CHS grad talks at June 20 commencement
On June 20, Melissa Mapp, a member of the HoVal Class of 200, made the following remarks during her address to her fellow students at commencement:
“Graduating from high school is a start in a new direction. It’s a new journey that brings us all closer to that final life destination.
“As I thought of what to say today an image of the movie, ‘Phenomenon’ came to mind. There is a scene in the movie where George O’Malley played by John Travolta is dying of cancer and shares an apple with a close friend during his last days. George takes a bite of the apple and tells his friend to also take a bite. He says to his friend, ‘Wherever you go, I go, because the apple is now a part of both of us.’
“Hopewell Valley Central High School is our apple. It is the bond that holds us together for the rest of our lives. No matter where we go in life, even if we never see each other again, we have all taken a bite of the same apple. I find comfort as I think back to the years that we have spent together and the memories that we all share. As we have gotten closer to this day I have been replaying those memories in my head over and over again. I thought about freshman orientation, state competitions, class fund-raisers, school dances, the school play, Mr. Hoval, but most importantly the people that I have shared my life with for the past four years. I thought about the faces, the smiles and the hugs that will forever hold us together. We have all embraced the same piece of life here at Hopewell, and we will all carry it with us from this day forth.
“All of us in this class are headed in different directions. We have all finished a phase that will affect the rest of our lives. We will leave here today graduates of Hopewell and will wake up tomorrow with a new journey to begin. None of us exactly know where we are headed. The future is full of so many unknown opportunities. The fact that exactly what happens tomorrow is uncertain and that many of us are leaving the all-knowing safety and comfort of Hopewell behind us can be scary.
“What comforts me in facing the future is thinking back to the experiences, the people, the teachers and the opportunities that have allowed us to be here today. With this in mind, I know, that the future is nothing to fear; there is nothing that the Class of 2000 cannot handle.
“As I look out at this audience of graduates, I am honored to share this moment in my life with every single person here today. I am among a people who all have a bright future. We all need to remember the goals and aspirations that have gotten us here today. We need to hold fast to the fight for success that burns within us. I hope and pray that the dreams that we all have at this very moment never die. We are all here today, side by side, equipped with the strength, the courage and the knowledge to be successful, I wish you all the best of luck in life and I am thankful to have shared these years with you all. I would like to thank all of the teachers that have been here with us during these years, you have all been an inspiration. I would also like to thank my friends and family. The support, love and guidance that I have received from you is endless and I know that it is the foundation that I stand on today.”