MMI Preparatory School honored the Class of 2025 during its 133rd commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 22.

This year’s graduating class of 30 seniors were accepted at more than 80% of the colleges to which they applied.

At those colleges, the seniors were presented with over $3.2 million in academic merit scholarships and awards.

Students from the graduating class provided remarks about the occasion, highlighting their transformations during their time at MMI, and the support they received from their classmates and staff.

“That’s when I realized that I wasn’t the same timid 6th grader I was when I first came to MMI.” Kendall Orozco, 2025 valedictorian, said regarding the beginning of her education.

She would later comment on what helped her become more outgoing: “MMI brought me out of my shell, and what made the biggest difference in my life was meeting the students who go here.”

Diane Kim, Class of 2025 president, said, “The connections and relationships we have with one another today are only one example of how our class has grown and changed immensely throughout our time at MMI.

“Little did we know, all the after-school garlic knot and gas station runs, locker room pranks and lunch table conversations, awards ceremonies and spirit weeks, as well as so many other countless memories, would little by little shape us into the seniors and soon-to-be-graduates we are today.”

The theme of transformation, one’s roots and future, was shown in their class banner, as well as a tribute to the late Gerard Pierotti, an MMI math teacher who passed away last summer.

The banner, which was presented by Winni Zheng, represents years of change while leaning into the idea of space — a topic beloved by the late teacher. It features minecarts going into space, as an homage to MMI’s beginnings and the graduating classes’ future.

Keynote speaker Dr. Jack Della Croce, Class of 1973, owner and dentist at Della Croce Dental Care in Freeland, advised students that it’s about the little decisions they make that will truly shape their future, or as he referred to them, “micro-choices.”

“These are small, seemingly insignificant decisions that actually shape the course of your life and ultimately determine your impact on the world,” he said. “They are decisions that, in the moment, might not feel important, but when you look back, you’ll realize that they made all the difference.”

Things like the people the students choose to hang out with, their study habits and work ethic will have an effect throughout their college career and life.

Students from the Times News area included:

Willa Elle Bartholomew, child of Dean and Cheryl Bartholomew of Jim Thorpe; Brayden Harleman, child of Drew Harleman of Jim Thorpe and Kristi Harleman of Hazleton; Nicholas Louis Pantages, child of Louis and Cynthia Pantages of Lake Harmony; and Winni Zheng, child of Lili Lin of Jim Thorpe.