By D ouglas D. M elegari
Staff Writer
EVESHAM—The “mountains are waiting,” declared local rock climber and Cherokee High School Salutatorian Anton Smolyanyy in a June 16 commencement speech, advising his fellow graduates that “as you walk across the stage tonight to accept your diploma, look upwards toward your next mountain and be inspired by the climb that awaits you.”
“Take risks and don’t live your life wondering what the climb could have been,” Smolyanyy further advised his classmates. “We have all accomplished big things, and now we must dream to accomplish even bigger ones.”
Smolyanyy, who described in his commencement address having spent a lot of time as a rock climber hanging out at the “granite mountain faces of California” and “the orange sandstone of Utah,” and asked attendees to picture him as a “jacked Tom Cruise” from Mission: Impossible 2 “hanging off the edge of a cliff with one arm,” emphasized that “in many ways our high school experience, as a class, can be related to the process of scaling a towering mountain.”
“Four years ago, we arrived at the base of the formidable mountain of high school,” the salutatorian declared. “The dangerous and rocky slope ascended high into the air, toward graduation, with the daunting peak covered in snow and ice. Looking up this mountain, which seems like an eternity ago, this peak seemed unattainable, seemed distant and there
was no obvious path that presented itself amid the unknown terrain. Yet, before we knew it, months and years flew by – day by day, week by week, late night after late night with cramming sessions.
“We conquered this mountain, through a lot of studying and lucky guesses on our tests.”
As Smolyanyy looked out over the hundreds of fellow graduates wearing their caps and gowns, seated on the athletic field of William H. Foltz Stadium in Evesham Township, he further declared, “We stand on the highest peak of our lives so far, from where a breathtaking view opens up all around us.”
“We can clearly see the breathtaking journey that brought us here, as it seamlessly unfolds into a future ablaze with boundless possibilities,” Smolyanyy said. “And yet the next mountain is on the horizon. It turns out the top of each mountain we climb is only the bottom of the next one. As we celebrate the summit today, we also get to celebrate that we get to climb even higher. This is only the beginning.”
The salutatorian encouraged the Class of 2023 “not to chase the peaks or summits,” but to “learn to love the challenge itself – the fight it takes to get to the top,” as well as to “learn to love weathering the unexpected storms and obstacles that life throws at you every single day.”
“Be driven by the vision of your own summit,” he advised. “Yet be shaped by the journey you take to get there.”
Getting help along the way is something that Smolyanyy discouraged the graduates
to not shy away from, comparing “support,” which he contended is “necessary along the way,” to “the rope that catches you when you fall,” adding, “find the people you trust to catch you and support you, because falling is a natural and inevitable part of climbing.”
“The simple truth is you can’t always stay at the top, after every peak,” Smolyanyy maintained. “You have to descend. So, thrive in those moments in between the peaks, when it feels like you are going off script, because each one of those moments brings you one step closer to the next upward slope. And if you are on loose footings, climb with a rope that will support you.”
The Cherokee commencement exercise was apparently a bit abbreviated due to uncertain weather conditions, with severe weather having passed through earlier in the day and skies remaining overcast with a scattered shower having been predicted for the evening.
“Proud” Superintendent Dr. Carol Birnbohm, of the Lenape Regional High School District, of which Cherokee is included, described her role as two-fold for the evening – “cede my time so that we can allow student speeches in this weather” and “officially certify the Class of 2023,” with Cherokee Principal Donna Charlesworth having also forgone her traditional commencement address that she was scheduled to give.
However, Birnbohm remarked, “I have had the honor and privilege of watching many of you conduct yourselves admirably during your time at Cherokee.”
“Continue to care and connect with the people you encounter,” she added. “Continue to accept guidance and love from those who have supported you,
wherever you venture.”
She then acknowledged Student Council President Celeste Yeany and Senior Class President Lydia Luna in attendance at the ceremony, and presented them with their diplomas first as part of an annual Cherokee “tradition” so that they can “read their fellow graduates’ names” in handing out the rest of the diplomas to the 559-member graduating class.
