Lincoln Park celebrates 2018 graduation

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School announced that 129 graduates in the Class of 2018 received their diplomas.

Commencement exercises took place at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9 in the Mainstage Theater, where graduates from six counties participated.

Amanda Gross of Sewickley was voted by her classmates to speak on their behalf at the commencement ceremony. A musical theater major, she started attending Lincoln Park in the eighth grade and has participated in a dozen shows, including the upcoming “Ragtime,” as Sarah. The daughter of Barbara and Terry Gross of Sewickley, she plans to attend the University of Michigan to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater.

“It’s such an amazing feeling to know that every single one of us will change the world someday,” she said. “We have Lincoln Park to thank for helping us to flourish into the people we are today.”

Lincoln Park CEO Patrick Poling also spoke, pointing out that the graduating class has earned more than $2 million in scholarships. Twenty-nine of the graduates started in seventh grade and received special medals.

“At our annual opening ceremony on the first day of school we told our students we were poised for another great year at Lincoln Park,” Poling said. “We challenged each student with this: what will you do to contribute to the academic and artistic excellence at Lincoln Park? …These seniors have done their part to keep Lincoln Park an oasis of the arts.”

Director of Literary Arts Dan Leroy served as the master of ceremony.

The graduates are: Shelby Abel, Luke Aloi, Emily Appel, Justin Atta, Sarah Bett, Mason Boni, Gillian Brown, Jacon Butterfield, Zachariah Caler, Rachel Carlisle, Michael Caye, Anissa Clay, Shayne Coles, Jessica Craven, Brandon Crawford, Jacob Curran, Charles Curti, Machaela Danko, Isabelle Davison, Layla Denny, Addy Diamond, Dylan Dietterich, Kaylarayne Diubak, Joel Dudzik, Sarah Duffy, Yasmine Duncan, Brett Dutson, Matthew Edwards, Katherine Elan, Caleb Erb-White, Lauren Eylicio, Shawn Faraoni, Jillian Ferguson, Mariah Fernandez, Dominic Fleming, Tanell Franklin-Phillips, Anthony Gaines, Sydney Gondringer, Amanda Gross, Ciera Hammond, Sarah Hartenstein, Jorre Henderson, Nicolas Hermick, Rachel Hill, Izabelle Hogg, Alyssa Hoy, Anthony Hulick, Brooke Jacobs, Mikaela Jessamy, Isabel Johnson, Katie Johnson, Aidan Karstadt, Cailyn Kerr, Kira Kittrell, Gildas Kodjo, Emily Koscinski, Lauren Kovolenko, Jade Langan, Aileen LeRoy, Brynn Lesher, Ethan Lyons, Shannon Mahoney, Paige Mathieson, Sage McDanel, Ian McKinzie, Justin Miller, Katherine Miller, Molly Miller, Zachary Miller, Delaney Minear, Macy Minear, Zackery Mitrecic, Kieran Modro, Tessa Moore, Cody Nagle, Megan Ochs, Bella Palermo, Lee-El Peniazek, Lake Perun, Kayleigh Peternel, Emily Piacitelli, Kara Priddy, Dawson Rauch, Mason Ream, Lillian Roman, Samantha Roth, Keila Sanchez, Romia Schofield, Taylor Searle, Keely Shoup, Essence Simmons, Scott Sims, Andrew Sirkoch, Dominic Skeele, Colt Slowinski, Olivia Smith, Roman Spataro, Cassidy Spirk, Abby Surmacz, Morgan Sweitzer, Olivia Tarchick, Allysia Tommelleo, Owen Traynor, Alexandra Trimber, Jacob Trone, Nathanael Turner, Nicole Vebelun, Katelyn Vecere, Timothy Waldorf, Artisha Walker, Jordyn Walker, Anna Walsh, India Washington, Zachary West, Sarah Wheatley, Victoria Wolfe, Jacob Worst, Louise Wright, Mason Zabrucky, Evan Zawatski, and Kayleigh Zimmerman

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School is a nationally-ranked school that has earned a bronze medal from the US News and World Report High School Rankings for 2016. Lincoln Park was awarded the Title I Distinguished School for three straight years by the Pennsylvania Department of Education given to schools ranking in the top 5 percent as measured by aggregate student math and reading PSSA test scores. Lincoln Park also has the lowest cost per student education costs in Beaver County.