Canyons board member certifies Brighton High School class of 2025; students lauded for scholarships and achievements

Brighton High School’s class of 2025 was formally certified for graduation during its commencement ceremony at the Maverik Center Arena, where district and school leaders recognized students’ academic and extracurricular achievements.

The certification came when Katie Dolley, representing the Canyons Board of Education, accepted Principal Marielle Raul’s recommendation that the class be awarded diplomas "by the authority vested in me by the Canyon School District Board of Education," and noted that graduates had completed the requirements set by the Utah State Board of Education and the district.

The ceremony highlighted the scale of student accomplishments. Principal Marielle Raul said the class had received scholarship offers totaling almost $12,000,000; 61% of the graduates had received scholarship offers, and nearly 40% of the class maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. Raul also listed honors including National Merit recognition, AP Capstone distinction, seals of biliteracy for 47 seniors, more than 350 advanced or honors diplomas, concurrent-enrollment college credits earned by 362 students, and 503 academic awards.

"Seniors, you’ve exemplified what it means to be Bengals who roar," Principal Raul said, addressing students and families and detailing athletic, arts and career-technical successes alongside academic metrics.

Student speakers reflected on growth and community. Maren Dolley, salutatorian, told classmates, "We have now done that thing required of us by the government," and urged graduates to use the next decade deliberately. Valedictorian A.J. Schauble told the class, "We did it," and encouraged reflection on the high school experience and choosing paths that lead to joy.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson praised students’ resilience during the pandemic and recommended the class to the board for graduation, saying graduates had "encountered moments that felt uncertain" and had learned to overcome them.

The program included recognition of staff and retirees, including long-serving faculty whom Raul named and thanked. The senior class presented a gift — a victory bell hung in the main plaza — and followed traditional elements of the ceremony such as the turning of the tassels and a recessional.

No roll-call votes or formal motion records were announced during the ceremony; the transcript records the board representative’s acceptance of the recommendation that diplomas be awarded as the dispositive action.

Family members, district officials and civic leaders in attendance included Canyon School District board members Katie Dolley and Amber Schill, Assistant Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson, Director of High Schools Dr. Tom Sherwood, Principal Marielle Raul, and Cottonwood Heights Mayor Michael Wickers. Student speakers included salutatorian Maren Dolley, senior class president Ryder Mason, vice president Thomas Sorensen, valedictorian A.J. Schauble, Lilia Placinta and Emma Henderson.

The ceremony closed with the traditional turning of tassels and a recessional as Brighton faculty led the graduates from the arena.