Author: Ivy Miller

Dancing Through the Decades

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By Nancy Dahal ‘28


With finals approaching from around the corner, the Wyoming Seminary Dance Company brought a special surprise with their annual dance performance. Presented on Friday, May 8th and Sunday, May 10th in the KCCA, the Forty-Fifth Jubilee provided the Wyoming Seminary community with a transformative artistic experience. Pieces varied heavily – from the poignant Dance of Knights to the upbeat Broadway Works, as well as the fan favorite disco piece featuring some of  SEM’s favorite faculty members; audience members truly time-travelled. The hard work of everybody involved was evident in the end result. 


With a small cast of twenty dancers, the production created a space for artistry to thrive through many different genres and compositions. This year, along with many upper school students, three new lower school students were also able to bring their passion to the stage. The production additionally featured many alumni including Robert Zaloga ‘20, Samantha Barcia ‘22,  and Brennan Twardowski ‘10. With their contributions, the production was a massive success. 

All of this was made possible especially by the work and commitment of Mrs. Bernadine Votjko. Madi Szafran ‘29, a new member to the SEM Dance Company, gushed about her experience: “I love it! Even after doing theater for 9 years, [performing in the dance show] has helped me grow so much in only a few months!”. 

Many students had a hand in bringing the performance to life, and not just by performing. The Choreographer’s Workshop contributed incredible pieces to an already astounding performance. The six dancers involved in the Choreographer’s Workshop this year were: Aniella “Nelly” Gabello-Timinski ‘26, Hannah Salesky ‘26, Melina Ospina-Wiese ‘27, Emma Murphy ‘27, Aubrey Fisher ‘27, and Mary Jane Michaels ‘26. In regards to her creative process, senior choreographer Hannah Salesky ‘26 stated, “Choreographing a piece for the show has been a great experience. It taught me a lot about movement and composition, teaching, and all of the technical aspects of the show as well!”

The forty-fifth annual dance show was a testament to the time and hard work of the students, choreographers, and teachers involved and reflected the bigger commitment Mrs. Votjko and her dancers have been putting into the company for decades. Hopefully, the Wyoming Seminary Dance Company continues to provide such wonderful performances for years to come!

From Passion to Presentation: The Concentrations Capstone Experience

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By: Abby Ryu ‘26


The Wyoming Seminary Academic Concentrations program is an opportunity for students to challenge themselves in conducting independent research, engaging with the community, and exploring passions outside of the classroom. Students work throughout their high school careers to develop their portfolio with key learning experiences and build towards completing a capstone project during their senior year. Over the first two weeks back from spring break, a total of 12 seniors split between the three concentrations presented their work. Most presentations took place after school and brought together faculty, students, friends and family to listen. Aiden Benetos, Maya Gross, Emily Marino, Eshaal Ahmad, Hannah Salesky, and Alex Chen represented the STEM/STEAM concentration. Abby Ryu and Doron Glynn represented the Humanities and Global Studies (HGS) concentration. Emma Rathburn, Grace Rushmer, Caleb Smeraldi and Addie Priebe represented the Climate Science and Sustainability (CSS) concentration. 

While the work presented reflected a wide variety of interests – from puppetry to environmental education to defining humanity –, one thing that remained constant throughout all presentations was the intensity of work put in by the presenters. Every senior who presented had been developing their project, at least, throughout their entire high school career and it certainly showed. When asked about how it felt to finally wrap up such a monumental chapter of her high school experience, CSS concentration’s member Emma Rathburn ‘26 said “It felt very rewarding and satisfying to see all of the work we’ve done put together into one final presentation and I’m so proud of everyone and myself for finishing off strong!”
And yet in some ways, these capstone concentrations don’t just represent an end but also a larger beginning. Most seniors noted in their presentations that they were excited to expand upon their interests in college. Additionally, when asked about the biggest thing she has learned through her concentration experiences, STEM concentration’s member Emily Marino ‘26 importantly noted “My experience in the concentrations has really prepared me for college in that I now feel more confident that I can do a big, long, independent project like this.” Whatever the future may hold for these seniors, their capstones clearly mark both a rewarding culmination of years of dedication as well as an exciting launching point for future exploration!

Senior Swimmers Reflect on Their Final High School Season

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By Melia Benetos ‘27

As the end of the winter term approaches, so does the end of winter sports seasons, which means that many swimmers will have to say goodbye to their senior friends as they look toward their futures. The mix of excitement and sadness was echoed by Zuzana Havlíčková ‘26, who reflected on the 2025-2026 season, saying “similarly to the previous year, swim season was very fun. Even though many swimmers graduated last year, many new joined and it was great to be surrounded by people who want to swim and improve every day. I have quite mixed feelings about senior night though. On one side, I am looking forward to it, as I’m sure we are going to have a great time. On the other though, I know that it’s going to be a bit sad as well to have a last home meet here at Sem.” This was Zuzana’s second year doing swimming at Wyoming Seminary. Aidan Benetos ‘26 shared parallel sentiments, emphasizing the strong bonds that the team formed and the emotions surrounding the upcoming senior night: “this year’s swim season has been incredible. I am so proud of all the hard work that everyone has been putting in so far. We were able to achieve amazing things because of how tenacious everyone is and because we all uplift each other. I feel like we were all able to become very close with one another this season, and honestly, I’m sad about senior night coming soon, and saying goodbye to this team and my high school swim career. That being said, I’m also very excited to celebrate all of the work that my fellow seniors and I have done over the years.” Aidan began swimming in his sophomore year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Abby Ryu ‘26, who participated in swimming for her entire high school path, had a similar experience to Aidan and Zuzana, stating “my experience this season has been definitely different, but in a good way. It’s less competitive but still really fun and the team is close. As senior night as well as districts approach, I’m a little sad, but mainly excited to end my high school swim career on a high note!”

Looking ahead to senior night and the end of incredible high school swim careers, all three Wyoming Seminary swimming seniors feel very emotional, but very excited to celebrate their hard work and experiences. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors alike are sad to say goodbye to their senior friends, but excited to see what path they take as they move on in their lives. Coaches and family members are extremely sentimental but eagerly anticipate what comes next in each senior’s journey. Senior night will be a meaningful celebration of the legacy that these swimmers leave behind, and the bright futures that await them beyond the pool.