As they gathered together one final time, North Penn High School’s class of 2025 looked back, and looked ahead.
Sporting their North Penn blue caps and gowns, students marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another on Tuesday night, graduating in the high school’s 70th commencement ceremony.
By James Short 
“This class has achieved so many amazing accomplishments, that listing them all would take us all night. But graduates, please take some time tonight to look around and appreciate the accomplishments of you and your classmates,” said high school principal Kyle Hassler.
The 1,064 students waved, hugged, and mugged for friends and family as they walked into the school’s Crawford Stadium, and listened as administrators and their classmates reflected on the past three years.
“As I look out at all of you, I am not seeing just graduates in caps and gowns, I am see leaders, innovators, caregivers, artists, athletes and trailblazers. But more than that, I see a community,” Hassler said.
“And that is what has defined the class of 2025 from the very beginning — your unwavering commitment to one another, and the uplifting culture you’ve built together. In a time when so much around you has felt uncertain, you chose to lead with kindness, you chose to support rather than compete, to celebrate differences rather than fear them. You created a high school experience where students felt seen, valued, and safe to be themselves. That doesn’t happen by accident,” he said.
Under a cloudy sky — and drones flown by local police and the district’s NPTV channel, plus the occasional runaway balloon — students listened as their principal listed what he’s learned from the grads.
“You’ve taught us that true greatness isn’t measured by GPAs or trophies, but by character, empathy and how you treat those around us. Your class has been the heart of the school, setting a tone of respect, inclusion and optimism that has impacted everyone at North Penn,” he said.
“And now, as you stand on the threshold of what comes next — college, careers, the military or paths still being discovered, I want you to remember this: The future is not something to fear, it is something to shape. And if your time at North Penn has shown us anything, it’s that you are more than ready.”
School board President Cathy McMurtrie read a letter written to the graduating class, saying the day marked the end of “not just four years of high school, but 13 years of growth, grit and perseverance. From those first tentative steps onto the kindergarten playground, to this proud moment in your cap and gown, you have continually shown up for yourselves.”
“You have embraced challenges, adapted to change, and pushed through obstacles. You’ve made it here because you have committed to being present, even on the tough days, and that is truly something to celebrate. But this milestone is just your beginning. As you take your next steps into the world, whether it’s a career, college, the military or another path, remember this. The most important person you can ever show up for is yourself. Invest in your passions, stand up for your values. Pursue your dreams with the same determination that got you to this very special moment.” McMurtrie said.
Class valedictorian William Shui congratulated his classmates, and said they should all be “immensely proud” of their accomplishments.
“Whether it be the countless hours spent, before or after school, at our various practices, rehearsals and club meetings, or having to clock in for a six hour shift after an already draining day. Or all of those post-midnight cramming sessions for APs and critical papers, each and every one of you has made innumerable sacrifices, and have poured out your entire mind, body and spirit for this very cap and gown,” he said.
Shui then thanked the teachers, staff and coaches of the school, before leading a round of applause for the parents that helped their grads every step of the way. Class salutatorian Hailey Swyter followed by dropping some numbers for her classmates.
“You have spent over 14,000 hours confined within the walls of a classroom, for this very moment. You’ve spent probably about 800 hours doing homework or studying for tests, 300 hours driving to and from school, and 1,600 minutes waiting in line at the Cookie Corner,” she said.
Swyter then outlined an experiment she had read about involving fleas, which a scientist observed jumping out of a glass jar with no lid, then put a lid on the jar.
“What did they do? They jumped up, hit their head on the lid, and fell back down. And then jumped up, hit their head on the lid, and fell back down. They jumped again, and again, and again. After about two weeks, the scientist finally unscrewed the lid, and the fleas? Well, they jumped up, hit their head on an imaginary lid, and fell right back down,” she said.
“But then the scientist tried something else. He added one new flea to the jar, and that flea jumped right out, and went along his way. The other fleas, they watched it happen. And they freed themselves, and jumped out of the jar, too. Class of 2025, today is not your moment, today is the day that your life begins. Today is the day that the glass jar opens. It is up to you to jump out. And if you’re a little nervous, that’s OK. You have 1,000 of your bestest friends right here in the stadium tonight to take this big step with you,” she said.
