Huntington’s Class of 2008 Graduates
Under a warm early evening sky filled with sunshine, Huntington High School’s Class of 2008 shined. The school’s 147th commencement exercises drew a standing room only crowd of more than 2,500 last Friday at Blue Devil Stadium as student and faculty speakers heaped high praise on a group that has gained admission to most of the top colleges in the country, along with millions of dollars in scholarships.
The 65-minute event marked the end of a long journey for what many consider to be an exceptionally distinguished class. Wearing traditional blue and white robes, the students marched to their seats to a standing ovation as parents and family members cried while snapping thousands of photos and waving to loved ones.
Valedictorian Madeleine Jensen, who is headed to Columbia University, left her classmates with some “food for thought” during her address. “Class of 2008, each day is a new chance to try things that interest you, speak to people who motivate you, and create experiences that you will look back on with joy,” she said. “In life, it is the people that you meet and the adventures you share that matter, not the accolades and wealth. Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way – seek them out.”
Salutatorian Shannon Lee Connors, who will attend Yale University in the fall, told fellow graduates the time had come to “move forward, expanding not only our experiences, but also our perspectives. There is untold potential within this group of people and I have no doubt that there is much success in our collective future. At the same time, it is imperative that the desire for success in the eyes of others does not hinder the paths we take. The fear of failure can be debilitating, causing stagnation and missed opportunities.”
Threatening afternoon weather gave way to blue sky and early evening sunshine. Seniors marched several hundred yards to their seats from the high school gym where the group assembled. An orchestra comprised of underclassmen played traditional selections, including time-honored “Pomp and Circumstance No. 1” by composer Edgar Elgar.
“Our country has much to offer,” Superintendent John J. Finello told the graduates. “Cherish the ideals we have inherited as its citizens. We enjoy the constitutional freedoms that make us the envy of the world. Value them. Defend them. Respect and honor them. They will keep open the doors of opportunity to all. Work to remove the racial, cultural and religious barriers and prejudices that divide. Affirm what is best in us; we are all Americans, one people pledging allegiance to the same flag.”
The huge crowd jammed into the expansive bleachers and spilled out of each side where people stood several deep along a retaining fence. Dozens of faculty members participated in the ceremony along with all seven School Board members and the district administrative team.
“As you look at the list of colleges these young men and young women will be attending in the fall, it’s very impressive,” School Board President Richard McGrath told the crowd. The graduates have been accepted into Yale, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Fordham, Virginia, William and Mary, Boston College, Boston University, George Washington, North Carolina, Maryland and dozens of other top schools.
Principal Carmela Leonardi said the graduates had been offered more than $8.5 million in scholarships, up by $1.4 million from 2007. In all, 92 percent of the graduates are headed to college in the fall. Academically, 81 of the seniors took AP exams, 40 took three exams or more and three took six AP tests, for a collective total of 210 AP exams. The school processed 1,368 college applications, up by 118 from a year earlier.
“Ability plus effort will yield great results every time,” Dr. Leonardi told the graduates. “Was it worth it? Congratulations to every member of the graduating class and their families, may you continue to experience great success in your future endeavors. Work hard because you already know that it is really worth the trouble.”
Senior class President Kaari Casey, who is headed to Penn State University, offered touching remarks to her classmates. “Together we have achieved so much and exceeded so many expectations,” she said. “From talented artists and musicians to amazing athletes to brilliant young intellectuals, it is all of you that have made the Class of 2008 a success. We are leaving the school that we have loved and hated all at the same time, that has made us laugh and cry, yet all the while it has prepared us for the future. If the past four years are any indicator, I know that this class will be successful in all of our endeavors.”
Most of all it was a day for positive thoughts about the past, present and future. Graduates were told to go out and change the world. “Never for a second doubt your ability to instigate and inspire change,” Ms. Jensen said in her valedictory address. “Never doubt the impact you can have.”
The graduates tossed their caps into the air at the conclusion of the ceremony before filing out to an adjoining field where they offered each other hearty congratulations and posed for photos with family and friends in the shadow of the school they can always call home.
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