After about 20 minutes had passed, the graduating class heard from its valedictorian, Daniel Hassall, who initially gave his mother a loving shoutout, at one point declaring, “you are the greatest thing in my life.”
He then asked his classmates, “Do you remember when we were all very young and the world was ours for the taking?”
“I remember all of ‘you’ – you with that crazy laugh, or ‘you’ and that steel look on your face at every at bat,” he recalled. “The way ‘you’ covered every notebook with flowers. And I will never forget ‘you’ and how your rich brown eyes shined like stars in the sunlight.
“I remember ‘you’ on hot summer mornings, and on cold autumn bus rides, making them all worthwhile. I remember climbing on those storage crates during football in the park, when we all realized, but never acknowledged, how we were all leaving boyhood behind – together.”
Each statement, it was later noted, related to a memory of a different friend or classmate and how they will continue to grow together, but in new directions. The takeaway from Hassall’s speech is that he is grateful for all that his fellow classmates offer each other, and that he loves everyone for the experience.
“For now, I give all of you, a little softly now, the truest thing I know – I love you,” Hassall declared.
MEDFORD—There are an “infinite number of events” that occur in life that cause one to ask, in reflecting back on them, the question of, “What if?”, but Devin SevilleWalls Torres, president of the Lenape High School Class of 2023, advised his peers during a June 16 graduation ceremony to instead “focus on the reality of what you did, rather than the possibilities of what you would have, could have, or should have done.”
Torres explained to the 472-member graduating class that he often catches himself “contemplating two words: ‘What if?’” citing an example of when the Coronavirus pandemic began during the graduates’ sophomore year of high school, having thought, “What if COVID had died down like we all expected, and
“What if we came back on April 20 (of 2020) like they said we would (but in reality became a closure for the rest of the school year)?”
“Maybe we would have been better at studying,” he surmised. “Maybe we would have scored even higher on some tests. Maybe the economy would be better, and maybe cookies would still be 75 cents (versus $1 now). Maybe we would be a step closer to our set goals. Maybe some people we miss today would not have left our lives in the first place.”
But then, he asked of his peers, what would have happened to all the new connections made, for instance, or if those experiences of late hadn’t been experienced.
“Throw away the ‘What if?’” Torres suggested to the graduating class. “Reflect
on the past, sure, but don’t concern yourself with the idea of changing it because it got you exactly where you are today, here with your friends and family at your own high school graduation.”
Co-salutatorian Aayush J. Talreja, however, challenged his classmates to ask the question of, “Why not?”
“Why not maximize the infinite possibilities of today?” asked Talreja, warning his peers to avoid what he referred to as the “trap of adulthood,” or where livelihoods can become “cyclical” and “repetitive.”
Talreja added that the graduates “can’t sit here today and worry about the challenges of tomorrow” and in giving his advice to his peers, declared, “don’t worry about the future, just take a leap of faith today.”
His counterpart, Rohan Gawande, also class salutatorian, in describing that the Class of 2023 has arrived at a “magic moment, at a metaphorical crossroads,” described that his peers now have “two options” to choose, either “complacency” or “success,” before asking several other questions of the graduates.
“Which would you choose?” Gawande asked. “Why wouldn’t we choose ‘success?’ Why would we stay ‘mediocre’ when we could be great?”
In answering that latter question that he posed to his classmates, Gawande asserted, “We stay average because we simply aren’t willing to fail.”
“‘Success,’” he declared, “is only possible if we let go of the past and stop overthinking about the future.”
“Life stops for no one, and why should we?” inquired Gawande of his classmates. “To succeed, we need to seize every
opportunity and accept every failure.”
Gawande pointed to Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts taking a risk of failure every time that he throws the football to win the game.
“Here’s the thing,” Gawande said. “Do you think he has ever frozen in fear, worrying about what ‘could happen’ if the ball is intercepted? No, because failure is simply part of the process. Living in the moment is when failure simply isn’t a concern. And you must focus on the now.”
In pointing to there being 86,400 seconds in a day, Gawande declared there are “86,400 opportunities in a day,” and, “every second, every day, is a fleeting moment for success.”
