FLUSHING — St. Mel’s Catholic Academy’s graduation celebration was more than a send-off for 11 eighth graders — it was a milestone six years in the making, marking not only the students’ next step to high school but also a major step in the school’s comeback story. 

“It’s a rebirth of the school,” said Principal Lauren Giacalone, reflecting on what the moment means for the school community, “and kind of coming full circle from where the school was to where it’s going.” 

The June 17 celebration at Citi Field capped a comeback that began in 2020, when St. Mel’s was slated to close before then-principal Amy Barron and Father Joseph Fonti, the pastor of St. Mel, helped transform the school into an early education center, with St. Mel’s adding one grade level each year on its path back toward K-through-8 status. 

Graduate Marissa Neccio said she looks forward to starting her freshman year at St. Francis Preparatory High School and called her graduation a “bittersweet” moment. 

“I’ve been there my whole life, and I’ve grown up with these kids,” Marissa said. “So it was nice to see them and how they grew and changed as people.” 

The evening began with a Mass celebrated by Father Fonti and concelebrated by Father Alban Baker, a visiting priest from Charles Town, West Virginia, followed by games, tours of the baseball field, and a pitch from Father Fonti. 

Steven Somers, who has chaired the school’s board for 16 months and is a graduate himself, credits St. Mel’s for his career and pledged that the community “will never, ever fail.” 

“I graduated 52 years ago, and I want the school to be around for another 52 years and beyond, and hopefully my part in it will make that happen,” Somers said in announcing a surprise million-dollar donation to the school from his foundation. 

He also noted that class sizes have grown as the school regained its footing, with this year’s scholarship totals reflecting the staff’s work. 

“That success ratio — I’m so proud of that,” he said. “Proud of my teachers, proud of Lauren.” 

Eleven students, one of whom is headed to the prestigious Regis High School on the Upper East Side, make up this year’s graduating class that has collectively earned nearly $200,000 in scholarships. Other graduates are headed to St. Francis Prep and Holy Cross, with several on full academic scholarships. 

“We are back in the game better than ever,” Giacalone said. “And we’re just really excited for what’s to come.” 

Looking back, Father Fonti said he takes pride in the way the St. Mel’s community stayed connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, including through a weekly livestream that reached more people than he expected.  

“I think we kept the school going. We just never closed,” he said. “I’m very proud of that, as I think any Catholic school should be.” 

He also added that this year’s graduation carried spiritual weight beyond the milestone itself. 

“It was worthy of giving God the praise,” he said. “I felt like we’re in the stadium of life, and we’ve seen the highs and the lows, the successes and the failures. 

“It’s a moment in which we can really just come together and celebrate.”