By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
PORTVILLE — Eighty-one Portville Central School seniors graduated at commencement exercises Friday evening.
Commencement originally scheduled for outdoors on the football field was held inside due to the threat of rain. It was raining when commencement started. Seats remained set up on the football field where it was originally scheduled.
Senior Abram Cook gave the invocation.
Senior Class President Zya Rayne DeGolier said she’d asked classmates to share some of their favorite memories.
The first to respond in a message response was a classmate who recalled “Watching Garfield in Mr. Stieghner’s class!” Other memories included being masked up in the gym during COVID, football games and “those few peaceful minutes before the the bell rang.” A few mentioned the broken air conditioning in 80-degree heat in the way back from the senior trip.
“But some of my favorite memories are from this year,” she said. “The first one is set at senior sunrise. It was simple: we meet at the pavilion before school starts to have donuts and start our year off right. I truly believe our class is something special. Portville’s small-town environment and its central school have given us something not many people have. It allowed us to grow with each other for 13 years.”
‘We started kindergarten approximately 4,670 days ago,” said Salutatorian Natalie Reynolds as she looked toward her classmates. “That’s over 11 million minutes — minutes filled with learning, growing, laughing, stumbling, and trying again, all leading us to this moment. It’s almost hard to believe we’re really here.”
She recalled Mr. Matz’ words at the beginning of senior year: “Be grateful. Don’t be too quick to take off your cleats, because one day, without knowing it, you’ll never put them back on. And then, in a game none of us knew would be our last, I walked off the field for the final time.
I went over to Mr. Matz, tears streaming down my face, and said, “You were right. I wasn’t ready to take them off.”
In his valedictory address, Christopher Osgood credited his faith, above all, “as it has gotten me through
all of my trials, hardships, and victories. It has given me the courage to fight and the wisdom to learn. Without it, I could never have conceivably achieved what I have today.”
He said, “Class of 2025, we made it! How good does that feel to finally say, “we made it!” All of us, regardless of how our own journeys unfolded, are here tonight to celebrate a momentous achievement. These past four years that we thought would last forever have flown by, and here we are.”
His advice to his classmates was simple: “Do it boldly.”
He cited two instances when he took his own advice: One was returning to visit relatives in Trinidad when he was 14 — all alone. “I realized that I had spent far too much time anticipating the future. I realized that I just had to push past my fears and dive headfirst into the unknown. I realized that I needed to do it boldly.”
The second story Christopher related was applying for admission to Columbia University. “I doubted that an Ivy League school would even consider my application. I mean, here is this kid from a small town, no successful online business, no science Olympiad medals. How would I get into an Ivy League school like Columbia? However, I put aside those fears and applied anyway; I did it boldly.”
He got the word in March that he had been accepted into the 2025 freshman class.
“So, Class of 2025. If there is one thing I want to leave you, it is to live your life boldly: to not be afraid to dream dreams that people think are too big, to run headfirst into adversity, to fail hard and persevere harder, and to stay true to your path, because, in the words of Steve Jobs, ‘your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.’”
Board of Education President Daniel Wenke and District Superintendent Thomas Simon presented diplomas. The graduates are:
Gianna Sydney Aloi, Ava Greer Andrews, Chase Michael Armstrong, Caidon L. Beck, Nathan Beck, Jackson William Bigley, Mason Brokaw, Matilde Brotto, David Antonio Brown, Miesha Brown, Hali Jane Brundage, Maliegha Ann Burgess, Cohen M. Burton, Ashley Helene Carls, Braedon Carter, Henry James Chamberlain.
Breanna Marie Cole, Emily Michelle Collins, Abram Cook, Zya Rayne DeGolier, S. Joseph DePoty, Maxximus Lee DeYoe, Brodie Lee Dobson, Parker James Dornan, Dagger Doxey, Izayah B. W. Edmund, Anna Marie Elsigan, Adriana Michelle Ensell, Wyatt James Evans, Ian J. Faulkner,Owen Robert Faulkner.
Brielle Nicole Fidurko, Daniel J. Fowler, Brock L. Gagliardo, Abigail Grace Gardner, Riley M. Gasper, Emmalie Rae Geh, Micheal J. George, Brady James German, Cameron Golisano, Taylor Holly Griffin, Ryan Hepker, Daisy Hoak, Arianna F. Hollowell, Natalie Elizabeth Isaman, Joseph Johnson.
Magnum Ahlias Katsigiannis, Anna E. Keeley, Emma M. Keeley, Cole D. Keesler, Joshua T. Kriger, Carley M. Latten, Isabel Siarra Laurich, Lacey Love Licht, Ryan J. Loncher, Cayden M. Long, Caleb C. MacDonald, Gabriella Maiolo, Mindy A. Maurer, Alexandra J. Mitchell.
Nathanael Evans Morris, Mekhi Ali Muhyee, Trevor Mullin
Kendra A. Niver, Christopher Daniel, Abigail Renay Phearsdorf, Liam T. Puccinelli, Natalie Patricia Reynolds, Nataeh Patience Grace Richardson, Hayden Marie Sherlock, Conner Shively, Jerrik Sickels.
