Pittsfield — Forty-eight bold and creative contributors to the common good, including 15 students from Berkshire County and nearby communities, graduated on Sunday, June 1, during Miss Hall’s School’s 127th Commencement.
The ceremony took place under a large tent behind the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the school’s Holmes Road campus and was shared worldwide via Zoom.
Hosted by Miss Hall’s Head of School Julia Heaton, the ceremony included remarks from Senior Class President Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale; School President Casey Grace Lai, of Singapore; School Vice President Haley Sacon, of West Stockbridge; and MHS Board of Trustees President Nancy Gustafson Ault, Class of 1973. This year’s commencement remarks were delivered by Kate Schrauth, executive director of iCouldBe, a leading virtual mentoring program working to support young people as they navigate high school and plan for future educational opportunities and careers. Kate was introduced by 2025 Miss Hall’s graduate Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield. Kate first served as chair of the board at iCouldBe from 2001 to 2005, then moved into the executive director role in 2006. Since then, more than 27,500 young people from historically marginalized communities across the U.S. have been empowered to develop mentoring relationships with adult champions, create strong and supportive networks, and plan for future careers.
Local graduates in the class of 2025 are Bryanna Amankwah, of Pittsfield; Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield; Lila Boland, of Dalton; Genevieve Buker, of Lee; Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale; Kady Gentleman, of Lenox; Gabriella Hasperg, of Cheshire; Emily Keiper, of Washington; Jayda Kimok, of Pittsfield; Alice Kwiatkowski, of West Stockbridge; Chloe Muellers, of Monterey; Mara Rosenthal, of Bennington, Vt.; Haley Sacon, of West Stockbridge; Olivia Whitney, of Cheshire; and Parker Wright, of Richmond.
The following awards were also bestowed on members of the Class of 2025:
- Joseph F. Buerger Memorial School Spirit Cup: Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale
- Faculty Commendation Award: Julia Tocchio, of Brasilia, Brazil
- Christine Fuller Holland ’33 Service Prize: Casey Grace Lai, of Singapore
- Meus Honor Stat Keys Awarded for MHS Core Competencies:
- Vision: Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield, and Valentina Romero, of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Voice: Bryanna Amankwah, of Pittsfield, and Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale
- Interpersonal Efficacy: EA Peña, of Boston, and Ginger Warner, of Putney, Vt.
- Gumption: Lila Boland, of Dalton, and Bibi Sahra Sidique, of Kabul, Afghanistan
- Margaret Witherspoon Award: Ivy Kay, of Lawrence, Mass.
- Engineering and Technology Innovation Award: Olivia Whitney, of Cheshire
- Doris E. Pitman English Prize: Inyene Bell, of Bridgeport, Conn.
- Virginia Breene Wickwire ’67 Reading Prize: Valentina Romero, of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Studio Art Prize: Bibi Sahra Sidique, of Kabul, Afghanistan
- Ceramics Award: Jayda Kimok, of Pittsfield
- Angela Kalischer Theater Prize: EA Peña, of Boston
- Susanna McCreath Music Prize: Kyana Chainani, of Singapore
- Photography Award: Manizha Nabizada, of Kabul, Afghanistan
- Paul C. Cabot Jr. History Prize: Kady Gentleman, of Lenox
- Horizons Award: Genevieve Buker, of Lee
- Monique Jalbert French Prize: Ivy Kay, of Lawrence, Mass.
- Spanish Award: Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield
- Mansfield E. Pickett Latin Prize: Gabriella Hasperg, of Cheshire
- English for Speakers of Other Languages Award: Stella Le, of Binh Duong, Vietnam
- James K. Ervin Mathematics Prize: Chloe Muellers, of Monterey
- Iive Rouse Science Award: Haley Sacon, of West Stockbridge
- Sylvia “Rusty” Shethar Everdell ’38 Prize: Anri Teraoka, of Tokyo, Japan
