Liberty Graduation Will Honor Vets, Celebrate Seuss' Wisdom

has announced that valedictorian Jud Smull, accompanied by the school's bagpipe band will lead 627 Class of 2012 members for their graduation ceremony, to be held this evening at Stabler Arena on the campus.

The program will celebrate veterans who left to serve in the Navy in World War II, including William Keck, Jr. John Zieserl, Jr. and Ramon Cuellar. They will be joined by Class of 1939 graduate and trumpet soloist, Dan Deysher.

Class speaker Rebecca Rasmuson and faculty speaker Victor Broskey will speak on the wisdom of Dr. Seuss, the graduation theme.

Kevin Thieme, Class of 2012 president, along with class secretary Junro Guo, vice president Staci Zsilavecz, and class treasurer Cleo Massas will represent the Class of 2012, while student government president Aidan Gilrain-McKenna will serve as historian. Additionally, Darah Donaher, student representative to the BASD school board, and Genesis Mateo, of Latino Youth Leadership, will be seated on stage.

Smull, a varsity member of both the Liberty soccer and track team, is also a member of the math team, the Science Olympiad team and has excelled to the state level of the Chemistry Olympiad. He is also a member of the National Honor Society. Additionally, for helping to stop a hit-and-run driver after a bicyclist was struck on the Fahy Bridge. Smull will be studying engineering at Lehigh University in the fall.

Brosky is a member of the National Honor Society, an Eagle Scout and earned a Varsity Letter three years running for the Rifle Team. He will be attending the US Coast Guard Academy.

Rasmuson is a varsity athlete and a Grenadier Band member, as well as a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and Relay for Life Team. She plans on attending De Sales and was accepted to their physician's assistant program.

Gilrain-McKenna is a member of the LHS Grenadier Band and Orchestra, National Honor Society, Drama Club, Student Government and Class Officer. He also participates on the Varsity Cross County Team and was awarded the state’s Poetry Out Loud award. Gilrain will be attending the Schreyer’s Honors College at Penn State University to study energy engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Mateo will study Graphic Arts and Design at West Chester University.

In addition to being president of this class, Thieme is an officer in the National Honor Society, a member of the Varsity Soccer Team, and student government. He volunteers his time with the Special Olympics and spent his summer attending a National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security in Washington, D. C. and will be attending The Citadel next year.

Guo has participated in the Science Olympiad competitions and the Dupont Science Writing Contestand is a member of Math Team, Key Club, LHS Band and Orchestra, and the Relay for Life Team. She will be studying Biology and Sociology at Bowdoin University in Maine.

Zsilavecz is a member of the National Honor Society and will be attending the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Biology/pre-dental in hopes of becoming a dentist.

Massas won the Lehigh Oratorical competition, was a member of Teen Summit and currently is employed with the Iron Pigs. Cleo will be attending studying business in the fall.

Donaher is a member of the Liberty Theater, National Honor Society, and Student Government. She is also extremely active in Pennsylvania Youth Theater where she continues her studies in theater, voice and dance She will be studying musical theater at De Sales University in the fall.