NUTLEYJOURNAL
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Supporting our teachers
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Med school graduation
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Salute to graduates
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JULY 2021
VOL. 36 NO. 23
Nutley High confers diplomas on the resilient Class of 2021
By Yael Katzwer Editor The smiles were infectious as the Class of 2021 graduated from Nutley High School in the Oval on June 24. The nearly 300 students — along with their teachers, friends and families — were thrilled to be together in person again, approximately 15 months after the pandemic separated them. The past year has been difficult for the students, but they rose to the challenge and excelled — thanks in part to the dedication of their teachers. “I would like to give a special shoutout to all the teachers and staff of Nutley High School for always pushing my classmates and me to be the best we could be,” Senior Class President Isabella Rovito said during the ceremony, before prompting her peers to applaud their hardworking teachers. “Without all of you, we definitely would not be sitting in these chairs today.” Rovito also spoke glowingly of her classmates and their long-standing friendships. “Most of us have been friends since kindergarten, if not preschool, so this is more than just a promotion into the next part of our lives,” Rovito said. “It is a very bittersweet feeling to be standing among people who have always been there. Today we graduate from Nutley High School and from each other. Over the years we have helped and watched each other grow, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.” Nevertheless, despite the struggles of the past year, Rovito said her class “made out like bandits,” cementing beautiful memories and achieving astounding accomplishments. For instance, for the first time in NHS history, there are two salutatorians, showing the Class of 2021’s high level of academic dedication. Co-salutatorian and Class Vice President Anish Kumar said he was “genuinely
Photo Courtesy of Nutley Public Schools
proud” of his classmates for their many accomplishments and for reaching graduation during such turbulent times. He too gave a lot of credit to the NHS staff. “Honestly, during the pandemic, I didn’t even realize that I was learning virtually because of the constant help I received from teachers, counselors and school staff,” Kumar said. “Because of you, we have made it this far, and your help will always be appreciated.” Kumar followed this with some words of advice and hope. “My speech today revolves around two main ideas. The first idea is that you will be just fine. Ever since I was a child, this idea of ‘you will be just fine’ was my mantra, and it got me through practically anything,” Kumar said, explaining that this mantra can help one reach seemingly unattainable goals. “The second idea I want to share is the importance of being
focused and having a sense of purpose and belonging. A famous story that I love is when John F. Kennedy went to the NASA space center and saw a man carrying a broom. John F. Kennedy walked over and asked what he was doing. The janitor replied, ‘Mr. President, I am helping put a man on the moon.’” Co-salutatorian Erin Laney also shared a mantra with her fellow graduates. Her piece of wisdom came from her grandfather, who emigrated from Ireland, served in the American army during the Korean War and had eight children. “He lived an amazing life but was no stranger to hardship and struggle. There was one phrase he repeated frequently, even during the last years of his life. ‘It’s good to be us,’ he would say, always with a big smile on his face,” Laney said. “This is a quote my whole family finds comforting. See DESPITE, Page 6