Gawande’s speech to his peers revolved around the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
“We need to use our magic, while accepting failure and living in the moment,” Gawande declared. “We need to reach for the stars. We need to experience today to the fullest, and collect every moment, every motion and look for your family, friends and supporters. These are the keys to your success.”
Torres called June 16 a “historic moment” for many reasons.
“We are the last group of seniors with class rank,” he said, alluding to a prior decision by the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education to no longer publish or release class rank, unless a waiver is granted by the district for a limited circumstance, beginning with the next school year. “We are also the last graduating class that got to experience Lenape before COVID, and before many teachers used Google Classroom (a virtual learning tool), and most importantly, before 75 cent cookies became a $1.”
The Class of 2023, the senior class
president pointed out, is also the first to graduate on the high school’s new turf field, and in pointing this out, made a pronouncement that the graduating class was making a “monetary donation for even more improvements to our campus,” though no further details were offered.
“It is “important to remember,” Torres said, “this is not the finish line,” but rather “let this graduation be a steppingstone to a bright future, filled with more graduations, more (honor) cords, more medals and more speeches.”
Sahithya Suryanarayanan, Lenape’s student council president and a graduating senior, put it this way: “Today, we stand on this first page of a new chapter in our lives,” further declaring, “every hardship we have faced over the past four years, no matter how daunting it seemed, was worth it for this very moment.”
Her advice to her peers was to “take a moment to reflect, not just on the big memories, … but every small moment we may have taken for granted.”
Suryanarayanan maintained it is “truly the smaller moments that made this school a true family” and “I know our future holds a billion more of these small moments that will make life outside Lenape that much more spectacular.”
“We will all experience new streets, new people, new food, new dreams and a whole lifetime without each other, but I know that we are all still cheering each other on from the sidelines, whether it is by saving a life, by performing brain surgery on an elderly patient, belting out a captivating performance on Broadway or scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl,” she said. “Never, ever forget your Lenape family, as the world eagerly awaits the impact you
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By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
TABERNACLE—Two days prior to Seneca High School’s June 16 graduation ceremony, Principal Bradley Bauer woke up to a bit of a surprise from the Class of 2023, one of what would be the “Kairos moments” that Senior Class President Hannah Cutts urged her fellow graduates to “continue living for” as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
According to Bauer, and as also described by Cutts, members of Seneca’s Class of 2023 showed up at his house “in the middle of the night” and camped in his front yard, waiting for him to wake up so that they could surprise him.
That they did, according to Cutts, “when
Mr. Bauer woke up to discover many of us had spent the night in tents in his front yard.”
“I appreciated that guys, that is something that will live with me forever,” declared Bauer during the school’s commencement exercises.
Cutts, in her commencement speech, explained that the “Ancient Greeks, who are well known for their wisdom,” had two different words for the definition of time: Chronos, which refers to the passage of time, and Kairos, which stands for the kind of time that cannot be measured, only experienced.
Chronos, she said, “is the kind of time we measure as the clock ticks in seconds, minutes, hours, days and years,” while Kairos “is experienced in moments – where time
seems to stop, where you say it doesn’t get any better than this and that fills the soul.”
“Our days here at Seneca have been filled with Chronos time – the many hours spent in class, on the practice field, in rehearsal or studying for that big test,” Cutts declared. “However, the time that has been most special is the Kairos time –those moments we will always remember.”
She cited, among many, spending the night in Bauer’s front yard as an example of one of her Kairos moments, though she noted “each of us have our own list.” However, one thing she was confident of is that for all members of the graduating class, “this year was full of special Kairos moments, starting here on this brand-new turf field” in which the 250 graduates were seated for the commencement exercises held in Tabernacle Township.
The high school’s slogan is “Seneca
Family,” and it also happens to account for the institution’s Instagram and Twitter hashtags/handles, but Cutts declared, “‘Seneca Family’ is so much more than our Instagram name and our hashtag.”
Rather, she maintained, it represents “Seneca family staff members who always bend over backwards to help you, being greeted every morning by administrators’ smiling faces at the door, the gym erupting in cheers at a Unified basketball game, a place where everyone is supported and loved, a place where all are encouraged to be ourselves and a place where we always felt safe.”
