Islanders celebrate commencement for 20 high school grads
“All You Need Is Love.”
That Beatles song embodied the message Superintendent Michael Hynes had for 20 graduating seniors at Saturday’s high school commencement ceremonies. But he asked for a little help in delivering the stirring rendition — first calling to the stage Nurse Mary Kanarvogel, then office clerk Donna Clark, Board of Education president Stephen Gessner and finally asking the entire audience to join in the song fest.
They were ready, since Dr. Hynes had attached copies of the lyrics under every seat.
At Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, Dr. Hynes called the graduation “a celebration like no other,” and said it was “very emotional.”
Several members of the Parent Teacher Student Association, on hand to receive a plaque for their contributions to the district, spoke of how visiting relatives were moved by the ceremonies and by the clear connection and obvious caring for one another that existed among students, faculty, administrators and school board members.
Dr. Hynes’ words weren’t the only advice the graduates got as both valedictorian Katy Binder and salutatorian Morgan McCarthy offered words of wisdom to their fellow graduates. “Shock the world,” Ms. Binder challenged her classmates who are about to embark on new adventures.
She offered memories of the years from kindergarten through 12th grade and offered individual thoughts to each of her peers. And there were words of thanks to the faculty: “You all did your job extremely well and then some.”
Ms. McCarthy’s message was that graduation is a turning point and an opportunity to “reinvent yourself. This period of your life may well become the biggest opportunity ever facing you.” She challenged her classmates to have the courage both to make choices and to dare to make mistakes and try again if initial choices prove wrong.
Of the 20 graduates, nine are members of the National Honor Society.
Full transcripts of Ms. Binder’s and Ms. McCarthy’s speeches appear in the “Around the Island” section of Thursday’s Reporter.
