The Class of 2024 at DeSales Catholic School will commemorate the end of elementary school with a family-centered social, and a Graduation Mass will be held at St. John the Baptist Church. The week leading up to the 8th grade graduation is a week filled with tradition, family and faith for the students and their families.
Graduation Day for the DeSales 8th graders is Friday, June 21st. The day of celebration begins with a breakfast honoring the Class of 2024 and their families. Class of 2024 Salutatorian Annaliese Rupp will address her classmates at the breakfast. When asked what she would speak about, Annaliese said she will reflect on her time at DeSales and how being here has helped prepare her for her future endeavors. Annaliese is the daughter of Daniel & Juliette Rupp and will attend Lockport High School in the fall.
A Graduation Mass will begin at 7:00pm at St. John the Baptist Church on the 21st. The top scholar in the Class of 2024 is Siri Betsch, the daughter of Christopher Betsch & Roberta Strongren. While considering what she will touch on in her Valedictory Address, Siri said her speech will reflect on her journey at Desales and how she has made long lasting friendships and memories. Siri will attend Lockport High School in the fall.
The Graduation Mass guest speaker will be DeSales Catholic School Alumnus, Ashleigh Cottrell ‘16. Cottrell graduated suma cum laude in May 2024 from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minors in Public Health and Chemistry. This summer, she will start medical school in Blues Creek, North Carolina at Campbell University in their school of Osteopathic Medicine.
Principal Karen Rahill reflected on the current class of DeSales’ eighth graders, “I am blessed to have had the chance to watch these students learn and grow, many since preschool. It was wonderful to see their class bond and grow closer through experiences such as their trip to Boston this year. As they move on to high school, I wish them each the very best. They will always have a home at DeSales.”
The twenty-two members of the DeSales Class of 2024 will move on to find success in public and private high schools across the region, including Lockport High School, Sacred Heart Academy, Newfane High School, Roy-hart High School, Cardinal O’Hara High School and St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute.