Our School

Holy Cross High School proudly celebrated its 54th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, June 1, 2025. During the ceremony, diplomas and special awards were presented to the members of the Class of 2025. The event was marked by heartfelt speeches and memorable parting words from Board members, administrators, students, and distinguished guests—including the Honorable Mayor Paul Pernerewski ’79 and Monsignor Thomas Ginty ’76.

Board member, alumna and proud parent, Atty. Gina Petrokaitis ’85 opened the ceremony with words of wisdom and congratulations for the graduating seniors, which included her son, Joseph. “Graduates, you might not know it yet, but you are forever changed by the experiences you had here. This morning, you arrived as students. Soon, you are going to leave here as alums…I challenge you today to find a way that you can give back to Holy Cross. One day, maybe you can mentor a student, volunteer, become a teacher or coach here or donate a scholarship to a deserving student.”

“As Mayor (of the City of Waterbury), I have the opportunity to speak at many different events throughout the year, and each one is meaningful in its own way,” said Mayor Paul Pernerewski ’79, “but returning to Holy Cross where I graduated holds a special place in my heart…Remember, Holy Cross will always be a part of who you are, no matter how far you go. This community and the values you learned here will always be with you. The world you are entering needs people like you. It needs thoughtful leaders, kind neighbors and compassionate citizens.”

In her Commencement Address, graduating senior, Lucy D’Avino ’25 took her fellow classmates down memory lane from their early COVID-masked days as freshmen to where they sat today. “What will I do without Holy Cross,” she said. “It is a conflicting thought that I’m sure many of you can relate to. The thing is – we will never be without Holy Cross.”

President, Dr. Thomas C. Pellegrino stressed the importance of connectivity and kindness in today’s modern world. “Being kind is an intentional act. It is a way of proceeding. You have to premeditate your acts of kindness. They often require selflessness…I want to thank you, Class of 2025, for so many things. I want to congratulate you, but I want to applaud you for being kind and taking this charge forward to be kind in the future.”   

“This class is comprised of young men and women who at a very young age, have found and embraced as part of their very natures, the ability to balance ambition and an aggressive pursuit of their goals within an ethos of kindness, generosity of spirit and a compassionate respect for the greater good,” echoed Principal, Mr. Tommy Pompei. “We live in a world that is starved for people like you to lead. Despite all of the awe-inspiring skills and abilities that you all possess, it is the make-up of your character that is your greatest currency in our world.”

Several individuals were honored/recognized during the ceremony including:

• Siddhartha Thapa ’25 and Madalynn Barbieri ’25 received the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Award for maintaining the highest and second-highest grade point average, respectively.
• Leah Tracey ’25 was the recipient of The Sister Margaret Bannon, CND Service Award, presented annually to the senior girl who has demonstrated outstanding service to the school community.
• Patrick Cugliari ’25 was the recipient of The Holy Cross Fathers’ Club Award, given each year to the senior boy who has demonstrated the most service to the school community.
• Robert Genova, Jr. ’25 was the recipient of The Holy Cross Mothers’ Club Award, presented annually to the senior boy who has demonstrated the most academic improvement from freshman to senior year.
• Olivia Edmonds ’25 was the recipient of The Monsignor Flanagan Award, presented each year to the female student who has improved the most academically from freshman to senior year.

The Class of 2025 includes:

Adrian Acosta Jr.        

Madison Albizu          

Carter Alvarado          

Logan Jax Arroyo       

Michael J. Augustine   

Summer Kim Austin   

Mackenzie P. Baranoski          

Madalynn Rose Barbieri***     

Julia Alexandra Bell

Kaitlyn M Bell

Shantavia Kimesha Bennett    

Julia Kathleen Benvegnu         

Aiden Bisaillon

Jayden Henry Bond    

Kelly Estefany Bonilla (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish)

Gavin M. Bradshaw    

Richard M. Bruno Jr.  

