To get to know the members of the Top Ten for the Bishop Feehan Class of 2025 a bit better, the Rock Report asked each of them a series of questions to write more about them, as follows below.
Valedictorian: Rohit De
Rohit’s time at Feehan was an important “developmental” period that was defined by the people he grew close to and the supportive communities he found; the connections he formed “truly made the Feehan experience special.” He was the President of Student Council, a captain of the Robotics and Math Teams, a writer for the Rock Report, and a member of the Multicultural Association and Feehan Against Hate.
He reminds underclassmen that “it can take time to settle in” and “find the people and communities where you belong,” so he encourages them to keep trying to meet people and get involved around the school, as “it’ll be worth it.”
He “really liked all of [his] teachers,” including (but not limited to) Mrs. Lavertu, Mr. Powell, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Kelly, and Sra. Harris. He thanked his family, friends, clubs, teachers, and “everyone else who supported [him]” throughout high school — including his guidance counselor, Ms. Laliberte, for her help through the college process. He says that “high school goes by fast,” so underclassmen should “make sure they enjoy it while it lasts.”
Rohit will be attending Johns Hopkins University in the fall, where he will be majoring in molecular & cellular biology. He looks forward to exploring a new community, including its history, and being able to take more classes he’s interested in.
Salutatorian: James Kennedy
James is grateful for his “incredible” Feehan experience and everyone who was a part of it; he said he “couldn’t have asked for better friends, teachers, and memories” and thanked God for “this school and everyone in it.” In addition to thanking his friends and teachers, he also thanked his parents and sister Emma (‘23) for supporting him and making him the person he is.
He was involved in track, golf, and the Knights of Saint Joseph in addition to being a CMSA and co-secretary of National Honor Society. Some of his favorite classes were junior year English with Mr. Powell and AP Computer Science with Mr. Smith. He learned that it’s “better to be there for one another than to only be there for yourself.”
James advises underclassmen to start looking at colleges earlier to find schools that align “with your values and community.” He will be attending the University of Notre Dame, where he will be majoring in chemical engineering. He looks forward to meeting new people and attending the Notre Dame football games.
Tree Dedicator: Katherine Zhang
Clubs made up a large part of Katherine’s Feehan experience; she was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Rock Report and an Event Coordinator for Feehan’s Multicultural Association, in addition to serving in St. Vincent de Paul
and Special Olympics. She said getting involved in more clubs improved her Feehan experience by helping her “meet new friends” and giving her “something to look forward to every week.”
Outside of Feehan, she volunteered at the Star Chinese School in Pawtucket and St. John’s in Attleboro. She suggests finding a few extracurricular activities that you enjoy rather than joining too many and putting too much pressure on yourself. She also advises not to “get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to others” and to remember that “grades aren’t everything,” as schoolwork shouldn’t stop you from making valuable memories with your friends.
Some of Katherine’s favorite teachers at Feehan were Ms. Corcoran, Mrs. Dowd, and Mr. Speidel. She particularly enjoyed the music Ms. Corcoran would blast on the third floor every Friday morning. She thanked her guidance counselor, Mrs. Altham, for her help and all her teachers and friends for “their support over the past four years.”
Katherine looks forward to having the freedom to create her own schedule at college in the fall. She will be studying economics at Boston College.
(in alaphbetical order)
Elena Borden
Elena found her time at Feehan to be a period of “growth and learning,” and she had the chance to make “a lot of memories.” Her major extracurricular activity involved the Robotics team, of which she was an officer. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and the English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, and National STEM Honor Societies.
Some of her favorite classes were senior year AP Lang with Mr. Kelly and sophomore year English with Mr. Ryan. She also enjoyed her time with Mrs. Dowd, Ms. Bickford, and Mrs. Correia. She advises underclassmen to “establish good study habits” and “learn what works for you,” since “everyone learns differently.” She used high school to learn what works best for her.
Elena will be majoring in mechanical engineering at Bucknell University in the fall. She looks forward to the new experiences and new discoveries she’ll get to have there.
Fiona McCally
Fiona found a lot of “love and support from all the amazing people” she met during her “extremely rewarding and fun” time at Feehan. Some of her favorite classes were engineering with Mrs. Gomez, AP Lit with Mrs. Bickford, and summer geometry with Mr. Peixoto. She was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Rock Report and Co-President of the Psychology Club and Feehan Friends Club.
Outside of Feehan, she danced with the Boston Ballet School, worked part-time at Dunkin’, and volunteered at the Mansfield food pantry and her dance studio. In balancing all these things, she learned that “time management is especially important in high school,” which came as a shock to her as a freshman. She suggests managing your time as efficiently as possible and not cramming the night before a test.
Fiona will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall, where she will be studying psychology. She’s looking forward to meeting new people while exploring her campus and her interests within the Michigan community.
