BELFAST — Jenna Hill is the Class of 2025 valedictorian at Belfast Central School while Sophie Zillgitt is salutatorian.
Hill, who will graduate with a cumulative GPA of 101.08, is the daughter of Brian and Adrienne Hill. Throughout high school she has been an exceptional student athlete, playing soccer and softball and named an Allegany County All-Star for two years in both sports, as well as being a member of the basketball team.
She has also played on travel softball teams every summer since seventh grade and has been a U8 soccer coach for the Belfast Summer Soccer League for two years.
This school year, Hill attended the prestigious New Vision-Health Professions program through CA BOCES. She has been a member of the Junior and Senior National Honor Society throughout high school, for which she has volunteered her time with various events and projects. Hill has been employed as a child care provider and as a summer recreation counselor during the summer of 2024.
Hill plans to attend the nursing program at Alfred State College before continuing her education toward her eventual goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.
Zillgitt, the daughter of Steve DeMarte and Maike Zillgitt, has earned a GPA of 98.5. She has played varsity soccer, earning a sportsmanship award in 2024, and basketball, earning a sportsmanship award in 2024 and named an Allegany County All-Star in 2025. She also runs track, having been named MIP in 2022 and 2023, MVP in 2024, and also named a County All-Star in ninth through 11th grades. She also won the Devin Snyder Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Athlete in 2024.
Zillgitt has coached U8 soccer for the Belfast Youth Summer Soccer program and has volunteered her time at St. Patrick’s Church, where she is a member.
She plans to attend SUNY Oneonta for graphic design while continuing to compete in track.
