Bordentown Regional High School held graduation June 19
By: Eve Collins
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP "Graduation is the high point of the academic life of a high school student," said Bordentown Regional High School Principal Fred D’Antoni at last week’s graduation ceremony. "It is the first of many dividends students will receive for their efforts and hard work."
Graduates, parents, teachers, and friends gathered June 19 to celebrate the Class of 2003 at Bordentown Regional High School’s 39th annual commencement exercises.
The high school’s auditorium was packed to capacity because school officials determined that rain-soaked Gilder Park Stadium was not sufficient for the ceremony. The audience made the best of the hot and crowded school to celebrate the 163 graduates.
Valedictorian Laura Gibbons had compliments as well as advice for her classmates.
"The light I see all around me is not from the waning sun or the soon-to-be rising moon," she said. "I feel it shining out of the eyes of each graduate here tonight. The brilliance is magnified tenfold by all the different emotions and the different colors emanating from my classmates. I see the spectrum of emotions mixing together to form a rainbow. Keep that light shining where ever you go," she said.
"Nobody has the same high school experience," said Salutatorian Anne Chidley, who explained that every student in her class walked through the doors of Bordentown Regional High School with many different expectations.
"Some students were intimidated by the work load that was required of us. Others viewed high school as just one more step to college or a career," she said. "Over the last four years, we have done our share of hard work and even have surpassed those expectations."
Superintendent John Polomano took everyone back to 1985, the year most of the graduates were born, in order to look into their futures.
"If you want to know how much change will be in the future, all you need to do is look back and see how much has changed in the past."
In the mid-1980s, he said, no one had a home computer, most people could not afford a compact disc player, and DVDs were unheard of. It was a simpler time, Mr. Polomano said.
"We hope the graduates have gained the skills here that will permit them to adapt to the many changes that will face them in the future," Mr. Polomano said.
The following is a list of the Class of 2003 graduates. An asterisk denotes membership in the National Honor Society:
Ashton Shane Ali, Marianne Allegretti, Jason Francis Alm, Kelvin Sherod Barnett, Sherri Lynn Barrett, Tahira Nicole Barrett, Heather Nicole Beck, Tiffany Lynn Bice*, Tara Corinne Biddulph, Jamie Lynn Blakslee, Bianca M. Boyles, Pamela Catherine Braddock*, Bryan Michael Bramley, Carl Seth Braverman, Justin Carl Brenner, Portia Latrece Brown, Ashley J. Buchalla, Robert Ryan Burns, Nicholas A. Bussiere, Mandeep Kaur Butter, Christina Marie Cacace, Jonathan Robert Carty, Stefanie Lynn Casey, Anne Ruth Chidley*, Dannielle Joanne Chorba, Courtney Alanna Clemens, Natasha Shnee Coleman, Zene G. Coley Jr., Nikki Amanda Compagnucci, Brendon Scott Connelly, Brian James Culliton.
Adrian Bascara Datu*, Jonathan A. Dean, Lauren Marie Della Fave*, Jerry R. Dickson, Steven James DiLemme*, Amanda Marie Dolina*, Shannon Elizabeth Eleuteri, Hanna Renee Ermi, Osvaldo Eusebio, Daniel Shawn Fillinger, Ryan Patrick Fisher, Rebecca Lee Franks*, Wesley Philip Sprague-Fraser, Andrew Lawrence Furtick, Richard Thomas Gabriel III, Laura Kathleen Gibbons*, Michael Justin Gibson, Lisa Irmina Gilardi*, Jeremy William Gilbert, April Dagoy Gonzales, Michele Eileen Ruth Gore*, Garrick B. Green, Bonnie Renee Greene, Brittney Rose Greene, Kerri Nicole Greer, Nicole Veronique Gutterson.
Shawn Andrew Hall, David Christopher Hamm, Victoria Lynn Hartmann, Kenneth Brian Harvey, Gregory Matthew Havens, Matthew R. Hawes, Shane Richard Heisler, Robert Frank Higgins III, Rickey J. Hill, Megan Elizabeth Hornby, Megan Horvath, Timothy William Hostetler, Michael Edward Houseworth, Annamarie Margaret Howarth, Jay Joseph Howe, Ashlee Lain Hutchins, Vincent Michael Illuminate, Russell J. Ingenbrandt Jr.
Stephen Robert Jaczko, Jessica L. Jameson, Heather Patricia Jantz, Robert C. Jemison, Candace Mercedes Jenkins, Casey David Jones, Christopher Jones, Christopher William Jungman, James Michael Jungman, Mark Brandon Keane, Katherine Eileen Kelly, David Joseph Kline, Joseph P. Kwelty, Kelly Kristine LaCour, Courney Alise LaRocca, Lei Lin, Vanessa Marie Lopez, Kristin Lee Macaluso, Kimberly Ann Mains, Robyn Lauren Mains, John Michael Malloy, Molly Ann Malloy, Michael Charles Malone*, DeYanne Kristena Mapp, Amanda Fay Mathias, Melissa Ann McClarnon, Haneefah M. McCrary, Kelly Leigh McGee, Christopher James McMillin, Christina Lorraine Melton*, Matthew Martin Mezger, Christina Marie Miccio, Laureen Nichole Mikos, Michael Orlando Millan, Richard Joseph William Moore, Shannon Christine Moore, Jeffrey Scott Morton, Crystal Marie Mulero, Bryan Patrick Mulford.
Caitlin Delaney Nabinger*, Sahwanda Danielle Nelson, Emmanuel Chike Omeni, Jalpa Patel*, Kevin Christopher Proter, Eric Louis Pullen, Michael Jay Rambo, Alan Michael Rathbun, Rebecca Lynn Raymond*, Molly Elizabeth Robinson, Jillian Dae Rochford, Michael John Rodenbaugh, David Lee Rodriguez, Leah Emily Rosen*, Jamie Sabo, Jason Daniel Schmidt, Ciro Scotto D’Antuono, Sara Lynn Semonik, Nicole Marie Sgro, Elizabeth Renee Lentoski-Shaw, Nick Ryan Simpson, Robert Brandon Sims-Davis III, Jamie Lynn Slaper, Heather Lynn Smith, Amy Elizabeth Sofin, Mandi Steffen*, Jill Alicia Steinruck, Jacquelyn Yvette Storms, Steven James Taylor, Kelly Marie Toussaint, Jessica Leigh Trout, Jerilyn Renee Tykarski, Dena Marie Umberger*.
Megan Lynn Van Hise, Robert William Vaughn, Blair Morgan Walker*, John Winfield Wannamaker, Michael Paul Wannamaker, Steven B. Weinhofer, Jenelle Lynn Welch, Carrie Ellen Wright, Julianne Wurtz*, Sae Lin Yi, Rebecca Kataryna Zahirnyj, Brian Michael Zuzulock.