Celebrating the Class of 2024
Posted on 06/03/2024
Mehlville High School and Oakville High School held their 2024 graduation ceremonies on Sunday, June 2, at Chaifetz Arena. Congratulations to the more than 700 students who received their diploma!
Number of students receving:
- The Seal of Biliteracy: 39
- Summa Cum Laude: 94
- Magna Cum Laude: 67
- Cum Laude students: 61
Number of students enrolled in:
- South Tech: 76
- Early College Academy: 9
- Make it Count: 14
- MyPath/Independent studies: 13
- St. Louis Centers for Advanced Professional Studies: 34
- Access Point: 7
Courses taken:
- Dual enrollment: 398
- Advanced Placement: 505
Class of 2024 Senior Spotlights
We spoke to thirty graduating seniors about their high school experience in our Class of 2024 Senior Spotlights! Some of these students will be attending four-year universities, while others are headed to community college or entering directly into the workforce. These students shared how their experience in the Mehlville School District has prepared them for the next chapter of their lives. Visit our YouTube channel to view our Senior Spotlight playlist.
Anela Abdijanovic, Mehlville High School
Anela Abdijanovic’s favorite part of her experience at Mehlville High School has been her four years on the varsity track team and being part of DECA, where she qualified for nationals this year. She’s also enjoyed her time in the global business & entrepreneurship course through the St. Louis Centers for Advanced Professional Studies (STL CAPS). Anela has done internships with Aligned Media, RE/MAX and MSMF Wealth Management through the program. Following graduation, Anela is attending SLU and plans to study business marketing.
"They do a great job of providing options like South Tech and STL CAPS that immerse you into the career you're interested in to prepare students for life after high school."
David White, Oakville High School
David White has become a leader in the band program during his four years at Oakville High School. He currently plays French horn in the symphonic band and trumpet in the wind symphony, serving as one of the trumpet section leaders. He also joined the choir program, participating in three groups including the madrigal choir and 2Legit, the tenor-bass choir. Following graduation, David is attending Southeast Missouri State University to study music education with an instrumental focus, as well as music theory in composition, with plans to become a band director.
"I walked into high school wanting to be a chemistry major, but being in band and choir opened the idea and the door of composition and being a band director. I wouldn't have known any of that if I hadn't chosen to do music here."
Hannah Vierling, Oakville High School
Hannah Vierling hopes to turn her love of painting and art into a career! After graduation, Hannah is attending Webster University to major in art education with plans to become a high school art teacher.
"I want to teach high school art classes because a lot of the art teachers here are really great. It's helped me to learn what to expect when I'm an art teacher."
Chris Pesselato, Mehlville High School
Chris Pesselato says his favorite part of his Mehlville High School experience has been all of the clubs and sports he’s been involved in. Following graduation, Chris is attending Missouri S&T to study mechanical engineering. He says his involvement in the MHS community and the difficult courses have prepared him for life after high school.
"MyPath was a lot of fun because I got to discover engineering and figure out what I want to do in the future."
Stefanie Wong, Mehlville High School
Stefanie Wong's favorite part of her time at Mehlville High School has been meeting new people through activities like tennis, Konnect, NHS and band. After graduation, Stefanie plans to study at SLU or Maryville University to become a physical therapist. She says MHS prepared her by giving her the base knowledge through classes like anatomy and physics.
"I enrolled in the STL CAPS program. That really helped me reassure myself about going into physical therapy because I've gotten to do internships to see more in-depth what physical therapists do every day."
Travis Norris, Oakville High School
Travis Norris didn't know anyone when he started his freshman year at Oakville High School, but he quickly got involved in many clubs and activities. After completing the last of his required courses for graduation, Travis enrolled in the Make it Count program this spring. Travis has been attending St. Louis Community College full time this semester, gaining college credit in general education classes instead of taking them at Ole Miss when he starts in the fall. Travis plans to study political science and international studies with an emphasis on campaign elections and global and international politics.
"Participating in Youth and Government during my junior year helped me realize that government and law was something that I wanted to do."
Mick Unger, Oakville High School
Growing up, Mick Unger always thought he'd attend a four-year university. That changed when he took the geometry in construction course as a sophomore at Oakville High School. Inspired to pursue a career that allowed him to work with his hands, Mick enrolled in the HVAC course at South Tech. Following graduation, he hopes to work as a lineman so he can work somewhere different each day.
"I always thought that I would attend a four-year college until I took the geometry in construction class during my sophomore year. Mr. Schraut showed me how I can apply my schoolwork to a trade."
Melina Dizdarevic, Mehlville High School
Following her sophomore year at Mehlville High School, Melina Dizdarevic enrolled in the Early College Academy. She's accumulated sixty-one credits from St. Louis Community College over the past two years, meaning she'll graduate high school with both a high school diploma and an associate degree. That's a huge head start when she studies chemistry at SLU with plans to become a dentist.