“Seneca family is what made this place our home for the past 4 years,” Cutts asserted.
The president of the Class of 2023 noted that kids often get asked, “‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’”, but See SENECA/ Page G12
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
MEDFORD—Patrick Ryan, Shawnee High School’s Class of 2023 president, is curious about everything, impressing upon his fellow graduates during a June 16 commencement ceremony in Medford Township that “curiosity is the key to the door of opportunity.”
“Simply put, a person who does not
try to understand more about the world around them limits their perception of their world around them,” Ryan declared.
“They unknowingly put a ceiling on their own potential, stunting the possible growth of their mind.”
Ryan noted that through his own experiences, he discovered that he is “able to break my ceiling” by maintaining a single trait: “curiosity.”
It was three years ago, he said, that he was listening to one of his favorite podcasts when his curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to “mindlessly meander Google” to search where the podcasters went to college.
One of those podcasters, according to Ryan, went to the College of the Holy Cross, a school he hadn’t heard of until that moment.
“I can owe my discovery of this school to curiosity, and interestingly enough, I will be spending my next four years there,” Ryan pronounced.
Being curious, Ryan said, also helped to transform “some of my otherwise mundane classes into captivating experiences.”
“It is the subtle difference between apathy and engagement, and the key to being a true learner,” Ryan declared. “However, this truth exists beyond the classroom, whether it be in the workforce, at a trade school or in college: remaining curious ensures we all achieve our own full potential. Always take away more from an experience than what you just learn. Curiosity is key to the door of opportunity, whether that be college, a job, or slightly better performances at Quizzo trivia nights.”
At one point Ryan told his peers, “Asking someone a question about themselves, taking an extra minute to dig into the truth about something – these are the kinds of things that make our lives more interesting and help us understand one another better.”
“If we learned anything over the past four years, it is that there is more to
take away from experiences than simply the experience itself,” he told his fellow graduates. “We have all learned to reflect a little bit about the deeper meanings embedded in those experiences.”
In giving a brief mention to the graduating seniors’ journey through high school, the fond memories made together, and COVID, Ryan asserted, “certain things seem to matter more now” and “certain things seem to matter less.”
“I’ve learned a lot of things throughout my time in high school,” he said. “I have learned how to add and subtract chemical formulas. I have learned how to integrate and derive complicated functions. I have learned, for better or worse, how to finish physics labs the day before they are due. But all of these things collectively help reveal the most important takeaway I have gained in high school, something that was never explicitly taught to me in a class: I have learned how important it is to be a learner.”
He further noted that “no one has ever become successful by absorbing information that comes to them” and “likewise, the most scholarly and accommodating teacher in the world can only have so much of an impact on the student who does not make an effort to know more.”
After pointing out to his classmates “we are all on the precipice of our futures,” he asserted “now is not the time to decide the
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kind of people we are, but rather the kind of people we aspire to be.”
“When I spoke four years ago as a timid 8th grader (at Medford Memorial School’s graduation), I couldn’t have possibly imagined the things our class would come to accomplish,” said Ryan, who previously won best delegate at a Model UN Club conference and is also one of the Principal’s Award recipients. “Now, here we are again, as the 2023 graduating class of Shawnee, and I couldn’t be prouder of the distance our class has overcome. Every one of us should be proud of our achievements and the work it took to get where we are now.
“So, Class of 2023, I would like to leave us with a simple message: be curious as it makes us and the world a whole lot more interesting.”
Valedictorian Michael Haussman’s message to the graduating class is “one pinnacle failure was all it took to change my perspective – to teach me the importance of putting an effort into all aspects of my life,” as well as that “avoiding failure only leads to stagnation.”
Comfort zones, he explained, “give us a sense of shelter in an unfamiliar time and place, like the eye of a storm helping us find peace amongst chaos.”
For Haussman, his comfort zone is math as the “the beautiful logic and systematic thinking really puts my mind at ease.”
“I became reliant on it to be that one place in high school where I felt comfortable and calm in the chaos of the ever-winding halls of Shawnee,” Haussman said.
