The 40th annual Grand Island High School Commencement Exercises will be held at Kleinhan's Music Hall at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 23, 2005.
The program will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance lead by Class of 2005 Vice President Amanda George. Class President Robert Goris will welcome the graduates, their families and friends. A congratulatory address will be given by Dr. Thomas M. Ramming, Superintendent of the Grand Island Central School District.
Class speakers will be the top three academically ranked students. Erin Dent ranks first in the Class of 2005 and is a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to attend Canisius College, majoring in biology. Her career goals are to attend medical school and earn her medical degree. She is the school’s recipient of the RPI Medal and is president of the "Masterminds." Erin has been an active participant in Youth Court and has been a mentor in the Kaegebein after school program. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Dent of Grand Island.
Meghan Macquire ranks second in the Class of 2005 She is a member of the National Honor Society, SADD, and Library Club. She played varsity soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, and is a member of the 2002 Niagara Frontier Basketball Champions Team, the 2004 New York State Section Champions and State Quarter Finalists Team. She was a member of the 2003 and 2004 New York State Section VI Champion Soccer Teams. She participated in travel soccer, coached a youth basketball league, and participates in the travel basketball team. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Macguire of Grand Island, Meghan plans to attend Carnegie-Mellon University to study the health sciences.
Ranking third in the Class of 2005 is Sara Hilliard. Sara is a member of the National Honor Society and participated in the Interact Club and Student Council. She has earned her Silver Award from the Girl Scouts and is an active member of Grand Island’s Youth Court. On the varsity basketball team, Sara has played forward and was a member of the Section IV Class A Champs. In soccer, she has played all positions and made All-NFL 1st team in 2004. She has been named All-American Scholar Athlete for her participation in girls’ lacrosse. Sarah plans to attend the State University Center of New York at Buffalo majoring in pharmacy. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hilliard of Grand Island.
Military and Employability Portfolio Recognition will be presented by high school Principal Dr. James R. Dempsey. Recipients of the Grand Island High School scholarships and awards will be presented by Mr. William Miller, Assistant Principal, and will receive their awards from Dr. Ramming.
Musical interludes will be performed by the high school choir and Madrigals under the leadership of Mrs. Carolyn Lokken and the band, conducted by Mr. Martin T. Allen.
Class of 2005 officers are:
Robert Goris..……………………………………………...……President
Amanda George..…………………………………………Vice President
Kari Tondera…….……....………………………………………Treasurer
Sarah Tanbakuchi…….………………………………………..Secretary
Mary Elizabeth Lacki and Gretchen Kiehl……………….….Historians
Parents, relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend this special event honoring the Class of 2005.
Grand Island High School Potential 2005 Graduates - 2005
Click "Potential Graduates"
for the list of Grand Island High School Potential 2005 Graduates.
Kara Black Takes A Third In State Championships - 2005
Kara Black broke a section record in the 200 with a time of 24.53 and a third place finish in the June 3-4, 2005 State Championships. Kara won the 100 meter and 200 meter in the Section VI Track & Field championships. This was her third year to qualify for the state championships.
Rotary/PTSA Students of the Month
June 2005
Meaghan Grotz Meghan MacGuire Gretchen Kiehl Adrienne LaLiberty
Meaghan Grotz has been a Grand Island resident all of her life. She started grade school with fellow Grand Islanders at Huth Road Elementary, and continued all the way up through her senior year at Grand Island High School. At Huth Road she was awarded the "H" pin and the Presidential Academic Aware of Excellence.
Meaghan takes school seriously. She has maintained honor roll status while balancing a tough schedule full of Honors and Advanced Placement courses. She has earned the Academic pin and the Varsity Letter for Academics while being inducted into the National Honor Society. For her freshmen year, Meaghan was the manager of Varsity Girls Tennis Team, and received her Varsity Letter in that sport. She also received the gold bar and MVP JV Undefeated Player in her sophomore year. By balancing academics and sports, she received the Scholar Athlete Award. Meaghan participates in school activities, is a member of the student council, and was co-chair of the Decorating Committee during her junior year. Meaghan also played the clarinet during her freshmen and sophomore years with the high school band, and during her junior year in the elite Wind Ensemble.
Meaghan has been active in the community through her church, St. Stephen's. She was a teacher during Liturgy of the Word and helped with other events at her church. She also participated in Practice Buddies with the music program.
Meaghan is active in local awareness in organ donation, needing a double lung transplant herself. She is also active in local awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, having been diagnosed with it at birth. She is presently recovering from a lung transplant at the University of Pittsburgh hospital. She is a role model of persistence, courage and faith in her fellow man. (Editor's note: Meaghan received a double lung transplant in November 2004)
Meaghan has written an article that was published in the Buffalo News last year. She also plans on attending Niagara University for English or Journalism.
Meghan MacGuire has been a resident of Grand Island her entire life. She attended St. Stephen School from kindergarten to eighth grade and has attended Grand Island High School for the past four years. Her community service includes refereeing and coaching for the Youth Basketball League on Grand Island and volunteering at the Buffalo Women's Shelter for Battered Women. She has also coached a middle school girls travel basketball team in the summer.
While at Grand Island High School, Meghan has participated in various sports including soccer, basketball and lacrosse. Outside of school, she has played on an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball team for six years and a Grand Island travel soccer team for five years. She was also named co-Grand Island High School Female Athlete of the Year for three years. In tenth grade, she earned honorable mention all-league in lacrosse and second team all-league in basketball. In eleventh grade, she was named second team all-league and an academic all-American in lacrosse, and earned first team all-league and third team all-Western New York in basketball. She has received varsity letters in soccer, basketball and lacrosse.
School academics play a large role in Meghan's life. She has taken honors and AP courses throughout high school. She is currently enrolled in four AP classes and is a member of National Honor Society. She has been the treasurer of the Library Club for three years and had participated in SAAD in tenth grade. In ninth grade, she received the biology award and in tenth, the anatomy/physiology award. She has received the academic honors of an Academic Excellence certificate, pin, and varsity letter.
After graduation, Meghan plans to attend college and pursue a career majoring in the field of liberal arts and sciences.
Gretchen Kiehl has been a resident of Grand Island for twelve years. She has attended the Grand Island school district since kindergarten. Throughout her 17 years she has been an active part of her community, having performed such community services as tutoring elementary school children, working in her church nursery, participating in Relay for Life, Ride for Roswell, and Student Olympics, and coaching the young age group swimmers on the Grand Island Piranhas.
Gretchen has also been very active in her school. She was the Historian for the Class of 2005 for all four years and a member of the Student Council. Currently she is treasurer of the Interact Club and is on Dr. Ramming's Student Advisory Council. Gretchen is very involved with the music program at Grand Island High School, participating in the Chorus, Concert Choir, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble. She is the former secretary of Concert Band, and is the former treasurer and current president of the Wind Ensemble. She is a proud member of the French horn section, that received an award for the most Outstanding Section last year. Gretchen has also been playing the piano for 10 years outside of school.
Being a member of the Grand Island Piranhas has been an important part of Gretchen's life. She joined the team in third grade, and since then has spent many hours at the pool (including before-school practices) and away at swim meets. She is very proud of her accomplishments in swimming. Si
