WEIRTON — Weir High School honored its 109th graduating class during the Class of 2025’s senior recognition ceremony held May 27 in the Carl Hamill Fieldhouse.

Principal Ted Arneault welcomed those in attendance and Catherine Glodowski performed the national anthem on her saxophone. Arneault told seniors, “All of you have made an impression on the faculty and administration at Weir High School, and your hard work has not gone unnoticed.”

Student Body President Elle Maley stated, “This ceremony marks our final moment together as a class in this gym, and it stands as proof of all we’ve accomplished. Enjoy it and congratulations. I wouldn’t want to graduate with any other kids.”

Arneault presenting cords to those receiving the highest honors — having obtained at least a 4.0 grade-point average. Students included Josafina Bennett, Jenna Costello, Logan Dawson, Kylie Dean, David Defelice, Santana Diamond, Addison Duffy, Lexie Fayak, Jennifer Fidler, Catherine Glodowski, Alex Guio, Rayna Hoover, Wyatt Hostuttler, Elizabeth Jagela, Lani Johnson, Jaidyn Kelly, Marissa Mascio, Kayla Mazon, Audrey Orecchio, Domenic Osaba, Giana Paladina, Melia Palavis, Jackson Potock, Sophia Shafer, Gabriella Spickard, Makenzie Stear, Sarah Stewart, Evangeline Swearingen, Melina Upright, Kayla Velegol, Maxwell Wood and Naomi Young.

High honors students graduating with a 3.7 to 3.99 grade-point average or with a 4.0 and no AP or dual credit classes, included: Hailee Anderson, Bethany Berry, Louis Burge, John Davis, Daisy Emmerich, Maleea Faulks, Ayden Linger, Noah McLain, Katrina Napadano, Gabrielle Noel, Ryan Owen, Josh Raveaux, Katelyn Rebon, Shane Ruggie, Janai Turner, Ellie Totten, Natalia Vella and Isabella Woods.

Honors students graduating with a grade-point average of 3.4 to 3.69 were: Leanna Bissett, Angelo Figlioli, Kendra Kuster, Lucas McAllister, Samuel Oliver, Lyla Soplinski, Emma Underwood and Brandon Yoho.

Arneault recognized the following seniors of the John C. Greer Chapter of the National Honor Society, presenting them with a gold tassel: Anderson, Bennett, Berry, Bissett, Costello, Dawson, Dean, Defelice, Diamond, Duffy, Faulks, Fayak, Glodowski, Guio, Hoover, Hostuttler, Jagela, Kelly, Mascio, Mazon, McLain, Noel, Orecchio, Osaba, Owen, Paladina, Palavis, Potock, Raveaux, Ruggie, Shafer, Stear, Soplinski, Spickard, Swearingen, Totten, Turner, Underwood, Upright, Velegol, Vella, Wood and Young.

Graduating as members of the National Technical Honor Society were: Four-year members Bissett and Figlioli; three-year members Diamond, Dean, Kelly, Maley, Mazon, Owen, Palavis, Potock, Ruggie, Shafer, Spickard and Upright; two-year members Kuster, Osaba and Young; and one-year members Dawson and Orecchio.

Assistant Principal Chris Hill presented career and technology certificates and awards to: Bissett, Makenzi Cain and Johnson, early childhood/ECAT education; Figlioli, Kelly, Elle Maley, Osaba, Potock, Palavis, Shaffer and Young, information management; Mazon and Ruggie, accounting and finance; Figlioli, Kelly, Owen, Palavis, Spickard and Upright, management and administrative support; Dawson, Dean, Maddyson Kingston, Kuster, Orecchio and Upright, administrative support; and Burge and Dean, pre-engineering.

Receiving the Governor’s Workforce Credential were Dawson, Dean, Figlioli, Kelly, Maley, Osaba, Orecchio, Potock, Palavis, Shaffer, Upright and Young.