However, at one point, he declared, “it stabbed me in the back” and “left me out
to dry” with his “comfort zone becoming flooded with anxiety-inducing hostility,” the result of having failed a test.
“Most of us have failed a test or two, and in the grand scheme of things, it is not a big deal,” Haussman said. “But for me, grades, especially in math class, were more than just a number. It was almost a matter of identity. When school felt weird and out of my comfort zone, I at least had my grades. But now all I had was a 47 staring back at me, taunting me, and reminding me of my failure.”
Having earned such a score on a test, Haussman asserted, “was the tipping point in my high school career – my Chernobyl, a complete nuclear meltdown.”
“If you are thinking, ‘He failed only one test, this isn’t that big of a deal,’ you’re right, and you definitely have a much healthier relationship with your grades than I do,” the valedictorian quipped. “But in that moment, I didn’t know what to do. I knew the material, at least I thought I did, and now the one place where I felt like everything was under my control, suddenly felt like a chaotic, radioactive mess I had to clean up.”
After spending “years gliding by, doing the bare minimum,” Haussman said, he was left with a choice, and “so, I put the work in like I never had before, managing to squeeze out an ‘A.’”
But it was that new work ethic, Haussman explained, that “not only helped with my academics, but also led to other things like making friends and finding my place in high school,” after an admittedly tough start as a lonely freshman who struggled to socialize, with the valedictorian adding that “I started to put myself out there a bit instead of just sitting around quietly and ended up finding a lot of interesting people,” after having put the work into his studies.
“One pinnacle failure was all it took to change my perspective to teach me the
importance of putting an effort into all aspects of my life,” Haussman added. “It was the need to overcome a setback that pushed me to a higher level.”
The Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 and 2021 presented another setback for students like him that had to be overcome, he noted, but “yet, here we all are, graduating – because we overcame the setback; and we are able to overcome setbacks like this because of past failures.”
“It is our failures that prepare us for setbacks that we don’t anticipate,” Haussman emphasized. “Failing teaches us how to adjust to our situation and persevere. My failure taught me how working hard can lead me to success and help me when I had to keep myself on schedule, working at home. We can choose to avoid failure, but we can’t choose to avoid the many setbacks that life throws at us. And when those come, avoiding failure only hurts us in the long run.
“… It was the many setbacks and failures that we all had that made us into who we are today. Just like how we can’t truly be happy without knowing sadness, we can’t know success without failures.”
The valedictorian said of June 16 that “although this day is meant to celebrate our great success of graduating high school,” he would also like to “celebrate all the failures along the way.”
“As good as many of the teachers are here, none of them hold a candle to the great teacher that failure is,” Haussman declared. “The greatest teachers can only do so much. Failure gives us a choice: grow and overcome, or break down and quit. So, as we take our next steps to college, the workforce, trade school and beyond, don’t fear failure. To grow, we must all fail, and in the face of failure, overcome and push forward. Avoiding failure only
leads to stagnation. So, fail, a lot – OK well try not to fail your classes, but fail boldly and learn from it, grow from it. We all have so much ahead of us. Don’t peak in high school because of fear of failure. Try new things, push the fear away, and most of all, never stop learning and growing.”
Perseverance is something that Salutatorian Isabella Christianson made a point of in her commencement address to the 367 graduates, noting it is “the main reason I have the honor of speaking to all of you today.”
“It took perseverance to stay up late every night doing physics homework or finishing a presentation,” she said. “At some point or another, everyone here has persevered through a tough time. We all made it through our freshman year and are here standing here today to accept our diplomas. I am glad we learned perseverance this early in our lives, because it is a much-needed skill for future success.”
Christianson said the graduates will once again have to persevere, whether it be through college, trade school or the workforce.
“We will need to push through not only academic struggles, but all the hardships life throws at us,” she declared. “Within the next few years, some of us will get fired, others of us will not get hired for a job or get rejected from the graduate school we want.”
“But we will persevere,” Christianson continued. “We need to remember that rigidity in the face of adversity leaves each of us vulnerable to breakage. What is important is bending and being flexible when trouble comes our way. So, choose things that add pressure and let the experience bend you into a stronger person.
