Over the next week, Perryville, Saxony Lutheran, and St. Vincent high schools will hold commencement exercises for their graduating seniors.
Perryville High School will conduct its graduation ceremony on Friday night, followed by Saxony Lutheran High School on Sunday afternoon and St. Vincent High on Wednesday evening.
This is an overview of the information received from each of the three schools regarding their graduation ceremonies.
PERRYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
PHS’s graduation ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Friday, May 16, at the Perry Park Center. It is a ticketed event and not open to the public.
Senior Ayla Schuler has been chosen by students and staff to give the commencement address on Friday evening, when 208 members of the PHS Class of 2025 will graduate.
Thirty of the graduates, including Schuler, will receive academic honors. Schuler is the daughter of Wendy Schuler and Marion Layton of Perryville. She is the granddaughter of Bill Schuler and the late Aurelia Schuler, as well as Bill Hopfer and the late Sharon Springer.
After graduation, Schuler will attend Southeast Missouri State University, where she will major in vocal music education with piano as her primary instrument. She has earned the 2025 John Philip Sousa Band Award and Southeast Missouri State University’s Copper Dome, Residence Life Leadership, and Residence Life Supplemental Scholarships.
Schuler has been an honor roll student throughout her four years of high school and is a member of the National Honor Society, the Academic Team, and the Exploration of the Arts Club. She has also participated in the PHS Band for all four years and joined the choir program in her sophomore year.
Schuler has excelled in both music programs, first earning an Outstanding Rating at the MSHSAA State Large Ensemble Contest as a freshman and participating in the SEMO Honor Band as a percussionist during her sophomore year. In 10th grade, she received a spot as Soprano 2 in the All-District Choir and earned three gold medals and one silver medal at the MSHSAA Solo and Ensemble District Contest for piano solo, vocal solo, vocal sextet, and percussion quintet.
She then earned three silver medals at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest for piano solo, vocal solo, and vocal sextet. In her junior year, Schuler was named section leader for the front ensemble and percussion sections. She earned three gold medals at the Solo and Ensemble District Contest for piano solo, vocal solo, and vocal sextet, along with two gold and one silver medal at the State Contest. Additionally, she was awarded a spot as Soprano 2 in the All-District Choir for the second consecutive year. She also received a place in the MCDA Honor Choir and the SEMO Honor Band.
This year’s Magna Cum Laude graduates include Xavier Pfaff, Russell Giesler, Kenzie Weinkein, Schuler, Elise Lauck, Marley Seabaugh, Lydia Barrows, Zachary Crowder, Ava Moll, Lydyah Boland, and Ellie Gerler.
Magna cum laude, or with great praise, requirements include a GPA of 3.75 or above, 95 percent attendance, and achievement of one or more of the following: a composite score of 23 on the ACT, or an 1140 on the SAT, or a 60 on the ASVAB, or a Gold status on the ACT WorkKeys.
Students graduating Cum Laude are Reagan Pingel, Taylor Ebersohl, Dalton Fritsche, Alexis Howe, Alexandria Johnson, Ty Peeler, Alexis Erzfeld, Jamie Rogers, and Aubrie Bell.
Cum Laude, or With Praise, requirements include a GPA of 3.6 or higher,at least 95 percent attendance, and achievement of one or more of the following: Composite score of 21 on the ACT, or an 1070 on the SAT, or a 50 on the ASVAB, or a Gold status on the ACT WorkKeys.
The PHS students graduating Summa Cum Laude are Kathryn Broeking, Josephine Lohmann, Savannah Young, Jake Cissell, Gwynivere Newbrough, Sofia Buerck, Aaron Weber, Maria Mattingly- Hernandez, and Wyatt Schremp. Kathryn Broeking and Josephine Lohmann graduate with perfect 4.0 cumulative GPAs.
Summa cum laude, or with highest praise, requirements include a GPA of 3.9 or above, 95 percent attendance, and achievement of one or more of the following: a composite score of 27 on the ACT, an 1070 on the SAT, a 50 on the ASVAB, or Gold status on the ACT WorkKeys.
PHS health teacher Don O’Keefe has been selected by the Perryville High School Class of 2025 to deliver this year’s commencement address. O’Keefe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from McKendree University and a master’s degree in administration from William Woods University.
He first joined the PHS faculty in 1999 as a social studies teacher. O’Keefe then worked at Jackson R-II Public Schools before returning to PHS in 2022 to teach health. He is also the head baseball coach.
“It is an honor to be selected by the students,” O’Keefe said. “I love teaching at Perryville High School because I enjoy having the chance to watch the students grow up and mature as they keep getting older. At some point, I know that they will have families of their own and I’ll get the chance to meet their children.”
According to O’Keefe, his message to this year’s graduates will be that “the world is filled with pessimists. They want to tell you all of the things that you cannot accomplish. Find a way to stay away from the negative and go after the goals that you want in life.
“I want our community “I want our community to know that this group of graduates is filled with Perry County’s next successful citizens. They will be the ones that will help make sure that Perry County continues to grow and flourish. One day, many of them will have families that will grow up in Perry County. If they choose to leave this county, they will find a way to make other communities better.”
O’Keefe and his wife, Carrie, have two sons — Troy, who is graduating with the Class of 2025, and Colt, a freshman at PHS. Mr. O’Keefe is the son of Susan O’Keefe of Perryville and the late John O’Keefe.
SAXONY LUTHERAN
The commencement ceremony for Saxony Lutheran High School will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18 in the Gerhard Birk Gymnasium. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. The Class of 2025 is made up of 58 graduating seniors who will hear a welcome address from Principal Mark Ruark, class student speaker Matthew Hitt and the commencement address by faculty member Michelle Terrell.
ST. VINCENT HIGH SCHOOL
The 39 members of the St. Vincent High School Class of 2025 will be attending graduation ceremonies at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
