es of Portsmouth Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School by principal J.D. McKenzie and school board president Richard Kielmar at a commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18 in the school gymnasium. A Baccalaureate Mass was celebrated on Friday, May 16 at Portsmouth Holy Redeemer Church.
The Class of 2025 was offered nearly $3 million in scholarships and accepted more than $1 million of that total.
Ninety percent of Notre Dame’s graduates are pursuing higher education, and one student is going to the Damascus Catholic Mission Campus in Knox County for training in missionary work. Twenty-eight of the 31 graduates will be attending 12 different colleges and two different career centers, including four outside of Ohio.
The class valedictorians were Aaryn Bradford and Taylor Lasswell, both of Portsmouth. Bradford is the son of Travis and Kristina Bradford and has accepted a scholarship to Ohio University, where he will major in mechanical engineering. Lasswell is the daughter of Vance and Karen Lasswell and has accepted a scholarship to Ohio State University, where she will major in business.
The salutatorian was Eugene Collins of Portsmouth, the son of Eugene and Marie Collins. He has accepted a scholarship to Shawnee State University, where he will major in plastics engineering.
Graduating with honors diplomas were Adyson Arnold, Taylor Lasswell, Landon Barbarits, Shei Mowery, Aaryn Bradford, Zoe Niekamp, Eugene Collins, Layden Sallee, Madelyn Entler, Aleza Smith, Daynna Fuentes, Mason Tarr, Kaden Hadsell, Naydine Watson, Anastasia Lansky and Addie West. Class members performed a total of 383.75 service hours.
The school presents three special awards voted upon by the faculty. The citizenship award was given to Taylor Lasswell for her contribution of time and energy to civic, community and school projects. The senior service award was given to Mason Tarr for his generosity with his time toward course work and extracurricular activities. The outstanding senior award was given to Aaryn Bradford for best fulfilling the roles of scholar and leader in the school and community, demonstrating outstanding character and service to others and, on a daily basis, demonstrating high Christian ideals in all of his activities.
Members of the Portsmouth Notre Dame Junior/Senior High School Class of 2025 are:
Adyson Arnold, Landon Barbarits, Morgan Boldman, Aaryn Bradford, Brody Coleman, Eugene Collins, Kaylyn Darden, Brady Davis, Madelyn Entler, Elijah Estep, Daynna Fuentes, Kaden Hadsell, Tally Herrmann, Brianne Hicks, Anastasia Lansky and Taylor Lasswell.
Logan Lawson, Kalyn Lester, Davin Logan, Emily McNutt, Chloe Moore, Shei Mowery, Zoe Niekamp, Richard Phillips, Sanford Rowe, Layden Sallee, Aleza Smith, Mason Tarr, Alivia Taylor, Naydine Watson, and Adeline West.