Olivia Tran embodies determination, guided by the unwavering support and inspiration of her parents, Kelly and Charles Tran, her older brother, Bryan Tran, and her dog, Oreo Tran.

Throughout school, Olivia pursued a rigorous academic program, excelling in Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and summer college courses. Her dedication earned her the Rensselaer Medal, multiple Sojourner Truth Awards, seven Certificates of Recognition, and an upcoming internship at Amazon. She was also inducted into the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, and Science Honor Society. And yet, despite all that, she still can’t catch a ball in P.E. to save her life.

Beyond academics, Olivia embraced leadership, serving as President of GEMS in STEM, Vice President of both the Math Honor Society and the World Language Honor Society, and liaison to the Blooming Grove Conservation Advisory Commission and Community Service Club for the Naomi Sewell Richardson Park Project. She also competed with the Math Team and Quiz Bowl Team, and played piano with the Jazz Ensemble.

Outside the classroom, Olivia dedicates her time to community service and passion projects. She volunteers with two EMS agencies—earning her EMT-B certification—and serves on the Moffat Library Teen Advisory Board, where she organized free math tutoring events. In her spare time, she founded a web development business with over 20 clients and 300,000+ views, competed and presented in app development competitions, interned at the Taft Health Office under Mrs. Davy, and joined Girls Who Code and Kode With Klossy. Along the way, she tutored math students and helped middle school students with French.

Olivia credits her growth and achievements to the guidance, and encouragement of her family, friends, mentors, and dedicated teachers—including Mrs. Aleci, Mr. Bacher, Ms. Benjamin, Ms. Frey, Mrs. Giordani, Mrs. Redeker, and every one of her math teachers—who inspired her and believed in her potential every step of the way.

In the fall, Olivia begins her next chapter at Brown University, concentrating in Computational Biology, while continuing her study of French and Vietnamese. She carries with her the lessons and the love of her community. With heartfelt gratitude, she congratulates the Class of 2025. We made it. Somehow.

Sophie DeCarvalho is the oldest daughter of Rachael and William DeCarvalho, twin sister to Olivia, and older sister to Emelia.

Sophie’s dedication to academic excellence is exemplified by the rigorous course load and a variety of extracurricular activities that she has challenged herself with throughout her high school career. Some of the college and AP courses she has taken include College U.S. History, AP Environmental Science, Spanish 4 & 5, SUPA Public Affairs, College Macroeconomics, SUPA English, Criminal Justice, College Statistics, and AP Calculus AB. She has earned recognition and membership in National Honor Society, English Honor Society, Science Honor Society (President, 11th), Math Honor Society, World-Language Honor Society (Treasurer, 12th), and Tri-M Honor Society where she engages in various forms of community service. In her junior year she was awarded the Elmira College Key Award for her exceptional academic achievements.

Beyond this she is a member of the Community Service Club (Secretary 11th, Co-President 12th), Youth in Government, the Mock Trial team, as well as the Odyssey of the Mind team. Further she participated in JV Volleyball and Outdoor Track in her freshman and sophomore years. Odyssey of the Mind has played a major role in her life, as she has participated on and off from elementary school to her senior year. In her sophomore and junior years, she and her amazing team advanced to the world competition, and in her senior year to the state competition. Her experience in Odyssey of the Mind has taught her the value of true friendship, cooperation, and thinking outside the box.

Outside of school, Sophie has participated in the Orange County Youth Government Immersion Program where she worked as a student intern in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office under an Executive Assistant District Attorney, reviewing appellate motions and briefs, observing litigation, and completing FOIL requests. Additionally, she has privately tutored students since 2023 in the subjects of Algebra and Geometry.

Sophie would like to thank every person who has influenced her life until this point: Washingtonville teachers, faculty, staff, fellow students, friends, and family. Specifically, she would like to thank her twin sister Olivia for being an inspiration and motivation through her dedication to her running career, proving that hard work pays off. Her little sister for giving her someone to be a role model for. Her mom for always showing up at every possible event and supporting her throughout her life, and her dad for giving her someone to look up to and for always making her laugh.

In the future Sophie hopes to further her education and pursue a career in law, and tentatively plans to attend the University at Buffalo as an honorably selected Presidential Scholar, a student in the Honors College, and a participant in the University at Buffalo’s 3+3 accelerated partnership program with UB Law School.

Sophie wishes her fellow 2025 Washingtonville High School graduates the absolute best in all of their future endeavors. Once a wizard, always a wizard.

Einstein once wrote, “A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it's built for.” Avery Upeslacis has lived by this motto throughout her high school career, always pushing herself beyond her comfort zone to take on new challenges and make a meaningful impact. Whether balancing a demanding course load, earning over 60 college credits or leading a variety of extracurricular activities, Avery believes the most rewarding experiences come from venturing beyond what’s familiar.

Her journey beyond the safe harbor of Washingtonville began when she was chosen to represent WHS at both the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) seminar and American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls State.There she was inspired to pursue public service. She interned for NY Senator James Skoufis, then “sailed” out even further by serving as a U.S. Senate Page in Washington, D.C., proving that personal growth happens when you’re willing to leave safe waters.

Avery’s commitment to her community runs deep. She’s Co-President of Special Olympics, leads the Wizards Against Cancer Club in supporting local families, and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the 2025 Yearbook. Her love of editing and writing pushed her to sail into uncharted waters again by founding “The Blooming Grove Post,” a student-run newspaper she created with Ms. McCrossen, Director of Moffat Library. As Editor-in-Chief, she mentors underclassmen and provides a platform for students to share their voices. She considers this opportunity both a privilege and a responsibility.

Being a leader is a defining part of Avery’s high school experience. She’s President of both the National English Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society, Vice President of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, Treasurer of the National Math Honor Society, and a member of the executive council for the National Honor Society. Yet, the role she treasures the most is serving as the 2025 Class President, where she works to bring her classmates together to create lasting memories.

In the Fall, Avery will leave the harbor once again to attend Harvard, where she’ll major in Environmental Engineering, minor in Political Science and hopes to write for “The Harvard Crimson.” One day, she plans to run for public office, too. In the meantime, she is grateful for the support of her family, teachers, and friends. Avery looks forward to navigating new challenges and continuing to make a positive impact wherever the metaphorical tides may take her.

A proud graduate of Washingtonville High School's class of 1987, Mr. Connolly has a strong bond with both the town and the school. After earning his degree from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY, he began his teaching career as a Social Studies teacher at WHS in 1996. He dedicated time to coaching football and baseball before moving into administration as Assistant Principal. For the last thirteen years, he has been the Principal of Washingtonville High School, promoting the mantra "Pride, Passion, and Purpose" among his students, while truly living the phrase, "Once a Wizard, Always a Wizard."

Dr. Washington began his tenure as Superintendent in 2019. With over 25 years of experience in education, he served as Principal in the Warwick district and Assistant Principal at Suffern High School in Rockland County. Dr. Washington earned a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership from St. John's University and a Master's in School Administration and Supervision from Mercy College.