Bethany Shifflett and Aydan Fitzgerald met in middle school and have been best friends since. Now the two are going their separate ways – Shifflett will stay in the area while Aydan will travel to the next state south. But the Littlestown Area High School seniors said they were not worried about staying in touch, not with technology these days. They are two of the Littlestown Area School District senior class honored at the 2023 graduation Friday night.
Fitzgerald, the LASD senior class historian, will attend Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland, where he plans to study natural resources or wildlife. Shifflett has been accepted at Gettysburg College, where she intends to major in English with an emphasis on writing.
Kaelonnah Darlich, LASD senior class president, plans on studying biology or life sciences with an eye toward research when she attends Penn State, bolstered by the Millennium Scholarship for the full ride. Her favorite memory of her last year at LASD was addressing all of the district teachers at LASD to honor them for all their work.
Other senior class officers are Tyiler M. Blume, vice president; Caleb Y. Unger, secretary; Lucas C. Denault, treasurer and Fitzgerald, historian.
The graduation began with a procession of the senior class and the presentation of diplomas by LHS co-principal Joel Moran, LASD Superintendent Christopher Bigger, and LASD School Board Vice President Yancy Unger.
Next, the LASD choir and Concert Band presented musical selections, followed by remarks from Jenna Sanders, Salutorian, Lucas Denault, Valedictorian, and Kaelonnah Darlich, Class President. Dr. Judith Berryman, LHS co-principal, presented the recognition of awards, and final remarks were heard from the superintendent before the traditional tossing of mortar boards into the air.
Academic Department Awards
• Lucas Denault, academics, science, mathematics
• Elizabeth Young, 2D Art
• Bethany Shifflett, 3D Art, Creative Writing
• Alazay Hoffman, Commercial Arts
• Jaylin Smith, Photograph
• Justin King, Business
• Kenzie Hull, Theater-Play
• Brandon Morgret, Theater-Tech,
• Eden Brown, Oustanding Instrumentalist
• Caleb Unger, French
• Kathryn Eyer, French
• Alyssa Eck, Family and Consumer Science, English
• McKayla Klinedinst, Family and Consumer Science
• Christian Keller, Marching Band, Theater-Musical, Outstanding Vocalist
• Chase Wootton, Marching Band, Show Choir
• Abigail Riedel, DeKalb Agriculture
• Joyanna Matthews, Woodworking
• Aydan Fitzgerald, Spanish
• Jenna Sanders, Spanish
• Brandon Morgret, Physical education
• Hannah Hitchner, Physical Education
Judith Cameron Seniura is a freelance reporter. She began her journalism career in the early ‘70s and has written for newspapers, magazines, and other media in Ontario, Canada, Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, San Antonio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.