Redington honors 35 members of its class of 2025

A multisport athlete and state champion during his four years of high school at Redington, valedictorian Finn Swalling opened his 2025 commencement address to his classmates with a quote from another athlete.

A man he called the G.O.A.T.

“The greatest thing about tomorrow is that I’ll be better than I am today.”

Legendary golf pro Tiger Woods said that.

“I feel this quote embodies each member of our class of 2025 perfectly,” Swalling said. “Four short years ago, we walked through the doors of our schools as untried freshmen. Each day, we gained knowledge, reacted to life’s twists and turns and learned from our mistakes. We all experienced our own path, but we did it together, and together we became better. Some of us walked through the doors as mere (junior varsity athletes) and walked out as state champions.”

Swalling was a freshman when Redington scored its first football state title in school history. He earned a state championship in wrestling in 2022. Redington salutatorian Alexia Pike also earned a state championship with the Huskies, winning the Division II discus title as a sophomore in 2023.

But Swalling also took another step with the praise of his peers.

“We all experienced our own path, but we did it together, and together, we became better,” Swalling said. “Some of us walked through the doors wondering if we could complete our coursework to graduate. And we walked out knowing we'd walk across the stage today. One day, some of us walked through the doors, happy and carefree, and we walked out knowing our lives would never be the same. All of us know what it's like to have come from that place of inexperience and naivety, and day by day, we've become the people we've dreamt to become. Watching the graduates walk across or walk through the halls each year, we have dreamed of this day. And here we are, better than we were yesterday, and moving forward with the knowledge that we can still become greater.”

Swalling, Pike and Kelsey Keene, also a salutatorian, spoke during the ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the Menard Center in Wasilla. Tim Walters, a Redington science teacher retiring after more than 20 years with the Mat-Su Borough School District addressed the class as the keynote speaker, and was introduced by senior Justus Spaulding. Senior class president Brooklyn Mocan served as the master of ceremony.

Mocan reflected on both the happiness and hard times her class shared under the same roof since entering the junior-senior high school as sixth graders. Her speech included a tribute to former Redington teacher and coach Liane Ryan, who died in a plane crash near Nome earlier this year.

“We will all miss her contagious smile that lit up our school and life,” Mocan said.

Redington principal Thomas Lytle welcomed guests with opening remarks. Assistant principal Matthew Swalling presented the 35 graduates.

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