WHITE PLAINS, NY — The valedictorian and salutatorian for Stepinac High School’s class of 2023 were named Wednesday.
Seniors Ryan Fudale will be the valedictorian and Donal Connaughton, the salutatorian, a school spokesman said.
They will address their graduating class during Stepinac’s 73rd annual commencement exercises, which will be held outdoors on the White Plains campus of the all-boys Catholic high school Thursday, May 25.
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Fudale said the honor was dedicated not just to himself but to the high school’s wonderful faculty.
“You teach us. You coach us. You laugh with us. You cry with us. You inspire us,” he told Patch. “Thank you for making Stepinac more than just a school but also a family, and without you, we are not capable of this accomplishment.”
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Connaughton said the honor was a testament to the love and strength of his family and community on McLean Avenue in Yonkers.
“Without them, I wouldn’t have been motivated to push myself further and further, work harder and harder,” he told Patch, “and eventually, graduate high school headed to the University of Notre Dame.
“I owe it all to them,” Connaughton said.
Both students were members of the Susan and Daniel P. Mahoney Honors Academy, the three-year advanced learning program.
Fudale will continue his studies at Boston College. Connaughton will study at the University of Notre Dame.
Diplomas will be handed out by Fr. Thomas Collins, Stepinac’s president and class of 1979.
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CORRECTION: This article was modified from its original version by saying Ryan Fudale will be attending Boston College, not Villanova, after graduation. Patch was given inaccurate information intially.
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