Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Valedictorian and Salutatorian Recipients!
During a picturesque commencement ceremony held on Thursday, May 29, two distinguished students were honored with special recognition as recipients of additional KASD Education Foundation scholarships. The Valedictorian and Salutatorian Scholarships were awarded to celebrate the exceptional academic achievements and dedication of this year’s top graduates. Congratulations to the recipients of these prestigious honors!
Recipient of the John & Laila Silan Valedictorian Scholarship: Mr. Tucker Hilliard
Tucker has made the most of his time at Kutztown High School, balancing an impressive array of activities in music, sports, clubs, and academics. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Concert Band, Concert Choir, Select Choir, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Senior SMART Mentor, Berks Math Competitions, and is the voice of morning announcements. For the past four years, Tucker has been a member of the Soccer, Wrestling, and Track and Field Teams. He is the President of the Class of 2025 and the National Honor Society, Marching Band Drum Major, and Secretary of Choir. For the past seven years, Tucker has been part of the Kutztown Musicals with two major roles as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls and Horrace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly. He also qualified for County, District, Regional, and State Level Chorus; County Orchestra; plus County, District, and Regional Level Band. Tucker’s awards and honors this year include Blue and White Award, Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Music Award, The John Kander Music Award, Berks Sports Hall of Fame Male Scholar Athlete, Cougar Award, Kutztown Soccer Club Award, E. Jerry Brooks Academic Excellence Award, KAHS Top Male Scholar Athlete Award, Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence, Judith L. Schwank Good Citizenship Award, William S. Moyer Award, Reading Musical Foundation Outstanding Musician and STEAM Awards, National School Choral Award, Bryan Hartman Music Award, Timothy Breidegam Memorial Award, Science Staff Award, Albany Township Historical Society Award, and recognition for both Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Honor Society. In the fall, Tucker will attend The Pennsylvania State University (University Park) for Forensic Science and then further his career at law school to become a lawyer. A quote from his Valedictorian speech, “To every student, every teacher, every person here today, I ask one simple thing: Don’t stop dreaming. Don’t be afraid to dream big, or weird, or loud. And when life tries to convince you that those dreams are too far out of reach, I want you to remember: dreams are meant to feel far away. That’s what makes them worth chasing.”
Congratulations, Tucker, and good luck in your future endeavors!
Recipient of the John & Laila Silan Salutatorian Scholarship: Mr. David Neuenschwander
David has made a lasting impact at Kutztown High School through his wide-ranging involvement in academics, music, athletics, and leadership. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Concert Choir, Concert Band, Select Choir, Jazz Band, Marching Band, senior SMART Mentor, and Light crew member his senior year for the musical. He is the Vice President of the Class of 2025, Marching Band Drum Major his senior year, team captain of the tennis team, and the voice of the morning announcements. David also played soccer and tennis all four years. His musical achievements include qualifying for County Chorus all four years and District Chorus his senior year. Some of his awards and honors this year include Timothy Breidegam Scholarship, Charles Z. Angstadt Memorial Scholarship Award, The Graceful World Award, E. Jerry Brooks Academic Excellence Award, KAHS Scholar Athlete Award, The Optimist Club Higher Education Award, Grimley Trust Scholarship, Cougar Award, Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence, Judith L. Schwank Good Citizenship Award, Fred Waring Director’s Award for Chorus, John Philip Sousa Band Award, Fern L. Herman Memorial Award, and recognition for both Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Honor Society. In the fall, David will attend University of Wisconsin-Madison for Chemistry. David ended his Salutatorian speech with “The future can seem like a void engulfing everything that you know, but look back, just like I did, at how good the past was. How much better off are you now, graduating, than as a freshman four years ago? If this much change for good happened in just four years, think of how much more your life can still improve after we step off this stage! It really is only up from here. So go out, make your own list of fun memories.”
Congratulations, David, and good luck in your future endeavors!