Arneault recognized the recipients of the 2025 PROMISE scholarship, including Costello, Dawson, Defelice, Duffy, Figlioli, Guio, Hoover, Hostuttler, Jagela, Johnson, Kelly, Mazon, Osaba, Owen, Paladina, Palavis, Potock, Raveaux, Ruggie, Soplinski, Spickard, Stear, Stewart, Swearingen, Totten, Underwood, Upright, Wood and Young.

Hill recognized those who received an award or scholarship not presented by representatives during the ceremony. Students included: Anderson, Bowling Tournament Scholarship and Upward Bound Scholarship; Bennett, Mount Vernon Nazarene University Founders Scholarship, Gateway Scholarship, Challenge Grant, Cheer Scholarship; Hans Dietz Memorial Scholarship, Robert D. Pitcock Jr. Scholarship, Russell and Margaret Bailey Scholarship and West Virginia Northern District Scholarship; Kristoffer Bunting, Fairmont State University Soar Award, West Virginia State of Letter Carriers Association Scholarship; Davis, Muskingum University Academic Scholarship and Muskingum Impact Scholarship; Dawson, WTOV-9 Scholar Athlete of the Week, River Network Weir High Player of the Game, SAT Distinguished in Math and SAT Distinguished in Reading; Dean, Kent State University Presidential Achievement Scholarship and Honors Distinction Award; Defelice, Wheeling University Athletic Aid Grant and Archbishop John J. Swint Scholarship; Diamond, Robert Morris University Merit Scholarship and Legacy Award; Hoover, Betty Ann Ponzo OVAC Basketball Scholarship; Jagela, Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship; Kelly, Ted and Mary Ann Stolarczyk Trust Scholarship; Orrechio, Duquesne University Academic Scholarship; Owen, Allegheny College Trust Scholarship and Grant; Raveaux, West Virginia Hope Scholarship; Shafer, Michael and Julia Oliverio Memorial Scholarship, 2020-21 West Virginia Golden Horseshoe Recipient, Robert Morris University Merit Scholarship, Grant and Legacy Award; Soplinski, Alpha Delta Kappa-Alpha Tau Chapter Scholarship and Sorority for Women Educators Scholarship; Spickard, Albert Yanni Scholarship; Stear, Marshall University Getting Started Merit Scholarship and Achievement Tuition Grant; Stewart, Temple University Dean’s Tuition Scholarship and Ambler First-year Grant; Totten, West Virginia Rhododendron Girls State Outstanding Citizen; Turner, Fairmont State University William White Athletic Scholarship, Falcon Grant, Soar Scholarship and Columns Scholarship; Upright, Duquesne University Academic Scholarship; Vella, Duquesne University Discover Grant; and Wood, University of Michigan Grant, National Merit Scholarship Finalist and Advanced Placement Scholar.

College representatives presented awards and scholarships to students who will be attending their school. Attendees included: West Virginia University’s Donna Gialluco and Mary Davis presented the WVU Climb Higher Scholarship, Level 4, to Figlioli; Level 3 to Anderson, Soplinski and Totten; Level 2 to Costello, Dawson, Duffy, Glodowski, Guio, Jagela, Kelly, Mascio, Osaba, Paladina, Palavis, Potock, Raveaux, Spickard and Swearingen; and Level 1 to Mazon; the Creative Arts Scholarship to Glodowski; and the Robert Jess Deeds Natural Science Scholarship, to Potock.

West Liberty University presented the WLU Black and Gold Scholarship to Bissett; Athletic Scholarship to Megan Dunmyer, Hoover and Hostuttler; Hilltopper Access Scholarship to Lexie Fayak; Elbin Scholarship to Hoover; Institutional Scholarship to Hostuttler; the Arts and Housing Scholarship to Linger; Foundation Scholarship and Aviation Access Award to Ruggie; and the Presidential Scholarship and Athletic Housing Scholarship to Young.

