Thursday, October 1, 2026
Families, students and faculty saw double at St. Dominic’s High School’s graduation this year, as the Oyster Bay school honored two valedictorians and two salutatorians, a first in its 80-year history. The uncommon distinction came after nearby Our Lady of Mercy Academy, in Syosset, closed in 2024, and its senior class joined St. Dominic’s for its final year. The combined class of 98 students marked a poignant ending for both schools.
St. Dominic’s Valedictorian Molly Byrne, who grew up in Bayville and transferred from St. Edward the Confessor School, in Syosset, for freshman year of high school, will begin studies in the Honors Program at Providence College as a biology major this fall.
“It was an absolutely incredible experience to have the Mercy girls join us for our senior year,” Byrne said. “I have this whole new friend group — I met wonderful people throughout this process that I’ll probably be friends with longer than high school.”
She added that small classes and dedicated teachers were key to her success. “St. Dominic’s was very welcoming, and kind of like a family as soon as you stepped on campus,” Byrne said. And she recalled being “very grateful and very honored” to be named a valedictorian. “They announced it during school, and honestly, I was very surprised,” she said. “And it was kind of like a surreal experience.”
Victoria Klein, the valedictorian representing Our Lady of Mercy, will attend Boston University, where she plans to study mechanical engineering. A Massapequa native with a passion for math and science, Klein was also a captain of the bowling team, and acknowledged that she had been aiming for the top spot throughout high school.
“From the start of my freshman year, I was working towards trying to be valedictorian,” Klein said. “I don’t think I ever really fully expected it would happen.”
When the school revealed its plan to honor the four top students, Klein recalled, she felt that “it was really great to hear that they were going to give us that opportunity.” When she heard her name announced as valedictorian, she said she experienced “a mixed feeling of extreme happiness, and also complete disbelief and shock.”
Olivia Ahearn, St. Dominic’s salutatorian, will attend Villanova University, and study business. A Math Honor Society member, varsity volleyball captain and a leader in multiple clubs, Ahearn said she was surprised to earn the honor.
“I was just sitting with all of my friends in the chapel, and they announced that I (was) the salutatorian,” Ahearn recounted. “I was just like, shocked. I just looked at my friends and they were all very proud.”
Our Lady of Mercy’s salutatorian, Georgia Ignatiadis, is headed to Georgetown University, and focused on science and research. A native of Glen Cove, she said that Mercy helped develop her work ethic.
“Mercy challenged me,” Ignatiadis said. “It really made me more studious. It was just such a good experience.”
When she learned that Mercy was closing, she and her friends were in tears. But they decided to stay together at St. Dominic’s, and, she said, “I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
The unprecedented ceremony marked unity and renewal for both schools. Ahearn praised the impact of the Mercy students. “The girls that came in helped change the atmosphere at St. Dom’s,” she said, “and they were just lovely, lovely girls.”
Klein emphasized how, throughout the experience, the students and faculty at St. Dominic’s helped make sure the newcomers could succeed in and enjoy their final year. “They welcomed us, offered us so many opportunities where we could have leadership roles because that’s what a lot of people were worried about missing out on their senior year,” Klein said. Ignatiadis affirmed that St. Dominic’s “never failed to acknowledge the Mercy kids.”
Each of the four spoke at the graduation ceremony. Ahearn focused on the gift of shared recognition. Klein and Ignatiadis reflected on ambition, change, camaraderie and gratitude.
For all four, the graduation marked not only academic achievement, but also a milestone of new friendships and resilience. Klein summed it up as “really symbolic of how our two classes meshed together for our senior year.”
