Long after they have left Emmaus High School, Jessi Hahn, Matt Grim and Diyah Shah will remain part of the community they helped serve.

On July 5, the three recent graduates of the Class of 2026 were honored with commemorative bricks at the Emmaus Remembrance Garden, recognizing their leadership, volunteerism and dedication to Emmaus. Family members, friends, educators and community leaders gathered at the Knauss Homestead to celebrate the students and the impact they have already made.

Hosted by the Emmaus Commemorative Gardens Foundation, the ceremonies were led by board member Mike Waddell and president Teri Sorg-McManamon. Volunteer Mike McManamon set each brick in place as supporters gathered to hear the stories behind the garden’s newest additions.

Established in 2004 on land donated by the Knauss family, the Remembrance Garden contains more than 1,000 engraved bricks honoring veterans, community leaders, volunteers, organizations, families and friends. Waddell explained that each brick tells its own story, but together they create a lasting tribute to the spirit of service that has long defined Emmaus.

One of the garden’s most prominent features is its veterans walkway, where more than 350 bricks recognize Emmaus residents who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Other sections honor community heroes, Eagle Scouts, service clubs, pets and local organizations.

Waddell and Sorg-McManamon noted that this is only the second year Emmaus High School students have been recognized in the garden. Amanda King, Class of 2025, was the first student to receive a brick for her service through the Interact Club.

The initiative reflects the foundation’s desire to recognize young people whose dedication strengthens the community.

“It is important to develop service learning to maintain the supportive community that Emmaus offers,” Sorg-McManamon said.

The first graduate recognized during the afternoon ceremonies was Jessi Hahn, daughter of Herman and Heidi Hahn. Hahn earned her place in the garden through her contributions to journalism and student leadership.

As editor-in-chief of The Stinger, Emmaus High School’s student newspaper, Hahn dedicated four years to reporting, editing and designing the publication. Her work earned multiple honors for writing and layout design. She also participated in the varsity dance team, Kid to Kid Club, National Honor Society and Hornet Ambassadors.

Reflecting on the countless hours spent working behind the scenes, Hahn said her brick tells the story “of thousands of texts at all hours of the night to do editing and layouts.”

“This brick has my name on it, but it represents something bigger than me,” she said. “It represents all of us in the newsroom who work together to feature the people who do not always get to be heard.”

The Stinger co-advisers Shelby Ramirez and Matt Shaw attended the ceremony in support of their former editor.

East Penn Press Publisher Emeritus Fred Masenheimer attended as the benefactor for Hahn’s brick and spoke about passing the torch to the next generation of editors. Masenheimer also reflected on the memorial stone honoring Richard F. Gaal, a World War II veteran and longtime East Penn Press photographer whose decades of service documenting the community remain part of the garden’s story.

The second graduate honored was Matt Grim, president of the Emmaus High School Leo Club for the past two years and the Lions Club’s Distinguished Lion of the Year for 2026.

Grim’s service included preparing baskets for children’s hospitals, supporting youth programs, organizing book donations, helping with a kickball league and assisting with Lions Club fundraisers, including the club’s popular clam chowder sales.

“I’ve enjoyed making a difference for people in need,” Grim said.

Lions Club President David Hay praised Grim’s commitment and leadership.

“He did everything you asked him to do,” Hay said. “He is a true leader.”

Grim is the son of Dustin and Andrea Grim, owners of Schantz Funeral Home. He plans to attend Northampton Community College and eventually join the family business.

The final graduate recognized was Diyah Shah, president of Emmaus High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter.

During her three years in FBLA, Shah helped transform the organization from a club of nine students into one with more than 60 members. She spearheaded fundraising efforts, expanded opportunities for students and helped prepare members for competitions.

“FBLA is not just for business people,” Shah said. “We help with networking skills and public speaking.”

She highlighted partnerships that brought financial literacy programming and additional support to students. Shah noted that New Tripoli Bank recently provided a financial literacy presentation and contributed funding to help students participate in competition.

Shah, the daughter of Bharat and Mamta Shah, will attend the University of Pittsburgh this fall to study mechanical engineering.

Her mother, Mamta Shah, was visiting the garden for the first time and said it offered more than a place to honor her daughter.

She said the garden preserves “the stories of all these individuals from Emmaus” and expects it will become a regular stop for family and friends.

While the afternoon focused primarily on the newest student honorees, another recognition highlighted the Remembrance Garden’s ongoing mission to honor service across generations.

Family members surprised Wayne C. Zellner with a commemorative brick in the veterans section of the garden. Zellner, 83, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965 and served as a radio operator in Vietnam. He was 26 years old and married at the time and said he did not think he could still be drafted, but he was called to serve.

The veterans bricks had originally been installed during a Memorial Day event. However, rainy weather forced that ceremony indoors to the basement of the Knauss Homestead. Because Zellner uses a wheelchair, his family felt attending would have been difficult.

They waited until Sunday’s outdoor ceremony to surprise him with his brick.

The weather posed a different challenge. Temperatures and humidity remained high throughout the afternoon. When asked how he felt about the surprise recognition arranged by his family, Zellner’s response drew laughter from those gathered around him.

“Hot,” he said.

As they welcomed the graduates into the Remembrance Garden family, Waddell and Sorg-McManamon emphasized that community service begins long before adulthood.

“Service starts as young adults,” Sorg-McManamon said.

She added that families who volunteer together help instill a lifelong commitment to service, encouraging young people to continue helping their communities as adults.

For Hahn, Grim and Shah, their names now join more than 1,000 others etched into the walkways of the Remembrance Garden. Alongside veterans such as Zellner and countless other residents whose stories have been preserved there, their bricks serve as a reminder that Emmaus is strengthened by generations of people committed to serving others.