“The satisfaction of succeeding after failure is enough to keep us all going. So, graduates, go – live, be curious, fail and persevere.”
By Douglas D. Melegari
Staff Writer
PEMBERTON—Co-salutatorian Rachel Hussmann, of Pemberton Township High School (PTHS)’s Class of 2023, had a wellreceived message for her peers graduating on June 19: “we are the underdogs” and “do not discount the underdog when the race is not over.”
Against the backdrop of a nearly twoyear shutdown of the high school during the graduating class’s freshman and sophomore years because of the Coronavirus pandemic, various commencement speakers, including the graduates themselves, described how “even in these times of seclusion, we persevered,” as Senior Class President Destinee Goodly put it this past Monday night.
“As we cross this stage, we are yet again
stepping into uncharted territory and leaving the comfort of our homes, towns and schools behind,” further declared Class of 2023 Vice President Brianna Malave to the 272-member graduating class. “But this time we know that it is not impossible to find our way. We are not alone. We know that no matter how scary the world may seem, just like high school, if you search every classroom, seek every opportunity, make new connections and follow your dreams, you will see there is no mountain you can’t climb.”
Getting to this point, Malave acknowledged, “was not easy.” She described that she “had a plan for everything,” but now “I wish I could tell a 9th grade ‘Brianna’ nothing would go the way she planned.”
What was supposed to be a two-week
break “turned into two years of our lives being turned upside down,” the graduating class vice president described, and “we faced different trials and tribulations: death, grief and losing ourselves in the darkest of times.”
However, arising from that experience, she said, “we also came together, found a way, and learned something new about ourselves and others.”
“We learned how to find the light in our lives and not just sympathize, but empathize with each other,” Malave declared. “Because now, we didn’t have to imagine that certain kind of pain because we lived it. We could all feel it.”
The senior class vice president recognized her goals and plans “changed a little bit” from when she first entered the doors of PTHS, before asserting, “I changed. We all have.”
“And that is how life is,” she added. “Life is not to forget your past and become a new version of yourself. Life is the reflection of all that is good, showing gratitude, appreciating your past and accepting that we are all human
and life doesn’t always go as planned. We need to show grace not only with ourselves, but with one another.”
In further touching on the perseverance that led to the moment at hand, Goodly described that it was only when “we were a semester into this new adventure” of high school that “our world changed forever.”
“It spun on its axis, immediately shifting to Google Meets and drive-by birthday parties,” the senior class president said. “What began as a fun, little extension of spring break had turned into an episode of Black Mirror where everyone was trying to survive a virus, and even more strange, it kept evolving. Freshman year is supposed to be a time to find your footing, join clubs and create new bonds. I can wholeheartedly say not being able to socialize with each other affected us tremendously as a whole. Yet, even in these times of seclusion, we persevered.”
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It is “the determination shown by our school, as a whole to return to ‘fully normal’ that embodies the standard of perseverance we strive for here at PTHS,” she further declared.
Other words of wisdom Goodly had for her peers is that “it is OK to ask for help,” “it takes integrity to admit your mistakes,” and that “being honest with yourself and others, and owning the moments when you are not your best, embodies the strength and courage you will now carry forward for a lifetime.”
“All the memories we have had these last few years, good and bad, are just the beginning, not the end,” Goodly told the graduates seated on the field. “And we know endings can be terrifying – the idea of not knowing what is next. The fear of the unknown. All I want us to remember is that there is a point in our life where everything was terrifying. Despite the fears, anxieties and hardships, here we stand, graduating high school. As I look into the crowd, I see faces that will go down in history. Many faces I have known and had the pleasure of growing up with. I am so infinitely proud of all of us. As you go into your future endeavors, remember it is OK to not have it all figured out. We have so much time ahead of us. We did it and I could not be happier.”
Co-Salutatorian Noah Abbott, who explained that he consistently strived to become the class valedictorian, but fell short, elaborated on why he is ultimately happy, maintaining that when the COVID restrictions began to be lifted, it marked a “turning point in his priorities” in which he came to appreciate the time he could actually spend with his family and friends (something
that was in short order during the COVID lockdown).
