Tuesday ceremony described as the fulfillment of a dream.
By: Sarah Winkelman
PLUMSTED Clear blue skies and sweltering heat accompanied the graduation exercises Tuesday night for the Class of 2003, the first class to graduate from New Egypt High School.
School officials crossed their fingers, hoping for a dry evening for the ceremony after weeks of rain. And they got their wish. Parents, friends and students fanned themselves with the paper program as they waited for the double row of yellow-clad girls and boys in blue to process down the track and take their seats on the football field.
Rows of flowers stood before the American flag and the podium where Principal Gerald North, Superintendent Jerry Woehr, student speakers and Board of Education President Herb Marinari wished the 82 graduates well and congratulated them on a job well done.
As the high school band played "Pomp and Circumstance," parents waved to their children, friends yelled congratulations and one mother told her son to "keep his head up."
Senior Daniel McCoy belted out a heartfelt rendition of the national anthem, his voice echoing across the field. When he was done, the stadium erupted into thunderous applause and cheering.
After welcoming the Class of 2003, parents, faculty, staff and guests, Mr. North read from a proclamation that was issued by the state Senate and General Assembly to the graduates. The resolution honored the class with a plaque that would be displayed in the school and each graduate received a copy of their own. The class was distinguished because it was the first to graduate from the school.
"This is the beginning of the fulfillment of the dreams and desires of so many people in New Egypt for their children to graduate from a high school in their home town," Mr. North said.
In his welcome speech, Mr. North said the seniors "surpassed all expectations." Mr. North said 62 percent of the class will be going on to secondary education. In addition, the class won five athletic championships and received more than $250,000 in grants and scholarships.
"You are part of a vision that was begun more than six years ago," he said to the class.
Board of Education President Herb Marinari thanked the people who helped make the dream of a high school in New Egypt a reality.
"I see the reality of our dreams here in the faces of each graduate," he said.
Mr. Marinari also thanked the parents of the students, for their continued support and for producing such a "fine group of kids."
One of the student speakers, Darcy Forlenza, questioned the meaning of success.
"I’ve come to realize that there’s one thing that each and every one of these people sitting up here tonight has in common and that is the drive to succeed," she said.
Aside from their academic successes, the Class of 2003 participated in a slew of other activities, among them Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society benefit event. They also collected toys for underprivileged children and participated in the March of Dimes.
She equated the Class of 2003 to a "Survivor: New Egypt," similar to the popular television programs where contestants are placed in a desolate area and are forced to fend for themselves.
"Less than 100 students, released into the wilds of an unfinished building where the occasional mouse would find itself stuck in the copy machine," she quipped.
As the Class of 2003 moved from being freshmen, alone in the new building, to being sophomores with a class of freshmen under them, they had to take on leadership roles, one of which was showing the new students the ropes, despite being left to fend for themselves.
"There were no upperclassmen to hold our hands, no outlines to follow, no way of knowing what to expect of the future," she said, as her voice caught in her throat.
Dr. Woehr, obviously excited for the Class of 2003, said the high school was a dream when he began working for the district in 1985.
"Thanks to the efforts of countless people, some of whom are here tonight, those dreams were realized," he said. "In 1999, when you entered the school as freshmen, you were willing to be leaders and pioneers, to set the standard and form the traditions for other classes to follow. Your involvement has been wonderful and I thank you for being part of this historic occasion."
Dr. Woehr quoted Abraham Lincoln, George Bernard Shaw and Gandhi, telling the graduates to take all life had to offer and choose to make the world a better place.
"People are as happy as they make up their minds to be," he quoted from President Lincoln. "Go out in the world and make us proud."
Science teacher Jackie Garvey won the Teacher of the Year award for her strong communication and leadership skills. She also was the advisor for the National Honors Society, taught the first AP Biology class and started two science clubs at the high school.
"In the book, ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ there are mice and little people, a maze and the elusive cheese," she quipped. "The cheese is a metaphor for what we really want in life. Our cheese is constantly in flux. Tonight, the graduates have achieved one tasty piece of cheese and now they have moved on in search of a new cheese."
She gave the graduates a simple piece of advice: "Don’t let fear keep you from finding your cheese."