Although the rain caused Moorestown High School to move its 2025 commencement indoors, it didn’t stop the graduates, their families and friends from celebrating the occasion on June 19.
When class president Audrey Barr began writing her speech for the ceremony, she recalled, she felt stuck. She had felt comfortable giving speeches and performances to large groups of people for years, so why was she so nervous now? Barr eventually realized the graduation experience was entirely different.
“This is not me pretending to be a character or performing a song,” she noted. “This is me – fully and honestly – standing in front of my classmates who have been a part of my life since I was 5 years old. This is us. Moorestown High School, class of 2025.
“What words could I say to capture the spirit of this outstanding group of young adults?”
Barr said her peers are determined, passionate, talented and well-rounded, and she sees all of them committed to success with unmatched passion. But there is something that makes this group more than just high-achieving students, she shared. It’s the community they have all built together.
“We have shown up for another again and again, and that support has made us stronger than we could have ever been on our own,” Barr explained. “This is the mark we have made together … The biggest lesson that I have learned in high school is that your community becomes your purpose. It becomes the reason you succeed and the people you do it all for.”
Over the past four years, the senior class has contributed to 52 league sectional and state championship games; 62 statewide theatrical nominations; and more than 31,000 hours of community service, among other highlights. The numbers, Barr said, are not just statistics. Every award and recognition she pointed out, represents what happens when a community steps up and grows together.
“The talent and dedication we developed as a class are far greater than the achievements any of us could have reached alone,” she remarked. “Classmates, no matter where your future takes you, I know that this dedication will follow you.
“You are an inspirational and exciting group, and I cannot wait to see what you do with all your unbelievable talents.”
While her time with the district has been relatively short, it has already been filled with so many moments – like commencement – that speak to the heart of the Moorestown community, observed Superintendent Dr. Courtney McNeely. The class of 2025 reflects everything that makes the township exceptional, she added.
“Among the class of 2025 are students who will be the first in their families to attend college, and others who are entering skilled trades that keep our communities running,” McNeely stated. “They are our future doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, electricians, artists, nurses and performers …
“They are not only preparing for bright futures, but they are also shaping them now with confidence and determination.”
What McNeely saw among the class was a group of young people who lead with empathy, who show up for their peers, who ask thoughtful questions and offer sincere encouragement. The grads are grounded, self-aware and very intentional, she offered. They are not just checking boxes or chasing accolades, but are growing into the kind of people who build community, who listen generously and who work hard.
“That, to me, is Moorestown’s true legacy of excellence, and it’s alive and well in this class,” McNeely concluded. “Members of the board and all our guests tonight, I’m honored to introduce you to Moorestown High School class of 2025 … They’re ready to meet the future with purpose.
“I’m proud to send them into the world, not just as graduates, but as remarkable human beings, prepared to live lives with meaning and impact.”
Board of ed President Mark Villanueva referenced a line in the musical “Hamilton” in his remarks.
‘Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now.” That line, he said, might seem like a fleeting moment, but it felt even more special on June 19.
“Look around,” he added. “Look at your classmates, your teachers, your family, your friends. Look around at the faces who have cheered for you. Laughed with you, cried with you. Challenged you to succeed and stood by you through all the ups and downs.
“ … While goodbyes are never easy, they’re a sign that something meaningful has happened.”
The class of 2025 set a new standard of excellence in Moorestown, with more students above a 4.2 GPA than in any class before them, observed class vice president Advait Wattal. Over the last four years, the seniors brought home 1,064 wins across every varsity sport and collected 31 performing arts awards.
“In the end, legacy isn’t measured in GPAs or trophies,” Wattal emphasized. “Legacy is about the relationships we nurture and the lives we touch … Our real legacy lives in the stuff that doesn’t show up in yearbooks. The hallway smiles, the late-night ‘You got this,’ texts, the quiet moments, when we had every reason to give up, but didn’t.
” … Our legacy begins today, shaped by every action we take and every life we impact,” Wattal added. “Let’s carry forward a legacy built on kindness, courage and compassion, because true greatness isn’t about the money or recognition … but about leaving those who cross our paths with a little more happiness and hope.”
