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Head of Harvey Upper School Phil Lazzaro has announced that two seniors, Iliana Hellinger and Wesley Elkind, will share the honor of valedictorian at the school’s Commencement Day ceremony, Thursday, June 6.  In making his announcement, Mr. Lazzaro said. “Iliana and Wes have been academic stalwarts, and we look forward to their continued success.”

In keeping with Harvey tradition, the selection of valedictorian goes to the student with the highest grade-point average. Iliana and Wesley achieved identical GPAs of 4.19 over the past four years. 

Iliana shined in the classroom and was a model student. She also left a positive imprint upon Harvey’s Robotics Program, with her participation complementing her interest in pursuing engineering. Iliana also has had an exceptional athletic career during her time at Harvey, leading the girls volleyball program to unprecedented heights in advancing to the semifinals of the NEPSAC tournament for the first time in school history. An all-league player and captain of the team for both her junior and senior years, Iliana will attend Elon University in the fall and pursue her interest in engineering with a mechanical engineering concentration.

Wes will pursue his passion for economics upon graduation. This year, Wes was co-president of Student Government and a member of both the varsity football and lacrosse programs. As one of the team’s captains and top defenders, Wes, an all-league defenseman, helped lead the lacrosse squad to an outstanding 2024 season when they ended their spring as both the HVAL and NEPSAC runners-up. In his impressive academic endeavors this year, Wes completed five advanced placement courses across an array of fields.

Iliana and Wes will have the opportunity to address their classmates when the 71 members of the Class of 2024 celebrate their commencement in the Fenstermacher Athletic Center at 10 a.m.