During a sunny June 5 that matched the mood of those gathered, 153 members of Archbishop Carroll’s Class of 2024 moved their tassels from right side of their mortar boards to left side and then tossed the mortar boards in the air after Principal William D. Gennaro Jr. declared them graduates.
“When you leave here today, for those that are currently in your lives that you love, for those you have yet to meet, for yourself, and for your relationship with your faith and God, through the good, the bad, the ups the downs, always continue to give everyone whatever you can, and make sure that it is everything you can,” Mr. Gennaro said to the class.
The graduates — boys dressed in red robes; girls dressed in white — received their diplomas from Mr. Gennaro and Dr. Patricia G. Scott, the school’s president. Many of the graduates also received awards and certificates for accomplishments in academics, athletics, and the arts. Among those award winners were Stephen Finley and Brianna Petruccelli. Petruccelli earned the Salutatorian Medal for having the second highest grade point average in the Class of 2024. Finley earned the Valedictorian Medal for having the highest grade point average.
In her remarks, Petruccelli asked her classmates to remember not only their successes but also their failures during the past four years.
“Do not forget the moments of heartbreak,” she said. “Do not forget the disappointment, the sadness, the grief. The fact that you overcame such obstacles and are standing here today—whether that be in your cap and gown or observing proudly from the audience—is a testament to your strength. Besides, these moments make us appreciate not just the magnitude of support we’ve had through these experiences, but the extent of our own resolve.”
Finley told his classmates that more challenges await, and that the graduates should lean into their faith as they cope with them.
“We go into the next step of life with hope and readiness to face the challenges that we know will come,” he said. “We recognize that choosing the right path is not always the easy path. Let us, as Carroll graduates, hold each other to a higher standard while respecting differing opinions and ideas. By living our faith and encouraging open and honest dialog, we promote true goodness in our communities. Never be afraid to uphold Catholic values in our secular society. Our time at Carroll — the good and the bad, the fun and the difficult, the wins and losses — has prepared us for what is to come. We are ready!”
In addition to addresses from the salutatorian and the valedictorian, the audience heard an address from Steven Clement, the chief administrative officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s secondary schools, and performances by Carroll’s band and chorus.
The commencement exercises happened at the Dixon Center on the Radnor campus of the former Cabrini University, which, because of financial problems, closed in May after 67 years of operation.
