Delone Catholic Class of 2023 Graduates; Offered more than $8.8 million in Scholarships

“You have a diploma, and you have a good day!” With a line inspired by “our wonderful cafeteria ladies,” Salutatorian Arielle Snyder ‘23 finished her speech welcoming fellow Delone Catholic High School Class of 2023 graduates.

Delone Catholic High School held commencement exercises for the Class of 2023 on Friday, May 19, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. on J.T. Flaherty Field. Superintendent of Schools and Secretary of Education for the Diocese of Harrisburg, Mr. Daniel Breen, conferred the diplomas.

The Class of 2023 Valedictorian is Lily Ann Shriner, daughter of Eric ‘96 and Michelle Shriner of Gettysburg. Lily has held many leadership roles during her high school career, including Executive Student Council Treasurer, National Honor Society Treasurer,  Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica Vice President, Tri-M Music Honor Society Vice President, and Interact Club Co-President. She was also a member of the National English Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. She was a member of the Marching Band, Concert Band, and County Band. Lily has been accepted to Pennsylvania State University Park, George Mason University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Virginia Tech University, and North Carolina State University. She plans on attending the College of William and Mary, majoring in Biology and Marine Science. She hopes to become an environmental researcher traveling the world.

Addressing her classmates, Shriner recollected the time spent freshman year coping with math tests and COVID tests simultaneously. In the time spent in social isolation, Shriner reflected, “Years of our personal evolution was compressed into just a few short months, and I believe we all became better human beings out of this experience.” 

Shriner continued the theme of embracing the unexpected, sharing, “From my perspective, life is like a Taco Bell drive-through. You can plan out everything you want, get to the window, and order perfectly, but the brown paper bag of life you will get is never going to have every taco you want made perfectly. Life without twists and turns would be boring. I will always remember those times in high school when I wasn’t perfect or took a risk I was unsure of.”

She concluded, “You are miles ahead of the person you were freshman year, and there are countless roads ahead to explore in your future. In the words of Saint Catherine of Siena, ‘Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.’”  

The Class of 2023 Salutatorian is Arielle Kate Snyder, daughter of David and Stephanie Snyder of Hanover. She is the Executive President of the Student Council and the Co-President of the Interact Club. In addition, Arielle was inducted into membership in the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, and the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. She was also a member of the girls’ volleyball and basketball programs. Arielle has been accepted to York College of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University. She plans on attending Shippensburg University with an interest in forensic science and has enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard. 

In her speech, Snyder also touched on the uncertainty that characterized the four years of high school for this class, while reminding her classmates, “...let us always keep in mind that Delone Catholic has prepared us to lead, prepared us to serve, and prepared us for life, and these are our roots. The families that supported us, the friends that we made, and the teachers that expanded our minds intellectually and our spirits religiously are the reason that we have such bright futures ahead of us. While what the future holds for us may be unclear, here we learned who we are, who we want to be, and what we believe in.”

In the immediate future, 89 percent of the Class of 2023 will pursue further education at colleges and trade schools, one percent will enter the military, and nine percent will enter the workforce after graduation. 17 percent of the class participated in internships during high school, while another six percent finished vocational training programs. Together, the Class of 2023 performed more than 12,950 hours of service to the community. 

Earlier this week, the Class of 2023 and their families gathered for a Baccalaureate Mass on Tuesday, May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hanover, Pa.  Rev. Michael Reid, the principal celebrant, was joined by many of the priests and deacons of the Adams Deanery. Rev. Samuel Miller, the school’s chaplain, gave the homily, reminding students that they would always have their faith to sustain them no matter where life’s journey takes them. The evening concluded with a celebration for families and guests in the church's parking lot.

The Senior Awards Ceremony was held on Thursday, May 19, 2023, at 9:15 a.m. in the Lawrence B. (Sonny) Sheppard, Jr. Memorial Gymnasium, with several guests on hand to present scholarships and awards, many of which are available exclusively to graduates of Delone Catholic High School. 

Gracie Wildasin earned the Catholic Faith Award, perhaps the school’s highest honor. In her nomination, Campus Minister, Mrs. Kate Phenicie wrote, “Gracie has a beautiful witness of a young disciple. She is not shy about displaying her desire to follow God and dedication to the Church and strives to do the right thing consistently in her life. I am thrilled to recommend her as a very worthy recipient of the Catholic Faith Award.”

Class of 2023