Bridgeway Academy Celebrates the Graduating Class of 2009

Bridgeway Academy proudly recognized the accomplishments of the 2009 graduating class at commencement exercises on Saturday, June 6 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Wesleyan Church, Allentown. Graduates from across the country joined local Bridgeway Academy students to mark this important milestone. Scott Ott, a writer and cyber-communications consultant who is currently campaigning for election as Lehigh County Executive, delivered the keynote address.

Bridgeway Academy 2009 Valedictorian, Stephanie Leigh Shaia, of Kevil, Kentucky, challenged her fellow graduates to become better individuals; to dwell only on the positive; to choose friends wisely; and to serve their communities.  She found that the flexibility and individualized education available through homeschooling made it possible for her to pursue her interests, prepare for her future, develop a sense of personal responsibility and to learn the importance of deadlines. 

Shaia will attend Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee where she has been selected as a Faculty Scholar and will pursue a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. She has also been accepted to the Belmont University Pre-Physical Therapy Fellow Program, which guarantees her a place in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy graduate school. 

Fourteen-year-old salutatorian Natasha Verma traveled from Victoria, Texas to accept her diploma and provide her challenge to the graduating class of 2009.  Already equipped with an associate’s degree, Natasha will attend the University of Texas in the fall to major in Biology with a minor in Radio, Television and Film. She plans to become a plastic surgeon and a medical correspondent in the entertainment industry. 
Keynote speaker Scott Ott challenged the graduates to have a vision for the future and to pursue it with all of their heart. Ott urged them to remember, “No one owes you anything, but some will give it anyway.”

Ott writes a twice-weekly news satire column for The Washington Examiner, and appears periodically on video news commentary programs for CNN.com and PJTV.com. For the past five years, he has served as executive director of Victory Valley Camp, a Christian children’s ministry in Zionsville, PA.

2009 Graduates Include:

Synthia Auguste, Port au Prince,   Haiti
Cody Tyler Babineaux, Buford, GA
Phillip Baldwin, Adairville, KY
David Bargerstock, Kerhonkson, NY
Nathan Bears, Sweet Springs, MO
Gordan Begay, Oceanside, CA
Lindsay Behrent, Dalhart, TX
Zachary Berg, Lynchburg, VA
Genrikh Bidniy, Lake Tapps, WA
Elizabeth Birckhead, Fairfield, PA
Chester Bishop, Little Birch, WV
Marina Bonacchi-Laguerre, Port au Prince, Haiti
Samira Bouguillon, Miami Gardens, FL
Anthony Brown, Thurmont, MD
Lauren Carpentier, Coon Rapids, MN
Matthew Carrion, Bronx, NY
Emma Castle, New Castle, IN
Santiago Centeno, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Nicholas Christensen, Gentry, AR
Dorothy Ciccotto, Long Valley, NJ
Josephine Ciccotto, Long Valley, NJ
Khareem Coley, Philadelphia, PA
Trevor Comas, Summerset, PA
Kevin Conway, Leesburg, FL
Cody Crews, Leesville, LA
Brad Darling, Littleton, CO
Eric Decker-Spence, Orefield, PA
Dominick DelPonte, Fond Du Lac, WI
Sandina Depas, Delmas, Haiti
Rachel Derhammer, Bath, PA
Melanie DeSimone, Fort Worth, TX
Jean Daniel Dimanche,
Port au Prince, Haiti
Blake Dorfmann, LaFayette, GA
Brittany Duddy, Reading, PA
Adreanne, Dugger, Waco, TX
Trisstah Dugger, Waco, TX
Matthew East, Wewoka, OK
Jonathan Eisemann, Greenville, TX
Keith Ferris, Reno, NV
Jill Fetrow, Llewellyn, PA
Brittany Fix, Lexington, VA
Gretchen Folk, Elvern, IL
Xiomara Garcia, Philadelphia, PA
Storm Gardner, Lebanon, PA
Allison Gerancher, Bethlehem, PA
Marc Guxman, Bronx, NY
Jason Hawkins, Vero Beach, FL
Sarah Hendrix, Uxbridge, UK
Jose Hernandez, San Antonio, TX
Tiffany Herrera, Palos Hills, IL
Keith Holliday, Corinth, TX
Avon Holmes, Philadelphia, PA
Elliot Jacoby, Stonewall, TX
Richie Jefferson, Bethlehem Township, PA
Devon Joseph, Bronx, NY
Boburjon Kamiljanov,
San Antonio, TX
Garth Kassner, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
Aaron Kauffmann, Goshen, IN
Lillie Kees, Urania, LA
King Keiffer, Philadelphia, PA
Joseph Ketterer, East Greenville, PA
Audra Kirschner, Allentown, PA
Kenneth Koepplinger, Easton, PA
Colleen Lawrence, Diamond, OH
Caitlin Leeds, Brodheadsville, PA
Colton Lewis, Opa Locka, FL
Symone Liggins, Philadelphia, PA
Matthew Logothetis, North Caldwell, NJ
Maria Lopez, North Caldwell, NJ
Mark MacDougall, Stockertown, PA
Shirley Mantilla, Miami, FL
Marie Stephanie Martelly, Port au Prince, Haiti
Lance Maxwell, British Columbia, Canada
Dennis Mayorov, Tacoma, WA
Timm Mayorov, Tacoma, WA
Rebecca McCabe, Monmouth, NJ
Clint McDaniel, Southland, TX
Amanda Meyer, Luther, OK
Nicholas Mikulcic, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Natalia Montano, San Antonio, TX
Joseph Murtha, Spring Lakes, NJ
Julia Naumenko, Lakewood, CO
Kertis Newsom, Oklahoma City, OK
Nasha Noisette, Margate, FL
Madeleine Ogan, Samutprakarn, Thailand
Alex Orkin, Marlton, NJ
Danielle Parker, DeMotte, IN
Heidi Perruso, Breinigsville, PA
Holly Persons, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
James Pierson, Grayslake, IL
Heather Podolak, Dearborn Heights, MI
Hannah Poremba, Philadelphia, PA
Katilyn Ramey, McLean, IL
Margarita Ramos, Euless, TX
Crystal Riley, Norman, OK
Justin Rosa, Bronx, NY
Lauren Saxton, Scott, MS
Daina Schettini, Port Au Prince, Haiti
Peterson Schick, Port Au Prince, Haiti
Angela Sergile, Hollywood, FL
Christian Shaeffer, Bangor, PA
Stephanie Shaia, Kevil, KY
Quint Shockley, Columbus, IN
Zulieka Silvera, Philadelphia, PA
Dalini Sivadas, Singapore
JeTaya Slora, Stafford, VA
Carolyn Smith, Gettysvurg, PA
Joshua Spess, Macungie, PA
Cory Stasinos, Basalt, CO
Jessica Temple, Fairborn, OH
Anatoliy Tishchenko, Schoor Lake, NY
Calvin Tully, Kingman, AZ
Bryan Turano, Allentown, PA
Andrea Vaage, Grimes, IA
Erin Vaage, Grimes, IA
Natasha Verma, Victoria, TX
Skye Ward, Raymore, MO
Shakiara Wheeler, Philadelphia, PA
Rick Whitfield, Leland, NC
Frank Wilson, New Boston, NH
Christen Winkelman, Canton, GA
Andrew Woodford, Syracuse, NY
Maile Yap, Singapore