Congratulations, Class of 2025!
Congratulations to Molloy’s Class of 2025! On June 1st, 361 Stanners received their diplomas at St. John’s University’s Carnesecca Arena, moved their tassels from right to left, and officially became alumni.
In his remarks, salutatorian Grantland Tighe ‘25 spoke to his classmates about their many different futures. He told them that they all have a “unique path,” and that, while they may have to deal with change, “a different situation is what you make of it,” because “you hold the power.” Later, Valedictorian Nikitas Vlachos ‘25 took to the podium, reminding his classmates that they are “not the same people who walked through the doors four years ago,” and that although “they may stumble from time to time,” life is “not measured exclusively by our failures or shortcomings.” Rather, life is measured by “our successes,” such as friendships formed, memories made, and challenges overcome.
Graduation also included the presentation of Academic Awards, as well as three other prestigious awards: The Brother Leo Richard Pillar Award (living out the Marist Pillars), which was presented to Alyssa Bisono ‘25; The Louis E. Willett Award (service and regard for others), which was presented to Caleb Lokey ‘25; and the Archbishop Molloy Alumni Medal (outstanding character, academic success, and school spirit), which was awarded to Tiffany Esquen ‘25. For a list of all award winners, please view the graduation story on our website.
The Class of 2025 are attending prestigious colleges and universities across the country, including, but not limited to: Boston University, College of Charleston, University of Chicago, Clemson University, Columbia University, University of Connecticut, Cornell University, The Cooper Union, St. John’s University, Maritime College, Mass. College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Middlebury College, NYU, University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rutgers University, Towson University, UC Irvine, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and many more!
Congratulations to all our graduates, including on receiving your first Beehive newsletter as alumni! We are so proud of you, and we can’t wait to celebrate your many achievements in the future!
Grads Return for Senior BBQ, Campus Ministry Send-Off
Our Class of 2025 attended their first alumni event on June 2nd, returning to Molloy for the Senior BBQ! Our recent graduates spent the afternoon on Stanner Field, signing each other’s yearbooks, reminiscing about their four years together, thanking their favorite faculty members, and playing games. Five lucky Stanners also won gift cards during a special raffle!
The Senior BBQ is the first of many alumni events that our graduates are welcome to attend, and we can’t wait to see members of the Class of 2025 at our Thanksgiving Liturgy, Theater Reunion, or part of our Buzz Words Book Club, just to name a few!
Later that same day, Campus Ministry started what we hope will become a new annual tradition: the Senior Send-Off! Molloy’s Campus Ministers welcomed members of the Class of 2025 for an evening of reflection, as our graduates were invited to look back on their past four years together. The event also included games, dinner, and thinking about what it means to be a Stanner for life!
Congratulations once again to all our graduates! Click the button above to see more photos from the BBQ. Photos from the Graduation Liturgy and Senior Awards are also included in that gallery.
Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic – All Photos Now Available!
The Stanner Alumni Center is excited to share all photos from this year’s Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic! Photos for each course are separated into their own gallery, which you can access by clicking the buttons below. This year’s outing welcomed nearly 400 golfers to four private courses on Long Island. We continue to be deeply appreciative of the generous support of our alumni, parents, corporate sponsors, and friends. Your participation in our annual golf outing strengthens Molloy’s scholarship program and creates opportunities for future scholarship recipients. | For more information about the Jim Kinnier Stanner Golf Classic, contact Matt Rizzotti ’04 at mrizzotti@molloyhs.org.
Math Team Wins Big, Including National Championship in Algebra 2!
Congratulations to Molloy’s Math Team, who took home some serious hardware this competition season! Our team won First Place in the Catholic Math League Advanced Math Division 3 competition, with an award presented to Nikitas Vlachos ’25 as the Individual Champion! Molloy also won First Place in the Division 2 Algebra 2 Championship. The most prestigious trophy Molloy took home was a National Championship in Algebra 2! National championships are exceedingly difficult to win, making this accomplishment all the more impressive! Overall, out of the top 29 Math League participants this year, four of them were Stanners!
Ms. Lauren Pizzo, moderator of the team and chair of Molloy’s Math Department, says that “the accolades are such an accomplishment, because it shows everyone’s hard work and dedication,” and she is extremely proud of this year’s team. Congratulations, Ms. Pizzo and our Stanner Mathletes!
