WARWICK, RI (June 2, 2025)- Mark DeCiccio ’03, Principal, Natalie Kessiman, Assistant Principal, and Christopher Sheehan ’09, Assistant Principal, are proud to announce Joseph Nicchia ’25 as the Class of 2025’s Valedictorian and Inesh Rai ’25 as Salutatorian. Both students will offer remarks at the 64th Graduation Exercises on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 5pm in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.
Valedictorian– Joseph Nicchia
Joseph Nicchia will be attending Brown University in the fall. As a dedicated scholar, Nicchia will be graduating with a 4.0 GPA. During his time at Bishop Hendricken, Nicchia has excelled academically, and grown into a compassionate leader and dedicated member of his community.
Joseph Nicchia has served as a peer minister, empowering students to serve as spiritual leaders, and participated in the Leadership Academy, where he helped organize events, initiate community service projects, and mentor his peers.
Outside of school, Nicchia worked as an Operation Room Observer at South County Hospital, where he shadowed surgical teams and developed a deeper understanding of medical professions. He also gained customer service experience by working at SWN Food Service, where he served as a brand ambassador and ensured customer satisfaction.
Nicchia was an active member of Bishop Hendricken’s athletic and extracurricular programs. He competed on the Varsity Tennis Team, Unified Volleyball Team, and in Indoor Track. He was elected team captain during his time playing for the East Greenwich Little League.
His involvement extended to clubs and organizations, serving as Vice President of the Italian Club, and a member of the Ambassadors Club, French Club, Stock Market Club, and DECA. Throughout his four years, Nicchia dedicated himself to service, completing over 275 hours of community service.
His achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including the Yale Book Award recipient, Bishop Thomas F. Hendricken Book Award recipient, RI Sons of Italy Book Award recipient, the James T. Praski, Jr. ’04 Memorial Scholarship recipient, first place in the Culture Fair, and third place in the University of Rhode Island’s annual high school Chemistry Contest.
Nicchia has also been inducted into several prestigious honor societies, including the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Italian Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society.
Salutatorian– Inesh Rai
Inesh Rai will be attending the University of Virginia on a full scholarship as a recipient of both the Rodman Scholarship and the prestigious Jefferson Scholarship. Rai will be graduating with a 4.0 GPA, demonstrating consistent academic excellence along with a variety of leadership roles and involvement.
At Bishop Hendricken, Rai has had a profound impact on the school community with his involvement. He served as President of Bishop Hendricken’s DECA chapter and Vice President of Rhode Island DECA. He was also a member of the Bishop Hendricken Leadership Academy, Captain of the Math Team, SAT/ACT tutor, Co-founder of the Spanish Club, Co-founder of the Stock Market Club, and Captain of the Varsity Tennis Team.
Beyond Hendricken, Rai pursued a variety of impressive opportunities. His experiences include working as an Engineering Intern at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, a Business Development Intern at SURV, a HARI student teacher, a student researcher at Clemson University’s GRAIL Lab, and a team member with AIR STRIKE 79 at Aquidneck Island Robotics.
His achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including FIRST Robotics Competition World Championship Division Winner, U.S. Presidential Scholars Semifinalist, Harvard Book Award recipient, Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist, two-time National Spanish Exam Gold Medalist, two-time DECA International Finalist, and two-time DECA State Champion.
Rai has also been inducted into several prestigious honor societies, including the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society.
As Valedictorian and Salutatorian of the Bishop Hendricken Class of 2025, Joseph Nicchia and Inesh Rai exemplify the values of commitment to excellence, leadership, and service that define Bishop Hendricken’s mission. Their achievements reflect years of hard work, dedication, commitment to making a positive impact. Bishop Hendricken is incredibly proud of them and looks forward to seeing them thrive in their next journey.
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CONTACT: Gianna Lanni
Director of Communications and Marketing
401.889.5422 ext 163
glanni@hendricken.com