The 64th Graduating Class of Christian Brothers Academy

The young men in the 64th graduating class of Christian Brothers Academy have officially been conferred their diplomas.

The 190 Academy graduates gathered for the 64th Commencement Exercises on Thursday, May 21 at Brookdale’s Collins Arena, receiving the CBA diploma that they have been working towards over the past four years.

“To the members of the Class of 2026, tonight holds a special meaning for me, personally. Four years ago, you were the first class to walk through our doors as freshmen when I returned home to CBA to assume the role of principal of our Academy," said Principal Neil Begley '96 to open the ceremony. "CBA is not simply a school where you attend for four years, it becomes a part of who you are. Your education here has prepared you to not only achieve success, but live a life of significance."

The Class of 2026 is commended for outstanding academic, athletic, service and extracurricular achievements throughout a busy four years at the Academy.

“You have made the very best of the blessings that God has bestowed upon you, and rest assured in doing so, you have made your families and loved ones proud," President Ross Fales said in his congratulations. "You are crossing the threshold of Lasallian student to Lasallian alumnus. Much time was spent on the development of your character, spiritual growth, and moral compass. That is always what a Lasallian education was for. I know when you exercise your new freedom, you will do so with the moral discipline you learned here at CBA."

The commencement exercises were completed with speeches by Valedictorian Richard Murray and Salutatorian Dylan Stefko.

“Our years in these halls have trained us. We have gone through the motions so much, that the blueprint for success is engrained in us," Murray said to his classmates. "As we step into the future as the graduating Class of 2026, remember that purpose is not something that defines us, nor is it something that we arrive at after striving for achievement. It is revealed to us slowly through the way we choose to live each day."

The Class of 2026 has an impressive resume that bolsters its legacy as these newly-minted alumni depart the Academy.

The 190 graduates received over $37.619 million in merit-based scholarships to colleges and universities across the country.

 

76 seniors graduated with distinction (seven-semester GPA of 91.5 or higher).

 

The Class completed 19,475 hours of community service, which is an average of 103 hours per student when only 50 hours are required.

 

44 seniors were members of CBA’s Saint La Salle Chapter of the National Honor Society.

 

25 graduates were Brother Michael Dwyer Scholars.

 

 20 individuals were National Commended Scholars

 

45 senior student-athletes were scholar athletes (varsity athletes with seven-semester GPA of 91.5 or higher).

2 seniors were named scholar thespians through Pegasus Production Company.

Members of this senior class were accepted to 195 different collegiate institutions and will be attending 76 colleges in 23 states and Washington, D.C. Many of the graduates reported an impressive array of college scholarships. In addition, CBA's Graduation Awards were presented at the Lasalle Awards in late April. Both the awards and collegiate scholarships are listed in the Commencement program here.