BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

On Friday, May 19, 2023, Bridges Virtual Academy (BVA), a virtual charter school organized within the Merrill Area Public School (MAPS) District, held a graduation ceremony for their Class of 2023 graduates in the Merrill High School (MHS) Auditorium. The BVA serves students in grades K4-12 and this year celebrated the graduation of 53 students from around the state of Wisconsin, their largest graduating class to date. Thirty-two of those students were in Merrill to accept their diplomas.

Congratulations to BVA Class of 2023 graduates: Roan Keeley (McFarland), Elaina Meyer (Whitewater), Adrianna Vander Geest (Merrill), Seanna Wickman (Muskego), Macai Matiash (Oshkosh), Cephas Aberg (Waupaca), Jada Arcand (Algoma), Jonathan Beatty (Schofield), Lillia Bell (Merrill), Grace Berg (Merrill), Abria Carlson (Madison), Sofia Castanho-Bollinger (Brookfield), Ethan Clint (Mosinee), Gabriella Dennert (Mukwonago), Kaitlyn Engel (Evansville), Mason Evans (Merrill), Sawyer Ewert (Germantown), Kaitlyn Frank (Jackson), Julianna Gonzales (Caledonia), Callan Groth (Merrill), Zacheriah Haag (Sobieski), Faith Hagemeister (Merrill), Maiah Hamre (Stevens Point), Noah Healy (Oak Creek), Shinean Her (West Allis), VidelHinke (Merrill), SyrenaHjelmgren (Racine), Samuel Hua (Kenosha), Peyton Kloehn (Clintonville), Kody Koelsch (Merrill), Dominic Kolodzinski (North Prairie), Nikki Krizan (Stanley), Hannah Klug (Janesville), Kaitlyn Krug (Janesville), Sophia Lemay (East Troy), Anne-Marie Long (Appleton), John Lynch (Eau Claire), Aoife Marinan (De Pere), Caleb Mickelberg (North Prairie), Samuel Nasett (Marshall), Joshua Petsche (Neenah), Steven Pfarr (Clinton), Chesney Potter (Oconto), Grace Rangle (Pine River), Melanie Recore (Wautoma), Adeline Rowe (Minocqua), Ruth Sawyer (Milwaukee), Connor Smith (New Berlin), Angelina Steger (Brookfield), Heather Waddell (Muskego), Caleb Worley (Waukesha), and Jacob Zuelke (Green Bay). One student requested anonymity.