Speeches, scholarships and awards, diplomas and a turn of the tassels on their caps and 13 years together came to an end in less than 60 minutes for 29 members of the Class of 2025 at Wethersfield High School Sunday afternoon.
Commencement speaker was high school office secretary Becca Herridge, chosen by the class for the honor, who recalled seeing the seniors as they grew up in school, many spending time in the office as “school mom” sharing their joys, worries and “drama” and how the class was “always there for each other.”
Herridge told the graduates, “It’s not what you want to be. It’s why. Choose a path you want, not what someone else thinks you should do. Set out not just to succeed, but to make a difference.”
Speeches were also given by valedictorian Sophia Li who plans to attend the University of Illinois-Chicago and become a dentist, and salutatorian Emersyn Nelson who plans to pursue a career in the medical field specializing in pediatrics.
The following scholarships, gifts and awards were presented during commencement ceremonies:
Abby Fargher “Abbytude” Award — Kendall Vincent
American Legion Post 31 Scholarship — Kendall Vincent
American Red Cross Scholarship Award — Kendall Vincent
Black Hawk President’s Scholarship — Ellie Merrick and Vincent
Brian P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship — Zeb Rashid
Chamber of Commerce Business Award — Marshall Hauser
Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award — Leah Franklin
Det. Sgt. James Ramon Mock Memorial Scholarship — Brooke Shores
Dr. Carol Gleich Memorial Scholarship — Emersyn Nelson
Dr. Ronald Thompson Memorial Scholarship — Alevia Dickens
Emerit E. Baker Memorial Scholarship — Jillian Taylor
Sgt. Floyd Blanks Memorial Scholarship — Eva Ceja
Frank Craig Scholarship/Lois Gleason Memorial — Eva Ceja and Leah Franklin
Gerald and Lynn Partridge Foundation Scholarship — Calen Eldridge
Glidden Family Scholarship — Ellie Merrick
Gustafson FordNational FFA Organization Scholarship — Zeb Rashid
Laurence Horler Gift — Sophia Li
John Philip Sousa Award — Saphyre Murphy
Kathy Beck “A Challenge for Life” Award — Alivia Lempke
Kiwanis Foundation Scholarship — Sophia Li and Ellie Merrick
Linda K. Bialobreski Scholarship — Castin Rash
Lou Little Memorial Scholarship — Kellan Keane and Zeb Rashid
Margaret Palmer Memorial Scholarship — Emersyn Nelson
Mike Planos Memorial Scholarship — Kellan Keane
Renee Gillespie Scholarship — Alevia Dickens
Rotary Academic Scholarships — Sophia Li and Emersyn Nelson
Rotary Vocational Scholarship — Riley Rumbold
Richard Schiller Scholarship — Riley Rumbold
Sons of the American Legion Good Citizenship Award — Deke Neirynck
State Bank of Toulon Scholarship — Kellan Keane
Wethersfield FFA Alumni Scholarship — Zeb Rashid
Wethersfield Academic Foundation Scholarship — Karlie Kravich
Wethersfield Education Association Awards and Scholarships — Yancarllos Chaves, Irvin Landwehr, and Ellie Merrick
Noah Berry and Zeb Rashid were recognized for receiving their welding certificates from Black Hawk College East Campus.
Irvin Landwehr was recognized for enlisting in the Illinois National Guard.
Three new scholarships were presented for the first time this year.
A scholarship in memory of Det. Sgt. James Mock, who died in 2024, has been established and is funded by a collaboration of the Kewanee Police Department, the Kewanee FOP Union, the Kewanee Fire Department, and Kewanee Firefighters Local 513.
A scholarship for a student planning to pursue a business-related major has been established by a bequest from the estate of the late Richard Schieler, a 1959 WHS graduate. Schieler was a CPA in Chicago and died in 2021.
The third new scholarship is presented by the Wethersfield Education Association which has established a fund to offer three awards to qualifying graduates based on academic performance, service, extra-curricular involvement and an essay.