3 Stanners Win Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest
This spring, three Stanners were presented with certificates and monetary awards from the Juniper Valley Chapter of the Knights of Columbus! Dorothy Stravalle ’25, Jayden Chang ’27, and Adhisha Nawagamuwa ’28 were named winners in the Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest, which encourages students to become more connected to their community and their faith. Entrants are judged on writing style, grammar, and how clearly they present the annual theme in a way that showcases creativity, imagination, and overall development of the topic.
This year, the contest prompted students to consider “How the Church can evangelize in the digital age?” Multiple Molloy seniors, juniors, and sophomores submitted essays, with one student from each participating grade selected as a winner. As a winning senior, Dorothy was automatically entered into the New York State round of the competition, which she went on to win!
We extend our thanks To Rob Schnell ’79 and the Knights of Columbus #14578 – Juniper Valley Chapter for sponsoring the contest at Molloy. Congratulations Dorothy, Jayden, and Adhisha!
Student Achievement Celebrated at Academic Awards Night
Molloy recently celebrated its stellar Stanners during our annual Academic Awards Night! Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, along with their families, gathered in the Jack Curran Gymnasium as our Administration presented a number of prestigious awards to honor academic achievement.
The event began with the National Honor Society induction ceremony, during which 126 juniors were welcomed into the esteemed program. Molloy’s chapter is named after PFC Louis E. Willet ‘63, a member of the Stanner Hall of Fame, and posthumous recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his extraordinary courage and sacrifice. Candles representing Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character were lit, and students recited the inductees pledge after they received their gold graduation hoods.
Principal’s List medals were presented to students that have earned an average of 99% or better throughout the school year, followed by Academic Excellence medals presented to students that have earned between a 95% and a 98.99%. A number of special awards and scholarships were announced as well, such as The Saint Michael’s College Book Award for Community Engagement, The St. Bonaventure University Bonnie Scholarship, and The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Rensselaer Medal. The highest performing students in each academic subject were also presented medals!
The final awards of the night were the Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards, presented to the student with the highest GPA in each grade! Principal Dr. Darius Penikas congratulated each award winner, and encouraged them to “continue working, use your talents to help others, never stop your education, and always be kind.” Congratulations to all award recipients!
Stanners Recognized for over 17,000 Service Hours!
Volunteers pictured clockwise: Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen
Molloy is excited to announce 132 students are being recognized by the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and InnerView in the 8th Annual Community Service Impact Awards! This program has been designed to connect student community service activities, skill development, and commitment to the Global Goals to transform our world. The Kroger Co. is also presenting the 6th annual Zero Hero Awards to students for taking action to help create communities free of hunger and waste.
Schools with a collective student impact above 2,000 hours of service are recognized with a School Impact Award. Stanners have invested an incredible 17,351+ hours in community needs: earning the Ruby Award! Student volunteers from Molloy delivered the most impact for the issue of: Quality Education. Ms. Haslbauer, Molloy’s Campus Minister for Service, shares, “It’s been wonderful to watch the number of students getting involved and giving up their time to help others in need grow more each year. To see so many Stanners receive recognition for the impact they’re making in the community around them is inspiring and I’m so proud of them!” | Visit www.molloyhs.org for full story and list of awardees
Future Stanner Sightings
Assistant Principal Dr. Des Flynn ’97 recently connected with six future Stanners at Sacred Heart Catholic Academy of Bayside’s Graduation Liturgy. Dr. Flynn was in attendance as a 7th grade parent to serve dinner to the 8th grade graduates and their families, which is one of the school’s annual traditions. Dr. Flynn was very excited to see that six of the school’s soon-to-be graduates would be part of Molloy’s Class of 2029! Pictured: L to R: Dr. Flynn, Riyaz Ally ’29, Aaron Mangru ’29, Viraj Chand ’29, Bryan Casiano ’29, Natalie Palumbo ’29, and Bella Arica ’29.
Back in May, Currents TV interviewed altar server and rising 9th grader Bryan Casiano, who is also set to be part of Molloy’s Class of 2029. In the report, which you can watch below, Bryan talks about being excited to grow in his faith and spirituality at Molloy! | Read Text Version of the Report
Varsity Baseball Wins First City Championship Since 2002!
CITY CHAMPIONS! 
For the first time since 2002, Molloy’s Varsity Baseball team are CHSAA City Intersectional Championship! The team defeated Iona Prep by a score of 9-6 earlier this month. The game went on for over three hours, finishing after midnight!
