OCHS Graduates Celebrate the Past, Look to the Future

Editor

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

In one final act, the graduates toss their caps into the air in celebration at the end of commencement.

Members of the Ocean City High School Class of 2025 entered Carey Stadium for their graduation Wednesday by walking under a ceremonial archway that was painted with one word: “Farewell.”

But the commencement ceremony was not so much a final goodbye as it was a celebration of academic achievement and a glimpse of the future for the 285 graduates dressed in red and white caps and gowns, the high school colors.

“We currently stand on the edge of the unknown. Our futures stretch before us like the ocean’s horizon: uncharted and vast, yet full of endless possibilities,” Class President Jake Tracy told his fellow graduates in welcoming remarks.

“Some of us will head to college, others will enter the workforce immediately, travel, enlist in the military, or go into a trade. Our futures seem divided, but they are all bound by an underlying theme: we are venturing into the unknown,” Tracy added.

Tracy, 18, is preparing to enter Villanova University on a Presidential Scholarship. He plans to major in neuroscience with the hope of becoming a neurosurgeon or neurologist, he said in an interview.

He told his classmates that the “unknown brings fear, yet it also brings possibility,” so they should embrace change now that they are leaving high school and ready to begin the next chapter in their lives.

“What I can say is that the fear of leaving home, your best friends, and leaving the memories behind is not a weakness; it is proof that we have created something meaningful together,” Tracy said.

“It is hard to let go because we are afraid that our best memories have already passed us by. But, holding on to the past can impede our ability to move forward. Letting go is not about forgetting where you came from; it is about permitting yourself to appreciate what was, and moving forward,” he continued.

Class President Jake Tracy flashes the thumbs-up sign in celebration.

Daphne Brozyna, the other student who spoke during commencement, told the graduates that they will fondly remember their four years in high school as they push ahead to possibly achieve “greatness” later in life.

“Furthermore, when we think back on high school, it won’t be this one hour ceremony that we remember most,” Brozyna said of graduation.” It will be the summation of all that came before it. That is why I am telling you it is enough to just be. To be okay with the mundane.”

“There is no shame in striving for our dreams, but the key to happiness is appreciating the small moments while we are still living them. If we were to die tomorrow, then this life is all we had. And wasn’t it wonderful?” she continued.

The commencement ceremony began at 4 p.m. with the students entering Carey Stadium, under the archway with the word “Farewell,” and then walking triumphantly around the track amid the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” and showered with applause and cheers from family members, friends and other supporters.

Special guests included members of the Ocean City High School Class of 1975 celebrating the 50th anniversary of their graduation.

Graduate Anna Paige Berman receives her diploma.

Graduates were announced one-by-one as they were called up to receive their diplomas from high school Principal Wendy O’Neal. Then they each shook hands with Mayor Jay Gillian and members of the Board of Education while receiving congratulations.

In her commencement remarks, O’Neal told the students that their growth does not stop at high school, that it will continue “in every challenge you face and every triumph you earn.”

“So go forward with confidence. Take risks and put your best effort into everything you do,” O’Neal said. “The world is waiting for you – your ideas, your passions, your efforts.”

“As you turn the page to this next chapter, know that you are prepared to leave OCHS. Know that you are ready. Know that we are proud of you. Know that OCHS will always be a part of you. Venture fearlessly, Class of 2025, and show the world what it means to be a Red Raider!” O’Neal added.

Ocean City High School Principal Wendy O'Neal

Superintendent of Schools Christian Angelillo told the students “there is a world beyond Ocean City” that they are about to explore for the first time as high school graduates.

“My hope, our hope, for each of you is that you live boldly, lead with conviction, and never stop learning. No matter where life takes you, know that you will always be a part of this community. We are proud of who you are and excited for who you will become. Congratulations, Class of 2025!” Angelillo said.