Good afternoon! It’s the most exciting day of the year - Commencement Day 2023, and only hours away from when the Quakertown Class of 2023 assembles for the last time for graduation. This evening, the Class of ‘23 will be graduating 383 students. They have so much to boast about.
These are a few fun facts about this amazing Class of ‘23:
- The Valedictorian is Katharine Catalano with a 4.5 WGPA. She is attending the University of Maryland with a Presidential Scholarship
- Jacob Wackerman is attending Penn State University on a full Navy ROTC scholarship
- 104 students earned over $9.34 million in college scholarships, many with Presidential scholarships valued at well over $100,000
- Nine Quakertown students are going directly into the military service - Air Force, Army, Marines, and the Navy
- Seven of the 69 Quakertown students from the Class of ‘23 who attended the Upper Bucks County Technical School were selected for the National Technical Honor Society; 68 of these students earned a certificate across 21 UBCTS programs
- Before the May ‘23 Advanced Placement testing results are back later this summer, the Class of ‘23 already has 31 Advanced Placement Scholars and three AP Capstone Diploma awardees - Mary Barbour, Sydney Fronheiser, and Darby Vail
- 55 students were selected for the National Honor Society
- 22 students signed with colleges to play athletics at the next level
All members of the Quakertown Class of 2023 are to be congratulated for a job well done. They clearly demonstrated incredible resilience while attending high school during the pandemic and excelled in everything they did. I remember them well since they were in third grade my first school year in Quakertown, when the snow didn't melt for months and we closed school for seven inclement weather days. The Class of ‘23 will leave an indelible mark and record to aspire to for our wonderful Quakertown Panther school community.
When the commencement ceremony is over, I will have had the honor and privilege to have personally congratulated 4,200 Quakertown newly minted graduates over my 10 years here - and more than 20,000 graduates from my 20 years as a high school principal and superintendent. As I stay in touch with many of these graduates still living here or through LinkedIn, I know our Quakertown graduates are more than ready for college and career.
As it is my last commencement ceremony in Quakertown, I would like to thank you for your support, feedback, and commitment to making our school community and family a great place to work. We have amazing teachers and support staff who year after year do their very best for your child(ren). The district is well poised for the future as the Board and community have embraced “The 3 A’s - Academics, Arts , and Athletics.” They create a quality school district culture. As I pass the helm off to Dr. Matthew Friedman at the end of the month, please know that we are in excellent hands as there is great depth in the instructional leadership capacity of Quakertown Community School District. We truly have an amazing Quakertown team!
Thank you for wanting and expecting the very best from all of us, especially from me. It's been a privilege and honor to lead and serve in Quakertown, which has allowed me to do what I love to do.
My sincere very best to you and your family.
Bill Harner
Superintendent