David O. Smith, Ryliegh J. Stuck, Emma Brianne Taylor, Aiden G. Weimer, Evan Matthew Wenke, Dakota James Adams Wood, Lucas Roy Woodring, Hanna Eileen Wysocki, Peyton Leah Young, Kit Yowell, Logan R. Zeigler and Ciera Marie Zenner.
High School Principal Larry Welty presented scholarships and awards to the seniors. They include:
Gianna Sydney Aloi — Jamestown Community College’s USA Scholarship, Dave Waugh Memorial Scholarship, Amaranth Verna Harbeck Memorial Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Ava Greer Andrews — Elisa B. Hughley Scholarship for the Arts, Portville College Scholarship.
David Antonio Brown — Art & Antique Committee Scholarship, Virginia E Stauffer Memorial Scholarship, Jeffrey Vern Warner Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Miesha Brown — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship.
Maliegha Ann Burgess — Dresser-Rand Employees Scholarship.
Ashley Helene Carls — Chuck Bretzin Jr. Scholarship Portville College Scholarship.
Braedon Carter — Dresser-Rand Employees Scholarship.
Henry James Chamberlain — Frair Fund Award, Portville American Legion Scholarship, Belva A. Waite Memorial Scholarship.
Emily Michelle Collins — Student Council
Scholarship, Portville Alumni Association Scholarship.
Abram Cook — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship, ACE scholarship, Cattaraugus-Allegany Dream It. Do It. Impact Award, Daniel and Patrick McCarthy Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Zya Rayne DeGolier — Portville Faculty Association award for Excellence in Education, Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship, Scottish Rite Valley of Jamestown, Virginia E. Stauffer Memorial Scholarship, Portville Free Library Scholarship, Gregory D. Spring Perseverance Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Maxximus Lee DeYoe — Portville Free Library Scholarship
Anna Marie Elsigan — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship.
Adriana Michelle Ensell — Michele Foss Bartholomew “Good Person” Scholarship, Dr. Donald A Wormer Family Scholarship.
Ian J. Faulkner — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship, Art & Antique Committee Scholarship, Robert “Dean” Travis Memorial Scholarship.
Owen Robert Faulkner — NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence, American Red Cross Scholarship, Western New York Rural Health Education Center Health Career Scholarship, Dr. Donald A Wormer Family Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Brielle Nicole Fidurko — Portville Faculty Association award for Excellence in Education, Michele Foss Bartholomew “Good Person” Scholarship, Virginia E Stauffer Memorial Scholarship, Student Council
Scholarship, Portville American Legion Scholarship, Colt 45 Strong Foundation Scholarship, Dr. Donald A Wormer Family Scholarship.
Daniel J. Fowler — Gregory D. Spring Perseverance Scholarship.
Abigail Grace Gardner — Dawne Evans Joseph Scholarship Memorial Award, Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship, Scottish Rite Valley of Jamestown, Olean Community Theater’s Ruth Fuller Memorial Scholarship, Portville Alumni Association Scholarship, Carroll Swanson Memorial Scholarship.
Emmalie Rae Gehm — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship.
Brady James German — Portville Sports Boosters “Exceptional Athlete Award,” Connect Life Scholarship
Cameron Golisano — Arnold McHone Sr. Manufacturing Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Ryan Hepker — Portville College Scholarship.
Natalie Elizabeth Isaman — Scottish Rite Valley of Jamestown, Ancient Order of the Hibernians John O’Malley Scholarship, Virginia E. Stauffer Memorial Scholarship, Connect Life Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Anna E. Keeley — Student Council Scholarship, Jonathan Teuscher Scholarship.
Cole D. Keesler — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship.
Cayden M. Long — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship, NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence, Virginia E Stauffer Memorial Scholarship, American Red Cross Scholarship, Signe H. Johnson Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Caleb C. MacDonald — Jamestown Community College’s USA Scholarship.
Alexandra J. Mitchell — Art & Antique Committee Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Mekhi Ali Muhyee — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship.
Christopher Daniel Osgood — NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence, Ancient Order of the Hibernians John O’Malley Scholarship, Student Council
Scholarship, Burt Scholarship, John J. Murphy Family Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Natalie Patricia Reynolds — Portville Faculty Association award for Excellence in Education, NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence, Portville Sports Boosters “Exceptional Athlete Award,” Chuck Bretzin Jr. Scholarship, Amaranth Verna Harbeck Memorial Scholarship, Portville College Scholarship.
Ryliegh J. Stuck — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship.
Evan Matthew Wenke — Eva M. Taggerty Memorial Scholarship.
Hanna Eileen Wysocki — Dr. Louise Merrick Memorial Scholarship, Student Council, Portville American Legion Scholarship, Ben & Rose Schwabenbauer Educational Scholarship.
Kit Yowell — Portville College Scholarship.
Logan R. Zeigler — Dave Waugh Memorial Scholarship.
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