The 680 students graduating with Wellington High School’s Class of 2025 will walk across the South Florida Fairgrounds stage during a commencement ceremony starting at noon on Wednesday, May 14.
“The Class of 2025 is truly an outstanding group of students who have consistently demonstrated excellence throughout their high school journey,” Principal Cara Gorham said. “Their commitment to academic achievement, personal growth and school spirit makes them a special and memorable part of the Wellington community.”
She is looking forward to celebrating the journey they have gone through over the last four years.
“Graduation is not just a ceremony; it represents the culmination of their hard work, growth and resilience,” Gorham said. “As I watch each student walk across the stage, I am filled with pride, reflecting on the challenges they’ve faced and the milestones they’ve achieved.”
This year has had its share of experience-defining moments.
“Our school community has come together in remarkable ways, fostering a spirit of support and perseverance among students, staff and families alike,” Gorham said. “As we celebrate our large graduating class, we recognize their incredible achievements and resilience, which serve as a testament to the strength and unity of our community. Together, we have navigated obstacles and created lasting memories, reinforcing the bonds that make our school a truly special place.”
She noted that the class has risen above challenges while continuing to thrive.
“It’s a deeply personal moment for me, as I think about the late nights spent studying, the friendships formed and the lessons learned — both in and out of the classroom,” Gorham said. “Each student has a unique story, and being part of their journey has been a profound honor.”
Leading the class will be valedictorian Daniel Robbert and salutatorian Kelli Martin.
When Gorham and her team “stormed” Robbert’s classroom playing music, he was glad to be in class. Every sleepy morning, he said, “My biggest motivation to get up was saying, ‘What if the valedictorian gets announced today?’ Because I knew that was something I would regret for the rest of my life if I missed.”
When his mother saw the video on Instagram, she began to cry. “Honestly, I wish I could’ve been with her for that,” he said.
All of the time spent being productive and getting schoolwork done was worth it, because he was using his time intentionally, Robbert said. And that intentionality is what he suggests for others who want to rank high in their class. It doesn’t always have to mean schoolwork, because hanging out with friends is good for mental health, but it’s important to focus on things that will have a long-term benefit.
“Even though it’s absolutely still a work in progress, time management is probably the skill I’m most grateful to have,” he said.
As Robbert looks toward his next academic chapter, he’s likely to major in economics as well as either applied math or physics. He’s deciding between Duke University, Vanderbilt University or the University of Florida.
As he gears up for graduation, he’s backing up his Google Drive and saving those files. That schoolwork, resources and memories are all digital, and something he wants to keep long after his school account is deleted.
And, of course, he’s looking forward to delivering his speech. He has spent a great deal of time working on it and wants to savor the presentation.
To his fellow students, Robbert said, “Always look toward the future and remember that it always gets better. Most of you didn’t know who I was in ninth grade, which makes sense. That was before I was valedictorian and before I was homecoming king, but that was a time when I really wasn’t enjoying anything about school.”
That’s when he decided to aim for becoming valedictorian.
“I started signing up to take extra AP classes every summer and dreaming about becoming No. 1 someday, so that period of not enjoying my life was probably the greatest motivational period I’ve ever had,” Robbert said. “Whenever I started feeling down or pessimistic, I would just picture myself standing behind the podium talking to 5,000 people, and it has never failed to cheer me up… Always thinking about the future and the long-term benefit of whatever you’re doing is something I would say is super important.”
While being the valedictorian is something that’s important to Robbert, the reality is that it’s based on one thing — your weighted GPA through the first seven semesters of high school, ignoring everything else you’ve accomplished, worked for or worked through.
“The reality is that I come from a position of privilege where I never had to worry about working a job to support my family or taking care of younger siblings, and even just compared to everyone who plays sports or does band, chorus, theater or dance, they spend so much time contributing to the school and its community — often at the expense of their grades — and none of that gets appreciated when you just look at their GPA,” Robbert said. “While I’d like to think that I still did a good job doing community service and staying engaged around campus and making a positive impact on others, I really can’t overstate that so many other people could’ve been valedictorian, and I’m just fortunate to come from a position where I’m able to focus on academics enough to do so.”
Martin found out her class rank through the online gradebook, but it really clicked when it was announced while she was setting up for Dance Marathon, an event she had been looking forward to all year.
“The layers of excitement established by the enjoyable decorating process and the cheering of some of my closest friends created an unforgettable energy,” she said. “The announcement of my rank in this way has truly made me appreciate my support system and how far I have come, creating an ecstatic reaction filled with pride and gratefulness.”
Her parents were thrilled for her. “They could not believe that despite facing so many challenges in the past year, especially with the loss of my brother, I persevered to prove myself academically and mentally,” Martin said. “As I came home from our Dance Marathon at midnight, my parents were up waiting for me with smiles and a gift in their hands. A balloon printed with a large ‘Congratulations!’ strung from a large jar of chocolates. They were beyond proud.”
Martin’s advice for other students is to find your strengths and weaknesses in your learning abilities, and to keep an open mind when approaching subjects and classes.
“To be able to rank, it is a given that high-level AICE, AP, IB, dual enrollment and honors classes are necessary to have on your schedule,” she said. “Unfortunately, being brave enough to put them there is only one step, and learning can come in many forms. For instance, do not be afraid of utilizing virtual lectures, completely online dual enrollment courses or virtual AP classes to further educate yourself enjoyably. Hard work is necessary, but understanding when and where excelling is possible can be even more vital.”
Martin will be studying electrical engineering, with possible career interests in biotechnology, sustainability, motorsports and spacecraft systems at the University of Florida.
“I am passionate about using my acquired STEM knowledge to create projects through collaborative methods that I can watch come to life, whether it be an arm or a Formula 1 car,” she said.
Martin aims to run another half-marathon and train to join the UF club cheer team. She is looking forward to challenging herself physically and chasing those goals before academic deadlines demand her energy.
“As a final word to my fellow students, I advise you to respect your opinions and those of others,” she said. “Self-respect is crucial to establishing confidence in how you develop and present yourself, and a lack of it can reflect poorly on your mental state. By fostering respect and cooperation in your community, you can create mutual bonds that can save lives, metaphorically and literally. So many young lives have been lost at the hands of themselves, and others as a result of anger, unresolved sadness and feelings of insignificance. Not only are others’ perspectives vital to developing solutions and ideas for the modern world, but they are also vital to sustaining the quality of life of everyone every day.”
Martin has been a competitive cheerleader since age seven and has achieved a great deal.
“The past decade has blessed me with a state championship, multiple regional and a few national runner-up titles,” she said. “As I have grown older, this sport has made me realize my passion for being part of a team — especially one that could be capable of achieving massive positive changes in the world’s environmental and social standings. As a result of this realization and others, I hope that people can deduce how I am an optimistic individual who aims to use collaborative human abilities to create unique methods to find satisfaction in life.”
As graduation approaches, Gorham is proud of the incredible Class of 2025. “Watching our students grow into confident, capable young adults has been one of the greatest joys of my career,” she said. “The passion and care shown throughout our school community is truly inspiring. It is an absolute privilege to lead Wellington High School and to be part of a team that works each day to uplift, guide and celebrate our students.”
