By Sterling McGinn
With graduation ceremonies just weeks away, Newberry High School (NHS) has announced their valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2025.
Matthew Rahilly has been selected as the Valedictorian with a G.P.A. of 4.015.
He is the son of Ben and Beth Rahilly and was born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but moved to Newberry six months after he was born. Rahilly attended Tahquamenon Area Schools (TAS) from kindergarten through 12th grade.
He excelled in athletics playing football, hockey, basketball, track, baseball, and golf all four years of high school.
Rahilly plans to attend college following graduation, though he hasn’t selected a school. He plans to return to his hometown after college, but he wants to travel and see other areas first and find his dream job.
“I want to find a job where I find purpose in every day—I don’t want a normal job where you work 9-5,” he said. “I want to be involved with people and make a difference.”
Amelia Shanley was selected as the Class of 2025 salutatorian with a G.P.A. of 4.0.
She is the daughter of Casey and Annette Shanley and was born in Sanford, North Carolina, where she lived for a couple of years before moving to Newberry. She attended TAS from kindergarten through the 12th grade.
Shanley also excelled in athletics during here high school career. She played volleyball, basketball, travel volleyball, softball, golf, and track.
After graduation, she is planning to attend a community college.
“I am going to go play volleyball either at Bay Community College or Alpena Community College, and after that figure out what I want to major in,” she said.
Her goal is to later move closer to family.
One major change for Rahilly and Shanley’s senior year was the relocation of the high school classrooms to the second floor of the elementary building. This was their first year not in the old high school.
While they miss areas of the old high school, such as the auditorium, they are both excited about the new shop room, which was recently put in commission.
“It was bare bones when we got here, and we were kind of able to make it our own,” Rahilly said. “We worked with Mr. Parr and the administration to figure out what would work best.”
Both Rahilly and Shanley said they loved growing up in Newberry and love small town life where they know “everybody”, and they appreciate the community always coming together to support athletics and the school.
Rahilly and Shanley will graduate with their fellow classmates at the 130th Annual Commencement Exercise at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 23 in the J. L. DeCook Gymnasium.