The Stanners started their scoring in the bottom of the first inning after Charlie Lods ’26 singled, and Legend Acosta ’26 hit a sacrifice fly, each scoring one run. A single by John Brown ’26, a fielder’s choice by Lods, and an error helped extend their early lead in the second inning. Molloy added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on two hits. Dylan Payano ’25 doubled, scoring one run, and Ayden Roman hit an inside the park home run to the right center field fence, scoring two runs.
Liam Brower ’26 earned the win and the MVP of the game on the mound for Molloy. The righty gave up five hits and four runs (three earned) over five and two-thirds innings, striking out four. Ryan McMenamin ’25 collected the save. Lods drove the middle of the lineup, leading with two RBIs. The right-handed hitter went 1-for-2 on the day. Ayden Roman ’26 went 2-for-3 at the plate leading Molloy in hits. Patrick DeSarno ’25 paced Molloy with three walks. Dylan Payano also stole two bases. It was a total team effort!
The Varsity Baseball team have since finished their playoff run as State Finalists. Congratulations to the team on these incredible accomplishments, and congratulations to Coach Christopher DeSarno, Coach Stephanie Staiano, and Coach Michael Kondel!
Camille Munoz ’25 Smashes Pentathlon Records, Looks Toward Nationals
Congratulations to Camille Munoz ’25, who is finishing her senior outdoor track season strong—even after already graduating from Molloy! At this past weekend’s New York State Championship, Camille set a school, league, and Catholic state record with a score of 3278 in the outdoor Pentathlon, which bested her previous record by 231 points. Camille finished in 2nd place overall at the meet. She now ranks in the top 50 all-time in New York State and is currently ranked #15 in the USA. She looks forward to competing at Nationals this coming weekend. Go, Cami!!
**NEW!!**
The Gift of Scholarship
Molloy’s Director of Admissions Mr. Jonathan DiDonato ’01 recently joined Mr. Donald Wuertz ’66 at St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy in Ozone Park, Queens. Mr. Wuertz spoke to 7th grade students about the Stephen J. Wuertz Memorial Scholarship, which is offered to students from St. Elizabeth who wish to attend Archbishop Molloy High School. The scholarship is in honor of Donald’s late brother and fellow Stanner, Stephen. Mr. Wuertz explained why both St. Elizabeth and Molloy mean a lot to him and his brothers, and how this scholarship is advantageous to aspiring Molloy freshmen.
After the discussion, Mr. DiDonato played a video testimonial of current Stanner Matthew McGlynn ’28, who attended St. Elizabeth and was awarded the Stephen J. Wuertz Memorial Scholarship. Matthew spoke highly about Molloy, his time at St. Elizabeth, and about the wonderful opportunity he received by being awarded the scholarship. Many thanks to St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy for welcoming us! For more information on scholarships for incoming freshmen, please visit www.molloyhs.org or contact admissions@molloyhs.org.
Adult Formation – Marists of Champagnat Welcomes Cohort 5
Congratulations to the newest Marists of Champagnat, who recently participated in their Commitment Ceremony as part of Cohort 5. Kelvin Gerold ’94 officially committed as part of Cohort 5, while Director of Campus Ministry Richard Costa and wife Jennifer Costa completed Pathway 1, which is their first step toward being part of a future cohort. Marists of Champagnat is an adult formation program that joins Marist Brothers and Lay Marists across the USA Province in the spirit of service to others and “making Jesus Christ known and loved.” Learn more about the program at: https://www.maristusa.com/laymarists
Now Hiring: Athletics Logistics Manager
Archbishop Molloy High School is seeking candidates for the position of Athletics Logistics Manager. The position requires transporting, setting up, and managing equipment for our athletic contests that are held offsite at our campus fields (example: Alley Pond Park). Equipment includes scoreboard, scorer’s table, Hudl Camera(s), stand(s), speakers, and power source. Upon completion of the game(s), the Athletics Logistics Manager would return the equipment to and prepare it for the next set of games. This is a part-time position (fall and spring primarily) that will be paid an hourly rate. Those interested should contact Athletic Director Mike McCleary at mmccleary@molloyhs.org.
We were recently informed that Paul J. Proscia ’64 passed away on February 20, 2025. Paul served on Molloy’s School Board from 1998 – 2004 as part of the Investment Committee. We ask our community to please join us in prayer for Paul and his loved ones. | Click Here for Memorial Page
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Alexander D. Reynolds ’89, who passed away on May 23, 2025. He is remembered as a wonderful friend by members of the Class of 1989.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of John D. Boomer ’76, who passed away on May 22, 2025.
