St. Rose High School, Belmar

Graduates: 105 Baccalaureate Mass: May 27, 2021 MAAC at St. Rose High School, Belmar Commencement: June 1, 2021 OceanFirst Bank Center at Monmouth University, West Long Branch Scholarships Received: $24.6 million

Valedictorian: Abigail Antognoli

Salutatorian: Susanna Testa

BY LOIS ROGERS  Correspondent

The St. Rose Class of 2021 marked the milestone of graduation with prayer, gratitude and a keen sense that their four years in the Belmar school have sign of the graduation rite of passage. Rich Hundley photos prepared them well for the transition from high school to adulthood.

That was the sentiment expressed by salutatorian Susanna Testa in her address to the St. Rose community just after the Baccalaureate Mass May 27 celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. “Four years went by in the blink of an eye,” she said, but “never let us forget our roots and the values we have learned here.”

Testa, who will enter Seton Hall University, South Orange, in the fall to study biology, said that among those values is the ability to take the initiative, which is always encouraged at St. Rose. It was especially vital, she said, during last spring when virtual instruction became necessary because of the coronavirus.

“It was difficult adjusting during this period,” she said. “You really had to go out of your comfort zone. It was a learning experience. I’m very grateful to everyone for helping. I will always stay part of the community.”

That sense of community was echoed by many during the Commencement ceremony June 1 on the Long Branch campus of Monmouth ___________________  __________________ “That extra step. That one half of an inch. That is what we all need to remember as we enter a new journey in our lives. It’s the little things that matter. I once heard a quote that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just a little ‘extra.’” Abigail Antognoli, Valedictorian University and the days following it. Graduate David Oliver reflected, “It was a welcoming, great community. I could talk to anyone in my grade. It was a very difficult year, but it brought us together more.” Words cannot adequately describe the ___________________  __________________ St. Rose graduates prepare to move their tassels left, a Sam Jarmer, who sustained substantial injuries after an ocean dive in 2019, proudly displays his Yazmin Llore award for perseverance. Continued on 46