“I found true friends who loved me,” Abbott said. “I realized that spending time with them and my family made me happy. Who would have thought? That brief satisfaction from seeing that ‘A’ on my transcript was fleeting. Two days ago, I was out with my best friends, enjoying time on the boardwalk. I will remember that experience over the time I got a 95 on my final eastern philosophy exam any day of the week.”
The co-salutatorian expressed his hope that others “will learn from my mistake” in putting an emphasis on grades over experiences with friends and loved ones.
“Make time for the people in your life that make you grow into the person you want to be,” Abbott declared. “The people who make you happy. The people who love you. You may only get someone like them once in your lifetime. Don’t mess it up. Now, I’m not saying to park your car on the side of the road and abandon work and academics. Heck, shoot for the top if that is what your goal is. Being the valedictorian and salutatorian is still an amazing honor. But hey, while you’re driving, enjoy the view. Guys, it’s June. The roses just bloomed. Stop and smell them. I stopped to smell them, and they smelled wonderful.”
The Class of 2023 valedictorian distinction went to Amelia Adams. She also recognized that “one of the biggest challenges for our class has been the pandemic.” She pointed out “most graduating classes have a full high school experience with all four years present in school,” but “for us, however, we unfortunately were stopped halfway through our freshman year, which led into our sophomore year of fully online learning.”
“While I cannot account for everyone’s experiences, I know that everyone here, including teachers and staff have been affected in one way or another,” Adams
maintained. “Personally, I was set back by the pandemic, feeling a lack of motivation toward my schoolwork and even towards my hobbies. It was hard, staring at a screen and listening to a teacher talk, while everyone was silent with a black screen.
“Once we were back in school, I am sure it took time for everyone to get acclimated again with teachers, other students, and even your friends. Other challenges for you could have been the activities or classes you participated in, such as sports, advanced courses and clubs. I know that everyone has persevered through them all, working hard to gain more experience, knowledge, and mastery of what you love. It is clear that we have pushed through, as we are here tonight with each other, and have overcome the final challenge: graduation.”
But with what she and her peers have overcome, she declared, “I’m confident that every graduate here tonight is prepared for the future, to start college, attend trade school, enlist in the military, or go straight into the workforce.”
“Everyone has something to be thankful for, and for me, I am grateful to all my friends and family who have supported me, alongside my teachers,” Adams asserted. “I hope that you all stay connected with those who have supported you and keep your friends close because you will need them. Not only should you be thankful, but you should also be proud of yourself for how hard you have worked to get here. Parents, teachers, and friends, I know that you are all proud of us and what we have become. So many people here have been inspirational to me, and so many of my fellow classmates have been amazing to watch, growing into the people they are now.”
The valedictorian implored the graduates to “strive for what you believe in” as well as “to take the opportunities that come your way.”
“Never give up, never doubt yourself, and
never undermine the accomplishments you’ve made here at Pemberton,” Adams declared.
Superintendent Jeffrey Havers, in “recognizing when we all went into ‘lock down,’” noted that the “last three months of freshmen year” for the graduates “was like nothing any of us have ever experienced –filled with numerous obstacles to overcome.”
“In order to navigate these difficulties, your ability to persevere was tested,” he said.
The challenges continued “educationally, socially and emotionally,” he noted, when the graduates entered their sophomore year, and that “once again, in order to be successful, perseverance was required.”
And then came the graduating class’s junior year, when the students “came back every day, but with masks, for most of the year, and plenty of you had to quarantine at some point,” and it “was certainly another year for you to get even better at persevering.”
“On Sept. 7, 2022, you walked through the doors of PTHS as seniors,” Havers recounted. “A few masks, some occasional quarantining, but the impact of two years of some form of isolation did take its toll on many. Ladies and gentlemen, the graduates in front of me were determined, after all that persevering, to make this a great year.”
After further recounting the various “fun-filled,” “packed” and “unforgettable” activities that the senior class partook in, the superintendent cited a relevant quote from Maya Angelou, an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist: “‘You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.’”
