Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

A Peck graduation group photo for the Class of 2025.

On June 6, The Peck School’s Class of 2025 accepted their diplomas from Head of School Andy Delinsky and President of the Board of Trustees Charles Sorrentino.

Thirty-five eighth-grade students from towns across several northern New Jersey counties participated in the commencement as they formally graduated from Morristown’s historic K-8 independent school.

Delinsky welcomed parents, family, and friends on campus for this momentous occasion, and spoke of the various accomplishments of this year’s graduating class.

“You’re moving onto new beginnings beyond campus, but Peck will always be a core part of who you are—you simply can’t leave it behind,” Delinsky said to Peck’s newest graduates. “You’ll always have the memories, the lessons, and the triumphs. And you are always welcome here. Your Peck friends? They're friends for life. Your Peck teachers? They're your unwavering supporters. In high school and beyond, your Peck experience will bind you together and it will also bind you with other Peck graduates. That will not go away.”

Alumni Speaker Matías Deicas-Sykora ‘21 (Delbarton Class of 2025) returned to his alma mater to deliver the alumni address. “Prioritize real connections,” urged Deicas-Sykora. “Invest in your relationships with your friends, your teachers, and your family—your high school experience will be so much more fulfilling. And put your phone down…life is happening in front of you, not on Instagram, so I challenge you to go on walks, truly connect with your friends, have deep conversations and be in the present. That's where the best moments are made.”

This graduating class has made its mark on the Peck community. To commemorate their time at Peck, Student Council President Bray Brown presented the Class of 2025’s class gift, a set of Adirondack chairs by the athletic fields for spectators. “These chairs will embody the Peck spirit, enabling students, parents, and grandparents alike, to sit and enjoy all that Peck offers to us.”

Graduates Trina Falk, Jack Sahazizian, and Mason Sorrentino presented this year’s Eighth-Grade Address. Each reflected on their memories at Peck and what our community and our school have meant to them.

Academic honors and special awards for the Class of 2025 were also announced. They are:

The John L. Hopkins Memorial Award is named in honor of a former Peck parent and acknowledges outstanding performance in English composition. The award was presented to Jonah Braun and Ana Hadjieleftheriou. This fall, Braun and Hadjieleftheriou will attend The Pingry School.

The History Prize recognizes an eighth-grade student whose scholarly achievement in history is matched by a genuine enthusiasm for understanding the human experience. This year’s History Prize was presented to Gianna DiPisa and Logan Lan. DiPisa will attend Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, and Lan will attend The Pingry School in the fall.

The Caspersen Family Mathematics Award recognizes effort, intuition, and creative talents in exploring mathematical concepts and in understanding analytical procedures. This award was presented to Jonah Braun and Odin Dobesh. Dobesh will attend The Pingry School.

The Malcolm E. McAlpin Memorial Science Award recognizes a high level of curiosity, scientific reasoning, and a commitment to excellence in science. This year, the award was presented to Gianna DiPisa and Emily Osei. This fall, Osei will attend Blair Academy.

The World Language Prizes are awarded in memory of Yvonne Tyson, a former faculty member. The Foreign Language Prizes honor student effort, interest, enthusiasm, and academic performance in the study of languages. This year’s recipients are Carter McMahon for Latin, Caroline Donnelly for Spanish, and Bobbi Bruno for French. McMahon will attend Delbarton School, Donnelly will attend Morristown Beard School, and Bruno will attend The Pingry School.

The Peck School Technology Award honors students who demonstrate talent, innovation, and creativity with technology and who promote and support the respectful use of technology. Recipients are Luke Kirchner and Bennett Schwartz. In the fall, Kirchner will attend Delbarton School and Schwartz will attend Morristown Beard School.

The Eighth Grade Art Prize, given in honor of Marion Turrell Francis, recognizes outstanding artistic talent and a genuine love of art. This year’s award was presented to Odin Dobesh.

The Alys H. Olney Music Award is given for a dedicated interest in music classes and programs, and a genuine love of performance. This year, the award went to Oliver Eaton and Jake Naughton. In the fall, Eaton will attend Newark Academy, and Naughton will attend Delbarton.

The Norman R. Lemcke, Jr. Memorial Drama Award honors the talent, commitment, and a sense of creativity that results in outstanding accomplishments in dramatic arts. Jake Naughton is the recipient of this year’s award.

The Lyndsley E. Wilkerson Award is given to students who have enthusiastically built a foundation for future success, who has demonstrated genuine curiosity about the world, and who have led by example. This year’s award went to three students: Piper Chapple, Ana Hadjieleftheriou, and Oliver Witte. In the fall, Chapple will attend Chatham High School and Witte will attend Morristown Beard School.

The Nina Sharma Award for Leadership in Service Award was presented to Jonah Braun and Emily Osei. Sharma, who served as Head of the Lower School for nearly 20 years, returned to Peck to present the award which is given in recognition of leadership in serving others through their commitment to service on campus and in the community.

The Rudolph H. Deetjen Jr. InDeCoRe Award, named for a former Head of School, is presented to the graduating student who best demonstrates “Consideration of Others” and the school’s core values. The award winner, as voted by eighth-grade students in May, is Jack Sahazizian. Sahazizian will attend Delbarton in the fall.

The F.C. Reynolds Memorial Sportsmanship Award is presented to students who present an outstanding sense of leadership, fair play, and good sportsmanship. This year’s recipients are Eve Delinsky, Caroline Donnelly, and Duke Honeker. Delinsky will attend The Pingry School, and Honeker will attend Delbarton.

The Peck Loyalty Prize is given in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Lorraine T. Peck, leaders of The Peck School for 27 years. The prize is presented to students in the graduating class who, in the estimation of the faculty, best exemplifies “consideration of others” and consistently demonstrates the qualities of leadership, loyalty to the school, and other attributes that make for successful academic, athletic, and personal relationships. This year, the Peck Loyalty Prize is awarded to: Bray Brown and Carter McMahon. Brown will be attending Blair Academy this fall.

Ten students were recognized for high scholarship, which acknowledges those graduates who have earned an overall grade point average of 93 or better for the year. These students are Jonah Braun, Bray Brown, Bobbi Bruno, Piper Chapple, Giana DiPisa, Odin Dobesh, Caroline Donnelly, London Hackett, Ana Hadjieleftheriou, Justin Kim, Luke Kirchner, Carter McMahon, Jake Naughton, Emily Osei, Roshan Prasad, Julien Reyes, and Bennett Schwartz.

The Harriet Stratemeyer Adams Award for Highest Scholarship acknowledges the graduating student who has maintained the highest scholarship average for the gear, including final exams. This year’s award recipient is Odin Dobesh.

After all the recipients of student awards had been announced and presented, Delinsky announced the faculty member who would be receiving The Walker D. Kirby Faculty Award. The Walker D. Kirby Faculty Award honors a member of the faculty whose dedication to the school, its students, and its mission is an exemplary inspiration to the graduating class and the entire Peck community. Each student in our graduating class votes to determine the recipient of this award. This year’s award went to Physical Education Teacher and Upper School Coach Adam Spadafora.

“Sports taught me something that has shaped everything since: failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of it,” said Spadafora. “Every missed shot, every dropped ball, every loss pushed me to work harder, think smarter, and come back stronger. I started to understand that what defines you isn’t how often you win — it’s how you respond when you don’t.”