Five students to speak at June 6 commencement

Five student speakers have been named for Penn Manor High School’s 2017 commencement, scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Sports and Fitness Center.

They are Mark Battle, Christine Bye, Brooke DeBerdine, Danielle Althouse and Jordan Martzall.

  • Mark, the son of Catherine and Thomas Battle of Lancaster, is class valedictorian. He participated in National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, soccer, the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) and rec basketball. Mark plans to study electrical engineering at the University of Delaware.
  • Christine, the daughter of Matthew and Jeanne Bye of Pequea, is class salutatorian. She participated in National Honor Society, was a member of the cross country team and played violin and piano. Christine plans to study English and Spanish at Messiah College.
  • Brooke, the daughter of Mike and Deb DeBerdine of Millersville, is senior class president. She participated in National Honor Society, Varsity Club, Relay for Life and Student Council and played field hockey for Penn Manor and the Under 21 National Team. Brooke plans to play field hockey at the University of Maryland. Her field of study is undetermined.
  • Danielle is the daughter of Edward and Traci Althouse of Conestoga. She participated in National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and dance. Danielle plans to study biology at the University of Pittsburgh.
  • Jordan is the son of Lori and Bob Martzall of Lancaster. He participated in soccer and the Grace United Methodist Youth Group and works part-time at Willow Valley. Jordan plans to study chemical engineering and math at the University of Delaware.

Admission to commencement is by ticket only, eight per graduate. All seating, with the exception of a reserved section for the disabled and honored guests, will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Admission tickets will be distributed to graduates at the end of commencement practice, scheduled for 8 a.m. June 5 and 6 at Penn Manor High School.

The commencement ceremony will be webcast live, beginning at 6 p.m., on the district website, staging-pennmanor.kinsta.cloud. DVDs of commencement will be available for purchase here. Parking details are available here: F&M event parking 2017

Baccalaureate is at 7 p.m. June 1 at Pequea Church. Seniors may also participate in a “Senior Walk,” a procession through the halls in their caps and gowns at the elementary school they attended. The schedule is: June 5, 2:30 p.m. – Martic, Hambright and Pequea ES; June 7, 9 a.m. – Central Manor ES, and 10:45 a.m. – Letort and Eshleman ES.  Conestoga is closed this year for construction.

PLEASE NOTE: Commencement is a formal ceremony that marks an important event in each student’s life.  For this to occur, we need the cooperation of the Class of 2017 and each person in the audience. During presentation of diplomas, please refrain from cheering or making other noises that will make it difficult to hear student names.  Once all students have received their diplomas, attendees may celebrate.

Commencement speakers for the Class of 2017 are, from left, Jordan Martzall, Brooke DeBerdine, Danielle Althouse, Mark Battle and Christine Bye.
Commencement speakers for the Class of 2017 are, from left, Jordan Martzall, Brooke DeBerdine, Danielle Althouse, Mark Battle and Christine Bye.