Owego Free Academy announces the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2025

By Wendy Post —

The Owego Free Academy has announced that Kaelyn Katchuk has earned the distinction of valedictorian for the Class of 2025, and Bella Silvestri is the salutatorian. 

Kaelyn will be attending Boston University for human physiology and will be on the diving team.

Bella will be attending Marymount University for Nursing (Nurse Anesthetist), and will play flag football.

Kaelyn Katchuk, daughter of Roger and Ji Katchuk, grew up in Owego and attended St. Patrick’s Catholic School until it closed in 2015. Since then, she has been a part of the Owego Apalachin Central School District. 

According to Katchuk, being part of the OFA community has allowed her to also explore her personal interests.

For college, Katchuk will be studying Human Physiology at Boston University while competing as a diver on the Women’s Swimming and Diving team, a sport in which Katchuk has excelled. Ultimately, Katchuk has her sights set on entering the medical field.

In an interview, Katchuk stated, of her high school experience, “I am grateful for my time at OFA for introducing me to many exceptional extracurricular activities, such as the swimming and diving team and Interact Club. Overall, I enjoyed my high school experience.”

Her message to future graduates is simple: “Be proactive in exploring opportunities; the earlier you start researching and planning, the less stressful your later years in high school will be.”

Katchuk is a two time NISCA 1m Diving All-American; 2025 NISCA Academic All-American; five time Section 4 Class B Diving Champion; Section 4 6-Dive and 11-Dive Record Holder; five-time NYS Championship Qualifier and four  time Finalist; AP Scholar with Honors; member of the National Honor Society; and a Binghamton Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition Winner.

Outside of scholastics, Katchuck enjoys playing the violin, reading, baking, painting, and crocheting.

She added, of her selection as valedictorian, “To me, becoming valedictorian is the fruition of the work I have put into my academics over the years.”

Isabella “Bella” Silvestri, who will be moving on to Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, has been named salutatorian for the Class of 2025 at Owego Free Academy.

Daughter of Stacey and Perry Silvestri, she was born and raised in Owego.

As Bella reflects on her high school experience, she states that the best part of it all was being a part of athletics with some of her best friends.

“There truly is nothing like high school sports,” said Silvestri.

Once at Marymount University, Silvestri will study nursing and will also be playing NCAA-sanctioned women’s flag football.

After graduating from college, Silvestri plans to work as an ICU nurse for a few years to gain experience. Following this, she will go to CRNA school to become a nurse anesthetist.

Silvestri described, of her education in Owego, “I can confidently say OFA has adequately prepared me for college, and I was lucky to have very good educational opportunities throughout my time in high school.”

She added, “I pursued an internship in the hospital for my senior year, which equipped me with important skills that I will utilize during nursing school.”

As the students coming up behind her continue their high school education and look forward, she states, “Have fun, work hard, and don’t take this time for granted.”

As for being named as the Class’s salutatorian, Silvestri stated, “It is an honor to be the salutatorian, especially in such a motivated class of graduates. I feel very proud to have earned this position in the class; I have worked hard for many years to get to this point.”

As she departs Owego and begins her college journey, Silvestri stated that she would miss the people here more than anything else.

“I was lucky to grow up in such a tight-knit community, and I’ll always miss my friends and all of the people who make living in Owego so special,” said Silvestri.

Silvestri’s accomplishments, athletically, include 2023 Section 4 girls’ soccer champion, the 2024 Section 4, and NYS regional flag football champion, and a Section 4 “Character Counts” award recipient.

Academically, Silvestri carries a June 2025 Regents with Advanced Designation, Mastery in Math and Science, an anticipated associate’s degree in Math and Science from TC3, AP Scholar, and Guthrie Lourdes Youth Apprentice.

Outside of all this, Silvestri spends her free time painting, reading, being active, and spending time with friends and family.

The district stated that it is very proud of Kaelyn and Bella’s commitment to excellence in their academic and extracurricular activities.

“We wish them all the best as they look to continue their education and athletic careers.”