Seniors at the start of the ceremony in Derby.
DERBY — Ask Anastasia Stanis how to describe Derby High School to a person who’s never been there and she’ll answer in a second.
“Derby High School is a small high school, but it’s filled with a lot of love, and a lot of community,” said Stanis, who will be studying biological sciences at Louisiana State University in the fall.
Stanis was one of 91 students who graduated Thursday (June 13) during the school’s 148th commencement ceremony. It was held in front of a packed set of hometown bleachers on the Louis DeFillipo Field within the Leo F. Ryan sports complex.
Stanis, who spoke briefly with The Valley Indy just before the ceremony started, hit the theme that all the speakers touched upon: small town values and community.
It was hammered home by keynote speaker Alexandra Drezek, a Derby High School graduate (class of 2017) and the recently crowned Derby Middle School teacher of the year.
Drezek’s dad, a father of five and dedicated husband to his wife, Jamie, passed away from COVID-19 on June 3, 2020. He was just 49 years old.
Drezek said her dad’s passing was like losing the ground beneath her. She said it was the support from her family — and her extended family, meaning the Derby community — that helped her to cope.
“Sometimes home is exactly where you need to be,” Drezek said.
Salutatorian and Derby High School Class of 2025 Jessica Gerckens shouted out her mom, dad and family for all their support over the years. She will be studying biology at Southern Connecticut State University.
Valedictorian Isabela Hernandez dedicated her speech to her parents, who she said made countless sacrifices to give her opportunities they never had. She switched to Spanish to address them, drawing a cheer from the crowd.
She said Derby, a small school in a small city, has been a safe haven for the students. Now they face the uncertainty of change and the uncertainty of the future.
She told her classmates to embrace the uncertainty and “to continue moving forward and being a better person than you were the day before.“
Hernandez will be going to the University of Connecticut in the fall, where she’ll study biology and enroll in the pre-dental program.
Here is the list of Derby High School’s class of 2024 graduates:
Adriana Mierzejewski
Aidan Ohlson
Alejandro Lopez
Alexandra Mraz
Alexia Keklik
Alyssa Rodriguez
Anastasia Stanis
Anessa Ramic
Angel Emanuel Lopez
Asheli Acevedo
Bella Weitzler
Bryan McLean
Bryan Suazo
Byron McLean
Charles Adams
Chris Castellini
Christopher Clavel
Cody Ngaopraseutsack
Cristina Paucar
Daemon Clark
Dahiana Rodriguez-James
Dante Maldonado
Darling Lopez-Hernandez
David Clark-Edge
Denis Poric
Derick Gonzalez
Deshjia McDowell
Diana Ladouceur
Edens Philogene
Eliyah Arroyo
Eric Vargas
Esmeralda Marquez
Eva Eason
Faith Dyer
Faith Van Ness
Franielys Gonzalez
Gabby Barrios
Gabe Wyskowski
Genesis Ocasio
Gianna Zilli
Gio Cardillo
Haven Clark
Isabela Hernandez
J.P. Akter
Jackie Voss
Jacob Adorno
Jacob Holcolmb
Jaden Domino
Jahanna Boyd
Jamie Orazietti
Jamir Person
Janae Ortiz
Jessica Gerckens
Jeziel Caba
Joel Young
Johanna Orea
Jonathan Vinson
Jordany Zapata
Jorge Zecena
Joshua James Gildea
Kelly Prasannouvong
Kevin Jackson
Kobe Marroquin
Kylin Santamaria
Louis Aponte
Madelin Zavala
Malik Thomas
Mara Vargas
Marion Scott
Mark Acevedo
Marnie Lane
Max Netto
Melisa Basuljevic
Nadja Benjamin
Nancy Barillas-Ramirez
Natalia Tovar
Nicholas Asphall
Olivia Coutinho
Rodolfo Rodriguez
Rondell Burnham
Ronnie Spaulding
Ryanna Hines
Ryheim Brown
Sarah Damasceno
Sindy Barrios
Sonny Khanthaphixay
Trishawn Wynter
Victoria Pecirep
William De Oliveria Silva
Xiare Henriquez-Lappots
Zoila Gonzalez
Photo by Anthony Mullin
Graduate Max Netto with his mom, Janine.