Ritika Roy
Ritika “learned a lot” at Feehan, whether inside or outside the classroom. The most important moments she had were in passing times, whether they were while running, working on projects, or in conversations. She was a captain of the Cross Country, Robotics, and Math Teams and president of the Science National Honor Society in addition to being a member of the Multicultural Association and String Ensemble.
Outside of Feehan, she was a Schoolhouse tutor and a director within the gbSTEM nonprofit organization. Some of her favorite classes included AP Computer Science and AP Physics with Mr. Smith, AP Chem with Mr. Moreau, AP Bio with Mrs. Lavertu, AP Calc BC with Mr. Speidel, and English III with Mr. Powell. Her advice is to “stand by your choices,” as “everyone has to choose a unique path.”
Ritika will be attending Cornell University in the fall. She looks forward to exploring new opportunities and interests as she majors in mechanical engineering.
William Sadler
Will’s time at Feehan “had its ups and downs like anything else,” but was overall a “good experience.” He was a member of the Mock Trial team for four years, in addition to being part of 8 honor societies. Some of his favorite classes were APUSH with Ms. Curry, AP Lang with Mr. Kelly, Business Ethics with Mr. Fasy, Accounting with Mrs. Luongo, Spanish IV with Sra. Marion, and Media Arts with Mr. Endler.
He reminds others to “appreciate the little things in life, even when you don’t think you have anything to be grateful for.” In looking for them whenever he got the chance, he found the world to be a “beautiful place.” He thanked God for “His unfailing gift of faith,” his family and friends for their “constant love and support,” and his amazing teachers for inspiring and guiding him throughout his time at Feehan.
Will will be attending Providence College in the fall. Having an undeclared major, he looks forward to exploring more of what interests him.
Abigail Salwierz
Abby’s Feehan experience was “nothing short of rewarding,” as the supportive community allowed her to make memories and connect with friends and teachers who made her the best version of herself. She says not to be afraid to “branch out of your comfort zone” — as making new friends, joining new clubs, connecting with your teachers, and asking for help are all important in having a “successful and memorable high school experience.” At Feehan, Abby was a leader of the Sister Pat Sunshine Club, a leadership committee member for Saint Vincent de Paul, a CMSA, and a volunteer with Special Olympics and Camp Sunshine.
She was also a competitive dancer, dance teacher, and volunteer at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. Some of her favorite classes were senior Theology with Mr. Adams, AP Lang with Mr. Kelly, AP Calc with Mr. Speidel, AP PreCalc with Mrs. Price, and Physics with Mr. Smith. She thanked her parents and sister for being “such an amazing support system” that believed in her and helped her believe in herself.
Abby will be attending the University of Connecticut in the fall, where she will major in biomedical engineering. She looks forward to meeting new people, taking exciting classes, and experiencing the UConn school spirit.
Avary Serpa
Avary’s Feehan experience was positive and “dynamic.” She was able to make lifelong friends and get “incredibly involved.” Some of the groups she was involved with here include the Swim Team, Student Council, PAWS, the Daughters of Divine Mercy, McAuley Ambassadors, the Sister Pat Sunshine Club, Chorus, and Special Olympics. She held leadership roles in Swim, Student Council, PAWS, and the Daughters of Divine Mercy, in addition to being a Feehan Standard Bearer and Feehan Fanatic.
Being such an involved student, she hopes underclassmen can “really take advantage of the opportunities Feehan has to offer.” She reminds them to be open to new experiences, not to take inevitable setbacks too harshly, and to define themselves on things that don’t change — like God, their worth, and the people who support them. She had many teachers that she loved during her time here; some of them included Mr. Speidel, Mrs. Dowd, Mr. King, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Bickford, Mr. Ryan, and Mrs. Silva.
Avary will be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall with a Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) scholarship. She will major in aerospace engineering. She looks forward to growing in her faith and attending the Notre Dame football games.
Maddy Steel
Maddy’s “unforgettable and rewarding” experience at Feehan involved lifelong friendships and amazing athletic experiences. Being a star basketball player for four years, her favorite memory was winning the state championship during her junior year. She thanked Mrs. Dolores for the opportunity to be a part of the program and Mrs. Smith for her dedicated support of it.
She encourages underclassmen to “make the effort to support different athletic programs,” as she enjoyed the games and supporting her classmates. She learned that “you get out what you put in” and says getting involved and attending school events with a positive attitude will allow you to make connections and get the most out of your high school experience.
Off the court, Maddy was involved in various leadership roles within Feehan, including with the Sister Pat Sunshine Club, Special Olympics, Feehan Fanatics, National Honor Society, English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Science National Honor Society. She enjoyed her AP Biology, AP Calculus, and sophomore theology classes, and some of her favorite teachers were Sra. Marion, Mrs. Lavertu, Mr. Speidel, and Mr. Powell.
Maddy committed to Tufts University, where she will play basketball and major in either math or biology on a pre-dental track. She looks forward to playing basketball on a higher level, meeting her new teammates, and participating in fun activities on campus and in Boston.