Berlyn Brzoska

Rafaella Mia Bugaytsova          

Abbie-Gayle Italliah Burrell    

Alkida Byberi  

Kiara Shae Byrnes       

Ashley Rae Caceres     

Sebastian Calderon     

Mackayla Campbell     

Derek Raymond Caouette       

Drew Caouette

Anthony Carisio         

Emma Cassetta (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Italian)

Davide Cassetta (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Italian)

Emily Coughlin          

Catherine Cruess         

Sarai Rose Cruz (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish)

Patrick Evan Cugliari***         

Gia Elisabeta D'Amico

Grace Isabella D'Amico*

Ian Michael D'Autorio

Lucy Rose D'Avino    

Peter James Dalton, Jr.

Nicholas Damato        

Katherine A. Dean**  

Chanel Debicki           

Joshua Matthew DeCarlo        

Ryan James DePaulo  

Benjamin DePietro     

Aidan Lee Devaney     

Haley Grace DiBona  

Brayden Doherty        

Michael Andrews Donnelly     

Carsten W. Donovan  

Kyle R. Dufour           

Chloe Dupre   

Samantha Rose Dupre

Joseph Dyer    

Olivia Marie Edmonds

Jake William Ferrare   

Ariana Sofia Flores-Montes *** (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish)

Joseph French-Graham           

Vincenzo Gagliardi     

Bryan J. Gallino          

Robert Stephen Genova, Jr.    

Karissa Lynn Gomes   

Madison Michai Gorman        

Demi Christina Gray   

Jillian R. Guerrette      

Jordan Gunthrop        

Julia Hamel     

Zeyhon Harge

Lucan R. Hasankolli    

Alexandra Ryan Hein***

London Madison Hepson       

Carlos Jayden Hernandez        

Amanda Lynn Hodak 

Shania Howard

Arber Kafazi   

Sasha Alliana Khan     

Sofia Koury    

James Ryan LaFleur    

Kyle Lanese    

Samantha O’Neil Lawton        

Siying Li (graduates with Seal of Biliteracy in Chinese Mandarin)

Angela Elizabeth Lombardi    

Isabella Lombardo      

Christian Lozito          

Taylor E Lupachino    

Alec Massimo MacDonald      

Kellen Maher  

Colin Mahoney*

Ryan Makowski           

Isabella Milburn          

William Anthony Morran*

Garrett G. Mowad*

Makendra Jae Mowad 

Gabriel Bledi Mulla (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Albanian)

Johnathan Peter Murzyn         

Madelyn Neibel           

Tran Minh Khue Nguyen***

Elijah Isaiah Nieves    

Valencia Nonez          

Josielis Ortiz   

Nathan L. Oun**

Jonathan Hiram Pagan, Jr.

Alicia Pauline Palomba

Elijah Parker

Charlie Preston Paulin***

Fiona Rae Pedro         

Christopher Gavin Perrone    

Mattea Perugini (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Italian)

Joseph John Petrokaitis, Jr.

Noah Shain Piri          

Alexa Prebish  

Lila Mae Prevalla**

Nico K. Recchia         

Logan Anthony Renzoni

Nathaniel Dimitri Riviere

Mason Andrew Rountree

Gina Marie Salvador**

Bryana Jada Santiago  

Delia Dorothy Schrade

Anthony Shivas          

Eli Daniel Simoes*

Caroline Grace Slevinsky

Samuel Taillon

Jack Charles Anthony Tata*

Siddhartha Thapa***

Gia Linh Ton

Leah N. Tracey**

Lexi Marie Trinidad***

Ava Marie Turner       

Gavin W. Unwin         

Alex J. Vazquez          

Gary Q Vescera          

Melanie L. Villegas     

Quynh Huong Vu* (graduates with a Seal of Biliteracy in Vietnamese)

Ava M. Williams         

Amber M. Wojenski**

Hallock Pierce Yocher

Scoville Fisher Raymond Zielinski      

*          Distinction
**        High Distinction
***       Highest Distinction