduates under authority of the Board of Regents of the State of New York.
The ceremony, emceed by Principal Joe Wykhorst, included remarks from student leaders, the classvaledictorian and salutatorian, a donation announcement from the senior class, a keynote from distinguished alumnus Tom Druckenmiller and closing remarks from Board of Education President David Barshay and Superintendent Don Murphy.
Why this matters: The ceremony marks the formal completion of secondary education for the graduating cohort, records several students committing to military service, and records a class gift and monetary donation intended to support future students — details community members and district leaders noted on the record.
Principal Joe Wykhorst opened the program and thanked staff, board members and district administrators for supporting students during their years at the school. He called the night "very bittersweet for me," reflecting that he began his tenure with this cohort as freshmen.
Senior class president Carissa Pastilio urged classmates to "take the risk, do the impossible," framing graduation as a moment to embrace new opportunities. Class officers announced the Class of 2025 will donate new equipment for future senior field days and will also donate money "to help students in need," a financial amount that was not specified during the ceremony.
Salutatorian Ayan Shah and valedictorian Sarah Conquette delivered formal remarks about change, gratitude and the value of character over grades. Conquette told classmates, "you are more and have always been more than just a list of grades or accomplishments." Sofia Desart read the student poem chosen by the English department contest.
Tom Druckenmiller, a longtime district teacher and coach honored as the 2025 distinguished alumnus, told graduates to "work hard," "be nice," "listen," and "develop and nurture relationships," and offered personal recollections of school staff who shaped his career.
Board of Education President David Barshay and Superintendent Don Murphy shared brief remarks together and presented a selection of student-submitted quotes and parent texts compiled during the year. The pair thanked families, staff and the board for their ongoing support of students.
Superintendent Don Murphy then certified the class of 2025 "as graduates of Hauppauge High School," invoking the authority granted by the district and the Board of Regents of the State of New York. Graduates were instructed to move their tassels from the right to the left, the traditional signifier that diplomas have been conferred.
The ceremony also publicly acknowledged graduates who are committing to military service or ROTC programs; district staff read names on the record and asked those students to stand so the audience could recognize them. Several graduates were noted as entering the Air National Guard, the United States Army, Army ROTC programs and other service commitments.
The program concluded with the presentation of diplomas, a walk across the stage to receive diploma covers and handshakes from board and central office representatives. District staff reminded graduates to collect the materials their counselors provided before leaving the venue.
The senior class gift and the monetary donation were announced onstage by class officers; the donation amount and the specific account or fund to receive the money were not specified during the remarks. The district did not record any formal board action related to acceptance or allocation of the donation during the ceremony.
Photos and a full transcript of remarks were made available via the district stream; the superintendents certification was recorded as the official closing act of the commencement.
At the end of the event, Principal Wykhorst, board members and district leaders congratulated the graduates and sent them off to postsecondary plans, military service and the workforce.
