Miss Hall's School Graduates 48

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PITTSFIELD, Mass — Forty-eight students graduated on Sunday, June 1, during Miss Hall's School's 127th Commencement.
 
The graduating class included 15 students from Berkshire County.
 
The ceremony took place under a large tent behind the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the School's Holmes Road campus and was shared worldwide via Zoom.
 
Hosted by Miss Hall's Head of School Julia Heaton, the ceremony included remarks from Senior Class President Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale; School President Casey Grace Lai, of Singapore; School Vice President Haley Sacon, of West Stockbridge; and MHS Board of Trustees President Nancy Gustafson Ault, Class of 1973.
 
This year's Commencement Remarks were delivered by Kate Schrauth, Executive Director of iCouldBe, a leading virtual mentoring program working to support young people as they navigate high school and plan for future educational opportunities and careers. Schrauth was introduced by 2025 Miss Hall's graduate Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield.
 
Schrauth first served as Chair of the Board at iCouldBe from 2001 to 2005, then moved into the Executive Director role in 2006. 
 
Local graduates in the class of 2025 are Bryanna Amankwah, of Pittsfield; Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield; Lila Boland, of Dalton; Genevieve Buker, of Lee; Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale; Kady Gentleman, of Lenox; Gabriella Hasperg, of
Cheshire; Emily Keiper, of Washington; Jayda Kimok, of Pittsfield; Alice Kwiatkowski, of West Stockbridge; Chloe Muellers, of Monterey; Mara Rosenthal, of Bennington, Vt.; Haley Sacon, of West Stockbridge; Olivia Whitney, of Cheshire; and Parker Wright, of Richmond.
 
The following awards were also bestowed on members of the Class of 2025:
  • Joseph F. Buerger Memorial School Spirit Cup: Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale
  • Faculty Commendation Award: Julia Tocchio, of Brasilia, Brazil
  • Christine Fuller Holland '33 Service Prize: Casey Grace Lai, of Singapore
  • Meus Honor Stat Keys Awarded for MHS Core Competencies:
    • Vision: Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield, and Valentina Romero, of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
    • Voice: Bryanna Amankwah, of Pittsfield, and Willa Dowling-Paul, of Hinsdale
    • Interpersonal Efficacy: EA Peña, of Boston, and Ginger Warner, of Putney, Vt.
    • Gumption: Lila Boland, of Dalton, and Bibi Sahra Sidique, of Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Margaret Witherspoon Award: Ivy Kay, of Lawrence, Mass.
  • Engineering and Technology Innovation Award: Olivia Whitney, of Cheshire
  • Doris E. Pitman English Prize: Inyene Bell, of Bridgeport, Conn.
  • Virginia Breene Wickwire '67 Reading Prize: Valentina Romero, of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
  • Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Studio Art Prize: Bibi Sahra Sidique, of Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Ceramics Award: Jayda Kimok, of Pittsfield
  • Angela Kalischer Theater Prize: EA Peña, of Boston
  • Susanna McCreath Music Prize: Kyana Chainani, of Singapore
  • Photography Award: Manizha Nabizada, of Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Paul C. Cabot, Jr. History Prize: Kady Gentleman, of Lenox
  • Horizons Award: Genevieve Buker, of Lee
  • Monique Jalbert French Prize: Ivy Kay, of Lawrence, Massachusetts
  • Spanish Award: Ginamarie Bocchino, of Pittsfield
  • Mansfield E. Pickett Latin Prize: Gabriella Hasperg, of Cheshire
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages Award: Stella Le, of Binh Duong, Vietnam
  • James K. Ervin Mathematics Prize: Chloe Muellers, of Monterey
  • Iive Rouse Science Award: Haley Sacon, of West Stockbridge
  • Sylvia "Rusty" Shethar Everdell '38 Prize: Anri Teraoka, of Tokyo, Japan
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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