Junior Leadership Northeast Class of 2026 Celebrates Graduation

Leadership Northeast announced that 68 students from 17 area high schools celebrated their graduation from Junior Leadership Northeast on May 20 at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.

The ceremony, led by master of ceremonies Isabella DeGranffenreid of Wilkes- Barre Area STEM Academy, included the inaugural awarding of the William R. Wagner Memorial Scholarship to Junior Leadership 2025 graduate Makenzie Hrivnak of Dallas Area High School.

Through the collective work of the Class of 2026, 10 nonprofit partners received more than $23,000 in cash donations and an additional $13,000 in in-kind donations. For a full list of Junior Leadership Class of 2026 projects, visit leadershipnortheast.org.

“Being part of Junior Leadership Northeast has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my high school years,” said graduate Noah Corcoran of Lake Lehman High School, shared. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow my confidence in communicating with our project partners, leading others, and working as part of a team. I’ve learned so much about my community and the impact young people can have when they get involved.”

The Junior Leadership Northeast program is supported by of Partners in Education sponsors King’s College, Luzerne County Community College, Misericordia University, Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes University, and Geisinger College of Health Sciences.

Junior Leadership Northeast offers students the opportunity to work with community and business leaders through day-long seminars over a period of nine months. In the spring of each year, Leadership Northeast accepts applications from high school students Sophomores interested in participating in the program the following fall. Applications are available at all participating public and private schools, and must be submitted through the participating high school guidance office. The JLNE Class of 2027 has been finalized and will begin their program in the fall of 2026.

Members of the Junior Leadership Class of 2026 include:

Ella Alles, Greater Nanticoke; Samuel Augustine, Pittston Area; Isabella Bedford, Tunkhannock; Sophia Biscotti, Crestwood; Maximus Bleiler, MMI Prep; Sadie Bond, Wyoming Valley West; Adelynn Brill, Holy Redeemer; Emersyn Brown, Greater Nanticoke; Le’Quoya Browne-Hanley; Wilkes-Barre Area STEM; Sara Bueno, Holy Redeemer; Isla Carrozza, Wyoming Valley West; Ian Composto, MMI Prep; Oliver Conover, Greater Nanticoke; Matthew Cooper, Wyoming Valley West; Noah Corcoran, Lake Lehman; Auria Daniels, Northwest Area; Gianna DeCesaris, Lake Lehman; Isabella DeGraffenreid, Wilkes-Barre Area STEM; Betsy DiGiovanni, Lake Lehman; Maureen Doherty, Wyoming Seminary; Gabrielle DuBois, West Side Career and Technical Center; Lily Dudrick, Holy Redeemer; Carly Dushanko, Crestwood; Erica Dvulit, Crestwood; Brady Ecenrode, Dallas; Nagge Fleming, Wilkes-Barre Area; Casey George, Wilkes-Barre Area STEM; Madelyn Gladish, Pittston Area; Sara Golden, Wyoming Area; Benen Griffin, Wyoming Seminary; Delaney Gutierrez, Riverside; Leah Haddock, Wyoming Area; Fiona Johnson-Fallon, Dallas; Aleni Kaupp, Wyoming Valley West; Anna Kelleher, Wyoming Area; Henry Kinsey, Greater Nanticoke; Aayush Kishore, Wyoming Seminary; Kellen Kroski, PittstonArea; Taylor Kuhl, Wilkes-Barre Area STEM; Ben Landon, Tunkhannock; Alyssa Leicht, Crestwood; James Lewis, Hanover; Princess Love, Wilkes-Barre Area High School; Hannah Maakestad, Wyoming Seminary; Grace Martin, Lake Lehman; Adele Maynor, Scranton Prep; Brady McCann, Dallas; Emma McGowan, Scranton Prep; Anisa Mohyuddin, Wyoming Seminary; Emma Murphy, Wyoming Seminary; Joseph Nazario, Holy Redeemer; Brianna O’Kane, Wyoming Valley West; Gillian Parsons, Holy Redeemer; Jaxon Pikul, Scranton Prep; Emma Pitcavage, Dallas; Connor Pribula, Holy Redeemer; Jameson Radle, Pittston Area; Benjamin Rogish, Wyoming Area; Annaleia Rose, Greater Nanticoke; Chase Sciandra, Scranton Prep; Hannah Sell, Lake Lehman; Alexander Snyder, Holy Redeemer; Luke Tellis, Dallas; Micheal Tirado, Greater Nanticoke; Brady Tucker, Pittston Area; Miguel Valle Jr., Wilkes-Barre Area STEM; Isabelle Wasley, Holy Redeemer; and Lexi Zabroski, Crestwood.