By Amy Batista, Special Writer
TRENTON — A sea of blue and white graduation caps went flying through the air to conclude the 100th Hightstown High School graduation ceremony on June 18.
More than 350 seniors became alumni during the centennial event, which was held at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton.
Hightstown Principal Dennis Vinson Jr. spoke about what the world was like 100 years ago before giving the graduates advice.
Woodrow Wilson became the first president to attend a World Series game. The first stop sign appeared in Detroit. Women did not yet have the right to vote. The average salary was $687 and the average cost of a home was $3,000, according to Mr. Vinson.
He then took a few minutes to address the Class of 2015 like a principal in 2115 might speak to a graduating class.
“I hope the principal takes a moment and says continue to make connections in your life,“ Mr. Vinson said. “I hope that principal says go out and develop relationships that are healthy and make your world a better place.”
He told his students that they have made an impact on his life.
“You’re tremendously talented young individuals,” he said.
His advice for them — use their powers for good and not evil.
“I leave you with this final thought,” Mr. Vinson said. “You will always be a Ram. You will always have a home. I encourage you to come back and share with all of us your adventures, your successes, and if ever needed your failures. We will always pick you up.”
Proud family members and friends from near and far were in attendance to see their loved ones walk across the stage to receive diplomas.
Brandon Thomas Bullock who will be entering the United States Army and Eric Diamonte who will be entering the United States Marine Corps presented the Colors.
Class President Adam Sherif told his fellow classmates that life is all about the lessons. He said in a lot of ways Hightstown High School has become home.
“We have developed friendships and relationships with each other that only grew stronger in the last four years,” he said.
The experiences that they created are just as important as the people that they created them with, he said. It took a joint effort to become a Ram, he said, with “cooperation, dedication, patience and most importantly forgiveness on our level.“
“We’ve had a phenomenal year not because of any one person but because we all worked together,” he said.
Vice President Kaitlyn Rose Ely continued the annual tradition of presenting the class gift.
“Each year the graduating class gives a gift to the Hightstown High School in its memory,” she said. “This year we will be giving an electric sign board, which we hope represents the school spirit our class had and to continue that spirit for years to come.”
Salutatorian Siddharth Challani said in the last four years “Hightstown has been changing tremendously and undoubtedly for the better.”
“We keep setting our standards higher and higher and we keep on achieving them,” he said.
One of his favorite things about Hightstown High School is that students keep chasing after their dreams and making them realities, he said.
“On behalf of the class of 2015, I would like to thank all of our teachers, friends and families for their inspiration and unwavering support over the past few years,” he said.
He thanked Mr. Vinson for his “energy and enthusiasm.”
Most of all, he said, he wanted to thank the Class of 2015.
“You’ve truly made the last four years an unforgettable experience,” he said. “I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I hope that all of you had just as much fun over the past few years as I did.”
His last request: “Cherish the memories that you’ve made and the lessons you have learned because now the training wheels are off. There will be times that you seem like you are falling into nothingness but if you remind yourself where you come from and what you already achieved you will find the strength to keep on going.”
Valedictorian April Rose Nicklaus said the class cannot and should not be spoken to or spoken for by one voice.
“In that spirit, many students have contributed to this speech,” she said.
She shared some insights and lessons learned.
“It is about learning” she said, adding that people should take every available opportunity they have to know just a little bit more.
Life is not just doing the work and taking exams, she said.
“There are so many other experiences and so much other knowledge outside of that to make you better, happier and a more successful being,” she said.
The key to success, she said, is to take enjoyable classes and seek out intriguing things.
“Don‘t hesitate to pursue learning for the sake of your own soul,” she said. “You will only truly benefit if you are motivated by the right things.”
What matters is knowledge, she said, and “the ideas that change who you are.”
