![After Massachusetts voted to remove the MCAS graduation requirement, policy makers are reshaping graduation standards. "The top-line understanding is that we’ve moved away from a system that we’ve known for about 24 years, which is one where every school district in Massachusetts had wide latitude to decide what their graduation requirements were in terms of coursework or other experiences, but every single student, in order to earn a diploma, needed to pass the MCAS in one English, one math and one science assessment," Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said. "We’ve moved away from that now, by virtue of the outcome of [the MCAS] ballot question in November, to a place where communities can still decide what their graduation requirements are, but there’s no requirement for students to pass the MCAS.”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/img_3067_720.png)
![Troy Hoyt finishes the Boston Marathon, running for the Hoyt Foundation. T. Hoyt is the son of Hoyt Foundation CEO Russ Hoyt.
“[Running a marathon] might seem like a big thing, when it’s presented to you at first, but if you break it up and just keep telling yourself, “Yes, you can,” you can start chipping away at it. And before you know it, you’ll be running the whole 26 miles, and you won’t even think twice about it.” T. Hoyt said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/C36E8761-1CBB-452E-9DF2-543EF7B1095E_1_105_c.jpeg)
![From left to right, junior Ben Pyhtila, sophomores Aadith Charry and Owen Chislett play their cello instruments. Junior Jubin Kim also plays the cello and has been playing the instrument since third grade. "I think that [the cello] is a good balance between a high instrument versus a low instrument, and I just really like the rich sound that it makes," Kim said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/IMG_6540-1200x800.jpg)
The Class of 2025 features 25 student-athletes who committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level. These student-athletes represent 10% of the graduating class. According to Wayland High School (WHS) Athletic Director, Heath Rollins, this year was the largest committed athlete group in WHS history. Below is a alphabetical list by last name of this year’s committed student athletes.
The “*” symbol represents athletes who compete for WHS, but also don’t attend WHS as a student. Instead, they attend private or online school.
Sadie Batista – University of California – Berkeley, crew
Evan Brown – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, crew
Bella Camacho* – Wesleyan University, tennis
Luke Chisum – Elon University, cross country
Cole Chase – Roger Williams University, wrestling
Alex Crawford – Trinity College, soccer
Alexander Dremov – Tufts University, crew
Max Dresens – Bucknell University, football
Brady Foley – Roger Williams University, swim
Ido Geffen – California Institute of Technology, basketball
Caitlin Heus-Smith – Bowdoin College, track and field
Will Jackson – Denison University, cross country and track and field
Felix Kissell – Skidmore College, crew
Finley Knapp – Hamilton College, field hockey
Braden Leichliter – Union College, lacrosse
Jillian Mele – University of Vermont, lacrosse
Zoe Mittelsteadt – Bates College, soccer
Maeve Moran – Union College, soccer
Peyton Moran – Union College, football
Peter Morris* – Bates College, swim
John Pordage – Dean College, soccer
Jackie Rainville – Williams College, soccer
Jillian Segel – Fairfield University, crew
Jane Tardif – Union College, lacrosse
