Belvidere High School held its commencement at Funderburg Stadium, where Dr. Cassandra Shug, superintendent of Belvidere Community Unit School District 100, formally certified that the graduating class of 2025 met requirements set by the Board of Education and the State of Illinois.

"As the superintendent of the Belvidere Community Unit School District number 100, I certify that the Belvidere High School graduating class of 2025 has met all graduation requirements deemed appropriate by the Board of Education and the State of Illinois and has therefore earned their high school diplomas," Dr. Shug said during the ceremony.

The certification followed opening remarks by Billy Lewis, principal of Belvidere High School, who opened the ceremony with tributes, announcements and recognition of student accomplishments. "I am extremely optimistic about what the future holds for all of you," Lewis told graduates as he praised their service, character and work ethic.

Student speakers highlighted the class's diversity of achievements. Gianna De Gennaro, delivering the senior address, cited athletic milestones and academic figures, saying, "Our class has 8 individuals signed on to college teams to continue playing their sports at the collegiate level." De Gennaro also said 33 percent of students take Advanced Placement courses and that the school average pass rate among those students is about 42 percent; she told the audience the class's graduation percentage is "around 85 percent." Those figures were presented as part of her remarks to the assembly.

Principal Lewis announced recipients of the Illinois seal of biliteracy and state commendations, naming students awarded for proficiency in English and one or more other languages. He also paused to honor former teacher and instructional coach Andy Wehrhane, who died the previous month; Lewis said Wehrhane "gave his time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears to our community" and called his service an example for graduates.

Other highlights included individual athletic and arts achievements cited by student speakers: Emma Pearson was recognized for scoring a school-record 2,374 points in girls' basketball and qualifying for state golf three times; Maggie Sternquist earned a record in girls' volleyball for career kills; Drake Lundstrom bowled a perfect game in boys bowling; Rosalia Gutierrez was noted as the first female wrestler to compete for the school. The ceremony also included recognition of students enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces and announcements of honors graduates and Illinois State Scholars.

The ceremony concluded with drum major and senior-class president Gabriel Yates urging classmates to "find your potential" as they move on to college, military service and the workforce. Faculty and student leaders then led the class in the traditional turning of tassels and dismissal.

No board votes or formal policy changes took place at the event; the gathering was a graduation ceremony and not a board meeting.