LACKAWANNA TRAIL

FACTORYVILLE — Friday, June 13, turned out to be a blessed day for the 2025 graduates of Lackawanna Trail High School. The school held its 69th annual commencement at the football stadium.

Cody Opalka, who is Trail’s acting principal, recalled how the graduates welcomed him with open arms and minds and made him feel genuinely welcome. He said that one of the students, seeing him for the first time, gave him a fist pump like he was part of the Trail family all along.

“That small gesture said everything,” said Opalka. “It was the kind of love that speaks volumes and a moment that truly captures the spirit of the class.”

Opalka also remembers attending the first football game while barely knowing the students by name. He said that he was greeted with smiles instead of awkwardness.

“You, the seniors, have the incredible ability to make people feel at home, to put others at ease even when you don’t realize you’re doing it,” Opalka told the seniors. “That quiet confidence, that welcoming spirit, is something truly special. You, the senior class, have the uncanny ability to inspire, to show kindness, and to truly be beacons of light.”

Superintendent Matt Rakauskas used the phrase ‘To be continued’ to emphasize the graduates’ new chapter.

“To be continued, those words often indicate that a story will unfold at a later time, at a later date,” he said. “To be continued, those words jump out of a movie screen signaling that a sequel is up and coming. To be continued, those words generate anticipation, excitement, and a promise of a new chapter. Class of 2025, your story is to be continued.

Rakauskas told the grads the knowledge they acquired and the memories they created will be with them and will guide them forever.

This year’s commended student Tea Burns mentioned that it isn’t the end of high school but the end of a chapter of so many firsts — first friends, first heartbreaks, first victories and first moments of who we are.

“This isn’t just a ceremony,” she said. “It’s a quiet, powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and how fleeting time truly is.”

Burns emphasized how valuable life is.

“What makes life valuable is that it doesn’t last forever,” she said. “We lived through change, through challenges, through uncertainty. We’ve seen the world shift around us, yet here we are. Still breathing. Still hoping. Still loving. Still here. And what a blessing that is.

Burns encouraged her fellow graduates not to rush time.

“Don’t wish it away even when it’s hard because the very fact that we get to live it and feel it is a gift. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, but we’re here today.”

Salutatorian Isabelle Maurer challenged her fellow grads to continue to remain active in their communities whether it’s continuing their education, entering the workforce, or entering the military.

“We have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others,” she said. “Always remember, be the light you want to see in this world.

In her valedictorian speech, Madison Palmer expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the success of her and her fellow graduates. She thanked her family for their love and support. She thanked friends for providing a constant reminder to be able to do anything. She thanked teachers for going beyond the lesson plans and keeping their doors open after class is over. She expressed gratitude for their patience and presence.

“It’s not the end,” she said. “It’s just a memory we will carry with us as we merge on to something new. And while we may be heading along different routes after tonight, every second we spend here will always be a part of where we’re going.”

Palmer encouraged her fellow graduates to continue living the lives that Trail prepared them and use their time wisely.

“You never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”

LACKAWANNA TRAIL CLASS OF 2025

Jacob Charles Antolick

Gianna Izabella Ashley

Jacob Owen Ashley

Ethan Andrew Basile

Brody Buck Blanton

Michael Lawrence Brown

Emalyn J Burgess

Tea Elizabeth Burns

Victoria Hope Call

Aubreyana Marie Carpenter

Madeline Rose Carpenter

Elizabeth Cody Cokely

Katlyn Marie Cook

Madison Leeann Darmock

Ella Marion Dewey

Olivia Anne Diaz

Lorenzo Benjamin Domiano

Demitrius Josiah Douglas

Jonathan Earl

Logan Richard Edwards

Nora Virginia Evans

Cloie Lynn Everett

Olivia Anne Fassett

Garet Dale Fowler

Alec Michael Genell

Noah Paul Genell

Sean Joseph Gilroy

Brian Russell Gow

Bianca Marie Guzzon

Colton Jay Hoffman

Faith Marie Ingalls

Ethan Alexander Jacoby

Ava Cecilia James

Kian Sheppard John

Brayden Daniel Jones

Brandon Michael Kalinoski

Chloe Monica Kennedy

Andrew Reid Kilmer

Derek William Kilmer

Tucker James Kinney

Christopher Robert Kohinski

Jordan D Kwiatkowski

Sean Anthony Langley

Aquinniah Marie Lawrence

Wyatt Edward Laytos

Isabelle Lynn Maurer

Eric Arthur McElwee Jr.

Kalaya Yolanda McPhillips

Laney Marie Mecca

Aiden Perry Megivern

Ashley Carmen Mindas

Zachery William Mosser

Dominic John Musgrove

Reagan Elizabeth Norman

Madison Makenzie Palmer

Clinton Keith Petty

Hannah Christine Phillips

Madison Calli Pietrzak

Tanner Joseph Pringle

Ethan Sawyer Ransom

James J Rasimovich

Stephen James Reppa

Autumn Olivia Richardson

Harmony Leigh Ritter

Sabrina Marie Rogalla

Levi Warren Rogers

Lillian Ella Rogers

Mia Adalys Roman

Lilah May Ross

Tina Amira Sanko

Nathan Leeann Sawkulich

Faith Lynn Shafer

Emma Grace Shaw

Dominic Atley Shores

Claira Ruth Stacknick

Matthew Starzer

Anikah Elizabeth Toth

Jacob VanGorder

Claudia C Walsh

Carson Ware

Ryan Daniel Wright

Adam J Zick Jr.