West Virginia Northern Community College’s Ida Williams recognized Orecchio as the first to complete an associate’s degree in the dual credit program for arts. She presented her with the Donald Nemanich and Sarah Bodkin Academic Excellence Award.

Individual scholarships were awarded by various community members and organizations. Presenters and recipients included: Deborah Mahoney presented the Chuck Mahoney Memorial Scholarship to Duffy, Hostuttler and Kelly. The Mark Family presented the Butch Mark Memorial Softball Scholarship to Dean. Tony Viola presented the Joan Bieberson and Frank McDonald Scholarship to Dean, Mazon and Totten. Candice Dotson presented the FBLA Scholarship to Mazon and Raveaux. Gary Hostuttler presented the Weirton Firefighters Association Local Scholarship to Hostuttler. Mark Crowe, along with soccer coaches, presented the Madison Crowe Memorial Scholarship to Fayak and Wood. Connie and Chip Davies presented the Aaron Davies Memorial Scholarship to Hoover. Steve Zatezalo presented the George Zatezalo Highest Honors Math Award to Hoover. Jennifer Fayak presented the Kristin Andrews Soccer Scholarship to Glodowski and Wood. Gavin Shaffer presented the Band Booster Scholarship to Anderson, Bennett, Elizabeth Flesher, Swearingen and Vella. Faith Magnone presented the Weir Cheer Booster Scholarship to Alivia Torres, Soplinski and Bennett. Roger Criss presented the Chad Pickens Scholarship to Clyde Flesher and Elizabeth Flesher and the Helen T. Hamill Scholarship to Kelly. Krista Diserio and Nicole Frankouser presented the West Virginia Disability History Contest Award to Duffy and Glodowski. Zachary White presented the Hancock County 4-H Achievement Award to Bissett. Beveral Jaskiewicz presented the Joe Jaskiewicz Memorial Scholarship to Dawson.

School Counselor Don Wright presented scholarships to Spickard, Gay R. Larsen Scholarship; Bissett, Betty M. Shaw/Evabelle Catlett Scholarship; Young and Spickard, Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival Scholarship; Kelly, Weirton Medical Center Staff Scholarship; Soplinski, and Kelly, Hancock School Employees Credit Union Scholarship; and Shafer, Michael and Julia Oliverio Memorial Scholarship.

School Counselor Natalie Charlton presented scholarships to Maley, Chad Pickens Memorial Student Council Scholarship; Stear, Judy Ann Simich Memorial Scholarship; Dean, Weirton Rotary Club; Palavis, Smaltz Family Scholarship; Spickard, Tikkum Olem Scholarship; and Young, the Josh Merriman Foundation Scholarship.

Assistant Principal Kelly Lawton presented scholarships to Dean, Louis F. Serra Memorial Scholarship; Faulks, Mary Green Scholarship; Mascio, Robin M. Drennan Memorial Scholarship; Costello, Linger and Johnson, the Charles M. and Thelma M. Pugliese Charitable Foundation; McAllister, Snack Brothers Scholarship; and Underwood and Figlioli, the Jostens Scholarship.

Arneault presented scholarships to Noel and Burge, J.C. Williams Trust; Damir Mowder, WTOV-9 Football Scholarship; Young and Hostuttler, Goosen’s Cross Country Award; Osaba and Velegol, Mario Pipinos Memorial Scholarship; and Young, Beaulah Meyer Scholarship, Jerome B. Schmitt Memorial Scholarship, WVSSAC Scholarship and the Orrick, Herrington, Sutcliffe Global Operations Center Scholarship.

Arneault recognized graduates who earned a varsity letter in a sport, co-curricular or service. The event concluded with closing remarks by Kelly, the class’s vice president, who said, “It gives me great pride to represent my classmates and Weir High School on such a joyous occasion. My best wishes go out to my classmates as they begin the next phase of their lives, whether that is college, the workforce or any other path they desire.”