Amelia Orr (second from left) is pictured alongside her peers and two volunteers from the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen. Courtesy photo

As Bishop Guilfoyle Academy seniors head to the podium to receive their high school diplomas tonight, they’ll be celebrating as the school’s 100th graduating class.

Hitting that milestone shows how some things remain the same even when everything else changes, said Lisa Georgiana, BG’s director of advancement.

The school’s name has changed four times since its inception: Altoona Catholic High School in 1922, Bishop Guilfoyle High School in 1961, Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School in 2008, and Bishop Guilfoyle Academy in 2024, when it merged with Holy Trinity Catholic School.

Despite name changes, Georgiana said the school’s mission in preparing students for the real world has been consistent over the years.

“We’re a school for the community,” she said, adding that the academy is accessible to students from all faiths, not just Catholics.

The Class of 2026 will see 92% of students pursue higher education and 8% of students enter the military or workforce, she said.

It’s really cool to be a part of this class, as it’s a significant milestone for the institution,” senior Amelia Orr said.

“To say that’s our graduating year makes it even more special,” she said.

Service projects

Many graduating Bishop Guilfoyle Academy students complete over 25 hours of service as service hours become less of a requirement and more of a way to help the community, said Bob Sutton, campus minister and theology instructor.

The idea behind service hours is to train students to tackle problems hands-on after high school graduation.

Service, like going to help out at the soup kitchen, shows students real life.

“It’s not just about making an anonymous donation, it’s about actually doing hands-on work,” Sutton said.

Senior student Lauren Lehman has been raising funds for the Dorothy Day Outreach Center at Saint Francis University on her birthday since she was 4 years old.

Her mother helped establish a fundraiser where Lehman requests food donations instead of birthday presents, she said. They raised $12,000 in total by donating one or two truckloads of food each year.

Last month, she also organized Bishop Guilfoyle’s Taste of Tanzania event that raised about $8,000 for the Selfless Solutions site in Tanzania where she volunteered last summer.

Organizing the Taste of Tanzania event gave Lehman a chance to plan and supervise it rather than do it all herself.

“It was probably the biggest leadership thing that I’ve ever done,” she said.

While working in classrooms last summer in Tanzania, Lehman said she realized that she wanted to become a teacher, prompting her to study math and science at Shippensburg University.

Other students volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul’s soup kitchen, such as Orr, who could leave school up to twice a week throughout the school year to help serve and clean.

Orr said it was nice to assist the community while working alongside other volunteers.

“The people who are in need, they’re so appreciative, and to see how much it means to them if I can give an hour of my day, it makes it worth it,” she said.

As an incoming nursing student at Duquesne University, she said her volunteer work will help her gain communication skills with patients.

Orr, along with five other students, also dedicated their hours of service in memory of Steve Sheetz, who supported the cause.

Senior Arielle Biesinger spent her time volunteering at the Luv Michael Foundation, which raises awareness for adults with special needs and finds them employment. She became involved with the foundation this year by raising about $1,000 and sending campaign letters to government officials.

After high school graduation, she plans on attending Mount Aloysius College for sign language interpretation, which she said can be used to help individuals with special needs communicate and navigate the world around them.

Biesinger hopes that her volunteer work inspires future students to find something they’re passionate about.

“As long as you’re passionate about it, it’ll never feel like work,” she said. “So if they find a way to connect their passion to community service, it’ll really take off, and they’ll have a lot of fun helping other people.”