"The Early College Academy is a great opportunity for students who want to get their credits and get prepared for college before other students."
Wesley Bass, Mehlville High School
Wesley Bass says what he's liked most about his experience at Mehlville High School is hanging out with his friends and taking classes that make him feel accomplished. After graduation, Wesley hopes to become a voice and data engineer through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
"A lot of my classes have prepared me for my future as a voice and data engineer by teaching me coding and building robots."
Sam Lewis, Oakville High School
Sam Lewis says his favorite parts of his time at Oakville High School have been his English classes and science classes because he likes to learn about animals. After graduation, Sam will be working at St. Louis VA Medical Center - Jefferson Barracks through Special School District of St. Louis County's Vocational Skills Program (VSP). He says that work experience gained at OHS has prepared him for what he'll be doing next.
"I work at St. Vincent's and Goodwill. I'm working at Schnucks right now. I stock shelves. It's going to help me participate very well."
Jen Farelas Yanez, Oakville High School
Jen Farelas Yanez has spent her senior year at Oakville High School exploring different nursing specialties through her program at STL CAPS. Jen has done internships in the ICU at SSM Health St. Clare Hospital and pediatric oncology at St. Louis Children's Hospital. After graduation, Jen will be majoring in nursing at Southeast Missouri State University.
"STL CAPS has really shown me what career path I want to go into. Now that I've done this program, I'm set on nursing now."
Devon Scott, Mehlville High School
Sports have always been a huge part of Devon Scott's life (he was on the baseball, football and wrestling teams all four years of high school), and he hopes to turn that love of sports into a career. After graduation, Devon is attending Southeast Missouri State University where he'll major in kinesiology with plans to become an athletic trainer.
"Being involved in activities and sports made me a lot more friendly. I love meeting new people, and the people are my favorite thing about Mehlville."
Grahm Tapp, Mehlville High School
Grahm Tapp, a senior at Mehlville High School, says the best thing a high school student can do is get involved, which Grahm has done, joining the band, theatre, volleyball and leadership programs. Following graduation, Grahm is heading west to Occidental College in Los Angeles to double major in politics and critical theory and social justice. Grahm also plans to attend law schools to pursue a career as a public defender or in the capital punishment appellate scene. Grahm prepared for the future by developing an internship with an attorney through the MyPath course as a senior.
"I'm really lucky to have gone to Mehlville, and I think most of that is due to the wonderful staff who have worked with me every step of the way. The staff really set me up for success by teaching me fundamentals that are going to really help me in college."
Xander Hamer, Oakville High School
Xander Hamer, an Oakville High School student, will be graduating with both a high school diploma and an associate degree from St. Louis Community College through our Early College Academy program. For the past two years, Xander has been taking college courses at STLCC while still participating in clubs and sports at OHS. It's given him a head start on the general education and science classes he'll need when he studies nursing at USML or Missouri Baptist University next year.
"The Early College Academy gets you involved in the college learning environment early on and gives you the chance to earn your associate degree when you graduate high school."
Tatiana Ponevilai, Oakville High School
Tatiana Ponevilai has already started interning at a dental office and work as a dental assistant after graduation thanks to her work in the dental sciences course at South Tech. Next year, Tatiana is attending University of Missouri - Kansas City with plans to become an orthodontist.
"Being able to learn the hands-on material at South Tech and being able to work a dental office has really helped a lot."
Evan Rhodes, Mehlville High School
Evan Rhodes, a senior at Mehlville High School, has spent the past two years attending the firefighting and EMT course at South Tech. Evan says he doesn't enjoy traditional school, but his class at South Tech gives him the opportunity to learn about something he's passionate about with other students who are passionate about it, too. After graduation, Evan plans to pursue a career as a paramedic.
"I never really liked regular school, so I went to South Tech to try to do something I care about and want to learn. Now I'm prepared for the future."
Lucy Fister, Mehlville High School
Whether in the classroom, on the court/field or in the clubs she's involved with, Lucy Fister has been a leader throughout her time at Mehlville High School. Her leadership goes beyond the walls of MHS, too. This year, Lucy served as the state vice president of public relations for Missouri HOSA - Future Health Professionals. After graduation, she's attending the University of Kansas to study chemistry on the premed track with plans to become a surgeon.
"My experience at Mehlville prepared me because it gave me a lot of insight on different problems that might arise with holding leadership positions: How to work with a team of people, how to handle disagreements, how to have responsibility and how to be adaptable when problems arise."
Dima Majood, Oakville High School
Dima Majood's favorite part of her time at Oakville High School has been building relationships with students, administrators and teachers and always trying to make a positive impact on the lives of those around her. She hopes to continue making a positive impact in the future. After graduation, Dima is attending Washington University in St. Louis to study biology on the pre-med track with plans to become a neonatologist.
"STL CAPS and HOSA prepared me by giving me opportunities to interact with medical providers and seeing what their day-to-day looks like."
