District News

The Lancaster High School Academy of Finance (AOF) celebrated its 18th class of graduates as 71 students from the Class of 2025 were recognized in a separate graduation ceremony at the Lancaster Youth Bureau Band Shell.  Students earned NAFTrack Certification, a credential created by education and business leaders to assess college and career readiness, where student performance is measured not only through end-of-course exams but also through culminating projects and internships. Scott Dixon, the academy director, said, “This ceremony is special to our academy students as it recognizes the significant work and rigor they undertook, beyond the typical requirements of high school graduation, as they become future ready”. 

Student speakers Mitch Nawojski and Morgan Ehrle were selected to deliver messages to the graduating class, and Morgan Molino delivered the commencement speech. Ms. Molino, who will be attending Northeastern University for Biological Engineering in the fall, said, “Being Future Ready always seemed like a catch phrase, but this academy made me face my future, even when I was more interested in ‘living in the moment’.  I can confidently say that my fellow AOF graduates and I are ready.”

The ceremony featured class superlatives, special awards, and scholarships, highlighting student accomplishments in work based learning activities and internships.  

The first recognized awards, The Capital Markets Scholarship, was awarded to Katie Kruczkowski, and the NAF scholarship, awarded to Kate Speyer. 

The Business, Community & Alumni Partnership, a separate advisory board and member of LEAF (Lancaster Education Alumni Foundation), supports the Academy of Finance and raises funds for the following annual awards. 

Future Ready Awards recognize students who took full advantage of work-based learning opportunities provided by the partnership, each receiving $250 and a plaque.  Winners were Jack Miklas, Gavin Gage, Blake Minsterman, Kate Speyer, and Evan Pignataro. 

The Academy Exemplar recognizes the student(s) who were able to expand their horizons, demonstrated considerable growth, and exemplified the connection between school and career, therefore serving as an exemplar of our program. The exemplars are Mitch Nawojski and Katie Kruczkowski, each receiving $250 and a plaque.

The Academy Trailblazer is awarded to the student who has developed traits which define great leaders. Optimism, Empathy, Honesty, Decisiveness, and the ability to raise the degree of success for all those around them. The $500 award and trophy was awarded to Morgan Ehrle. 

The most significant awards are the Sandra Hope Memorial Internship Scholarships. Sandy Hope was a business teacher in Lancaster and touched the hearts of students and teachers alike.  The internship program she began continues to thrive and grow, and these awards are given to students who have clearly demonstrated the ability to connect their work-based learning and internship experiences to career readiness, having excelled in the process. 

The winners of a $500 award and trophy were Hayden Velarde, Kaylie Jackson, and Cameron Wilson. 

The winner of the $1000 award and trophy, known as the Distinguished Internship, was awarded to Morgan Molino. 

Following the awards, all graduating Academy of Finance students crossed the stage to receive their NAFTrack Certificate plus a graduation sash to be worn at Lancaster High School’s graduation.  Afterwards, graduates, families, and faculty gathered for refreshments and photographs.

About LHS AOF

www.lancasterschools.org/finance

The Lancaster High School Academy of Finance (LHS AOF), a distinguished member of the nationally recognized NAF network, empowers students with real-world skills and experiences that prepare them to be Future Ready. NAF is a national leader for career themed academies, focused on college and career readiness, bringing together education, business, and community stakeholders to reimagine the high school experience.

Established in 2008, the LHS Academy of Finance has graduated over 1,000 students, with 98% pursuing post-secondary education. Structured as a small, focused learning community within Lancaster High School, the academy delivers a rigorous, three-year curriculum validated by industry professionals. The program emphasizes project-based learning and offers an extensive work-based learning component that includes guest speakers, career mentors, workplace tours, job shadowing, and a required 80-hour internship.

Students in the Academy of Finance earn industry-recognized credentials, including Microsoft Office Certification and the New York State Career and Technical Education (CTE) endorsement on their Regents diploma. On average, students also graduate with 15 transferable college credits through the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Supporting this Academy of Finance is the Business, Community, and Alumni Partnership Board—a dedicated group of local business leaders, higher education partners, school district staff, alumni, and parents. The board works collaboratively through the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Lancaster Education Alumni Foundation (LEAF) to offer meaningful work-based learning opportunities such as guest speaker events, project judging, career interviews, worksite tours, career fairs, mentoring, networking events, job shadows, and paid internships.

The Lancaster High School Academy of Finance remains committed to providing students with the tools and experiences they need to thrive in college, careers, and beyond.

About NAF:

Since 1980, NAF has led a movement for immersive, career-focused teaching and work-based learning in high school. With the support of NAF community-based advisory boards, schools connect with the workforce to fuel shared progress—from creating paid internship opportunities to fostering innovation and building future-ready businesses. NAF helps students explore career options, create a plan for the future, and take part in hands-on, work-based learning unlike anything traditional public education systems can offer. NAF puts students on a path to achieving their full potential.

NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences; and support programs of study that are aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework. During the 2024-25 school year, over 112,000 students attended over 600 NAF academies across 34 states and territories. In 2024, NAF academies reported 99% of seniors graduated, with 90% of graduates planning to go to college. Learn more at naf.org and follow us on social @NAFCareerAcads.