Congratulations, St. Joseph CHS Class of 2025
OGDEN — The 46 members of Saint Joseph Catholic High School’s Class of 2025 processed into the gymnasium for the May 17 commencement ceremonies with “Pomp and Circumstance” sounding from the speakers as they filed under an arch made of green, gold and black balloons and took their seats. Family and friends filled the bleachers, with others watching the livestream in two other buildings on the campus.
The keynote address was given by Alicia Behnken, who had been named the 2025 Teacher of the Year; she taught Spanish at SJCHS and is retiring this year.
Behnken told the story of leaving her home country of Nicaragua with her twin sister in 1982, which “was going through a very rough period of political unrest that led to a civil war,” she said. At the airport, her mother gave each of her daughters a Bible and a Spanish-English dictionary, telling them that the Bible would lead their hearts, while the dictionary would lead their minds.
“My mom’s words still resonate with me today as they remind me of our ongoing need to pursue earthly knowledge and experience while staying grounded in our faith,” she said. “This world can be very harsh, and there will be failures on the road to success. But God has a plan for each of us and this is what gives me comfort, peace and assurance. We may fail but God never fails.”
She also shared nine lessons that she has learned in life; among them, “Be yourself,” “You’re not perfect,” and “Work hard.”
In addition, she urged the students to love learning, to be a person who cares about the world, to take risks, to trust God, and to stay close to their family.
“Class of 2025, step boldly into the world with purpose in your heart,” she said. “Be kind in a world that hungers for compassion. Be courageous when the road ahead feels uncertain. And above all, remain rooted in your faith, for it will be your compass, your anchor and your strength.”
Salutatorian Elizabeth Randall said through her school years she has enjoyed watching “all of my friends and classmates grow into amazing and uniquely talented individuals,” but she thought there was one thing that they had yet to learn: “We are more than just a number.”
Acknowledging her words were ironic “coming from the person standing here because of class rank,” she said it was true nonetheless.
“Our worth is not defined by our GPA, or the grade we got on our final exam, or the C+ you got in that one class,” she said.
Instead, “most of the important things we learn can’t be measured with numbers, like how to show up even when it’s hard, how to support a teammate or a peer, how to lead by example and speak up when it matters, and how to show up for others in times of need,” she said.
For her, many worthwhile personal traits were developed while playing sports, “but just like grades, sports don’t define us either,” she said. “Sure, they shaped us, they challenged us and they inspired us, but even when the season ends – and it always does – it is who you are off the court, off the field and off the stage that matters.”
For valedictorian Savannah Smith, the beauty of high school and life in general is that “we have the opportunity to explore our interests to become the best versions of ourselves,” she said.
She encouraged her fellow graduates “to explore your own strengths … and remember your life and career will likely not take a linear path and there’s nothing wrong with that – God has a plan for us.”
She also asked them to “remember the power you have to impact others, and use this power to do good.”
In his remarks, SJCHS Principal Clay Jones thanked the families gathered for being part of the St. Joseph community and for “entrusting your children to us and supporting everything that we do to prepare these graduates for life.”
To the graduates, he noted that they experienced their share of life changes together, and “Through it all, you’ve shown resilience, adaptability, leadership and strength, but the challenges will keep coming, because that’s life. But you’re ready.”
Saint Joseph Catholic High School Class of 2025
46 graduates
• 25 Honor graduates
• 9 AP Capstone graduates
• 28 National Honor Society members
• 13 scholar-athletes
• Total scholarship money earned: $5.89 million
Valedictorian: Savannah Smith
Salutatorian: Elizabeth Randall
School Award Winners
PE: Sam Zhang
Art: Sophia Brown and Lola Goni Beneke
Mathematics: Sam Zhang
Science: Savannah Smith
History: Julianna Netherton
Religion: Mady Yates
Service: Genavieve Braunhausen
Music: McLean Wandrey
Theater: McLean Wandrey
English: Christopher Massey
World Language: Savannah Smith
St. Joseph Award: McLean Wandrey
Father Neele Herrlich Award: Catherine Slatter
Teacher of the Year: Alicia Behnken
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