Ashley Schmidt, Oakville High School
After graduating from high school, Ashley plans to work in a salon while she earns her associate degree in business administration from St. Louis Community College. She hopes to have her own salon one day.
"Before I started the cosmetology program at South Tech, I didn't think it was something I would pursue a career in. Digging deeper and seeing all of the opportunities I have and my interest in that area helped me set my plan for the future."
Jared Carroll, Mehlville High School
Jared Carroll has been in nearly every theatre show at MHS, most recently playing Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz. His time in the theatre program has inspired him to become a theater teacher! After two years at St. Louis Community College, Jared plans to get a degree in theatre education.
"I didn't join theatre until my freshman year, so I found my love for theatre here at MHS. It's definitely prepared me for what I want to do in the future."
Lamija Ugarak, Mehlville High School
Lamija Ugarak says her favorite part of her time at Mehlville High School has been getting to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds. She believes that getting to know different perspectives now will help her in her future career. After graduation, Lamija is attending Maryville University to study accounting and finance.
"Constantly being around different kinds of people and being exposed to different cultures and mindsets and just learning different perspectives has been my favorite part of MHS."
Brody Burlingame, Oakville High School
Brody Burlingame says the best lesson he learned during his time at Oakville High School is the ability to work with other people to solve problems. After graduation, Brody plans to become a firefighter paramedic. He's been preparing for his future the past two years in the firefighting & EMT program at South Tech.
"OHS prepared me by allowing me to meet new people, adapt with people and work through problems together."
Abby Wiedermann, Oakville High School
Abby Wiedermann's favorite part of her time at Oakville High School was attending state with FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) for her fashion project. After graduation, Abby is headed to Western Kentucky University to study exercise science with plans to become an athletic trainer.
"Oakville has prepared me because of all of the experiences I've gone through here. You learn a lot when you're going through high school. Obviously there are hardships that come with high school, but it's made me the person I am. All the mistakes, all the wins, all the losses, it has built me into the person I am today."
Nerma Hrsic, Mehlville High School
Nerma Hrsic says her favorite part of her experience at Mehlville High School is the time she's gotten to spend with her friends. After graduation, Nerma is attending Truman State where she'll compete on the swim team while on the pre-dental track.
"I think all of the Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes prepared me for college. I also went to South Tech, and that really helped me decide that I want to go through the dental path."
Maxwell Hardy, Mehlville High School
Inspired by the impact his teachers had on him, Maxwell Hardy plans to pursue a career in education after graduating from Mehlville High School. Maxwell hopes to teach elementary or middle school. He says participating in the MyPath program helped him prepare for the future.
"Through MyPath, I went over to MOSAIC Elementary School, tutored students and learned what it was like to be a teacher."
Blake Woldanski, Oakville High School
Blake Woldanski's favorite part of this time at Oakville High School was the memories he made during his four years on the soccer team. After graduating from OHS, Blake is attending Missouri S&T to study mechanical engineering.
"STL CAPS has prepared me for my next four years of college and moving to the professional world. It exposed me to those real-world experiences I wouldn't get in the classroom."
D.J. Pernal, Oakville High School
D.J. Pernal says that he found himself in a lot of trouble at the beginning of his time at Oakville High School. Along the way, he decided to make changes in his life. He found a love of music, teaching himself to play piano. During his senior, the choir teachers heard him playing piano in the hallway and asked him to join the choir program. After graduation, D.J. is joining the U.S. Army. He plans to work on tanks and hopes to one day be the captain of his own tank.
"The troubles I went through provided me the experience and to see that this is not what I want. Going through the good and the bad has allowed me to grow as a person and learn more than I could ever imagine."
Derria Adams, Mehlville High School
Derria Adams' favorite part of her time at Mehlville High School was taking the African American studies class during her junior year. After graduation, Derria is attending St. Louis Community College to study business, as well as going to cosmetology school. Derria wants to open up her own business: A one-stop shop for hair, nails and makeup.
"All of the teachers and counselors are very helpful when it comes to what you want to after school. They push you to do something. I feel loved and appreciated."
Xavier Johnson, Mehlville High School
Xavier Johnson's favorite parts of his time at Mehlville High School are the work he's done with Black Student Union and documenting school events for Yearbook. After graduation, Xavier is attending Missouri Southern State University to study mechanical engineering and hopes to also play for the Lions football team.
"I learned a lot of discipline here. I thought high school was going to be easy, but it really humbled me. Now I'm ready for the future."
Sahnam Mohabbat, Oakville High School
Sahnam Mohabbat created and organized International Culture Day during her senior year, an event celebrating the fashion, music, dance and culture of OHS students. After graduation, Sahnam is attending Webster University. She's still deciding what she'll study but is considering management with an emphasis in international business.
"My favorite thing about Oakville is the people. There is a community feeling here. There are so many different groups of people from different backgrounds here, but they're all friends with each other.