Class select speaker Alana Nguyen brought her classmates back to an area “we all know way too well, something that we’re going to dread leaving today: I’m going to talk about the parking lot.”
“The bell rings at 2:12, and all of a sudden you’re in a sea of brake lights, and all of us trying to escape North Penn’s parking lot, before the absolute wave of school buses come. You inch forward, glance in that little rearview mirror, and pray, pray that someone lets you merge in. It’s frustrating, chaotic, and sometimes even a little hopeless. But no matter how bad it gets, there’s only one direction out — forward, one slow move at a time.”
“Sound a little bit familiar? Because that is exactly what high school has felt like. There were days we stalled, moments we felt stuck, and times we seriously wondered if we would ever make it out. Maybe that moment came for you when you were staring at that blank Google Doc at 12 a.m. Or showing up to class after having a rough night, pretending that we were fine. Quiet battles that no one else saw. But still, we kept going,” she said.
One of those moments came for Nguyen during junior year, after bombing a test, while sitting in her car on the way out of school.
“While everyone else was pulling around me, I just stood there. but eventually, I turned the key, I moved forward, even just a little, and sometimes that’s all we can do. And we did it. But no matter how messy it gets, there’s only one direction out: forward. And along the way, we learned something important – that little rearview mirror, it is small for a reason. It is there to glance back, to remember where we’ve been, the late nights, the losses, the laughter, the teachers who lifted us, and the classmates who challenged us, and the setbacks who have made us stronger. The windshield, it is huge, because what is ahead is so much greater than what is behind us,” she said.
“The road ahead might have some detours, potholes, or maybe even a huge Cybertruck Tesla in the way of the road. But after everything we’ve navigated, we know how to drive through uncertainty. We know how to keep going, even when the road isn’t clear,”
And class president Rachel Lynn closed out the student comments by recalling milestones the class had hit on the way.
“We learned our way around the high school, made new friends, and created many new memories. We grew as future adults, as we discovered a little bit more of who we are. And experienced the many firsts, and many lasts, of high school: first time driving ourselves to school, last time in the same school as some of our friends, first time navigating the E-pod clog, and last time buying frozen yogurt from the Cookie Corner,” she said.
Each student has taken chances to learn more about themselves, and each step outside a comfort zone leads to learning more about yourself, Lynn told her classmates.
“As we venture off into this world on different paths, whether to college, trade school, the military, the workforce, or another amazing path, I would like everyone to step out of their own comfort zone. Try something new, possibly scary or exciting. Even something as simple as saying ‘Hi, how are you,’ to someone new, is a step outside a lot of people’s comfort zones, but might make a difference in two people’s lives,” she said.
“Even if it’s not in your norm, try it. You never know. You might just end up growing from the step, learning from it, or even making new friends from it. Stepping outside your comfort zone forges you into the person you were meant to be. Think of ways you can step outside of your comfort zone, every day,” she said.
For the next hour, students strode up to the stage, leaving behind their programs, phones, purses, and even a paperback behind on their seats as their names were called. Onstage, students took turns shaking hands with school board members as they received their diploma, then posing for photos with administrators and individually to capture the moment, and leaving the stage with the occasional wave, point, or bicep flex aimed at cheering family in the stands.
Over a thousand handshakes, smiles, and photos later, assistant principals Kenneth Bui and Megan Schoppe led students as they turned their tassels to symbolize their graduation, before superintendent Todd Bauer closed out the night by recalling the dozens of graduation ceremonies he’s attended over the years, and condensing their message.
“At the end of all those graduations, the president, the superintendent, the whomever, gets up here, and their message generally says: You did it, we are proud of you, and good luck. So tonight, my speech will be: ‘You did it, we’re proud of you, and good luck.’ By the power vested in me, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the North Penn School District board of directors, I now pronounce you graduates. Congratulations!” Bauer said, sending caps flying, families crying, and the class of 2025 into the future.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com
(Editor's note: North Penn Now editors Keith Heffintrayer, Tony Di Domizio and James Short are all North Penn High School alumni. Go Knights!)