In pointing out that initially “your world was rocked with numerous unexpected See PEMBERTON/ Page G12
setbacks,” Havers asserted that “in the end, as is usually the case, it was your perseverance that determined your success.”
“There is no doubt that in your high school journey, you have learned how to rise!” Havers further declared.
And now once again, Havers told the graduates, “you are embarking on a new path, one that will be filled with opportunities, such as new careers created by technology, and also obstacles, such as some of the innovations of Artificial Intelligence.” But he advised for them to “make the most of those opportunities” and “when those challenges come your way, and you do encounter a defeat, which will sometimes happen, remember that you have already learned how to persevere –continue and come out of it.”
“Be sure to soak it in and be grateful for your successes,” the superintendent emphasized to
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will make.
“In the words of Dr. Suess , ‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.’ Be kind to one another.’”
Planned commencement addresses by Principal Tony Cattani and LRHSD Assistant Superintendent Matt Webb did not occur due to the threat of inclement weather, but Webb, in certifying the Class of 2023, did briefly thank the outgoing class “for contributing to the tradition of excellence in our school district.”
Valedictorian Adithya N. Selvakumar, who remarked “the sky above is representative of the infinite possibilities we hold,” in declaring the school’s Class of 2023 “the most driven
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maintained, “the better question to ask is, “‘Who do you want to be when you grow up?’”
“The people who we become will matter much more than the title that we achieve, what award we win or how much money we make,” Cutts declared. “What matters most is who we are and what we value.”
Kindness, humility, relationships, loyalty, hard work, respect, generosity, love and “doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do” were among Cutts suggestions of “some of the things we should value.”
“I truly believe that success and answering the question of who we want to be will lead to success and answer the question of what we want to be,” Cutts contended. “So, as we start this new journey, do not think of it as the journey to achieve this or that, but rather think of it as the journey to become a person we are proud of.”
The senior class president then shared a saying often repeated by her grandmother, “‘live each day to its ultimate good.’”
“As we begin this new season of life, my hope is that we each become people who live for the Kairos moments, pursuing each day’s ultimate good,” Cutts declared.
Salutatorian Julianna Zimm, in her address to fellow graduates, described “deciding to strive for academic perfection” during her high school years, “focused on short term
the graduating class. “When the road does get rocky, remember the words by Maya Angelou, and also this quote from Martin Luther King Jr., about facing struggles in life, ‘If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.’”
“Graduates, let the perseverance that allowed you to overcome the struggles from the past, be the inspiration for your determination, to overcome the obstacles of the future. Don’t be ashamed during the times you have to crawl, don’t be discouraged when you are forced to walk, remember that we all get tired when we have to run, and let your perseverance and your Pemberton Pride remind you to always keep moving forward, with your head held high.”
Hussmann, meanwhile, told her fellow graduates that “if you haven’t had one good memory from high school, let today be it – let it be known you persevered through a difficult time and still succeeded.”
And then, after asking her classmates to “not forget where you came from” and
and diverse class in Lenape’s history,” asserted “here we stand at the pinnacle of achievement, upon a veritable mountain top of academic and personal growth” and “here we stand at a long, grueling climb – a climb riddled with challenges as diverse as our nearly 500-person class.”
He then cited a “mantra from my faith” emphasizing “the four archetypes that play a crucial role in a child’s development: Matha, Pitha, Guru, Daivam.”
In referencing ‘Matha,’ which he explained is another word for mother, Selvakumar said he “would like you to think of anyone who has played a maternal role in your life” and “visualize her in your mind’s eyes and take a moment to offer her your love and gratitude.”
After pointing out that Pitha means father, the valedictorian asked his classmates to “think of men that have been father figures
goals, dedicating all my efforts to them.” An example she cited was having her “heart absolutely set on getting an ‘A’ in AP calculus.”
But in being in the midst of “profound reflection,” Zimm maintained that she realized “I demanded success from myself, and in doing so, I sacrificed too much of my life for it.”
“Even my senior year of cross country, where I would have been team captain and run varsity, was abandoned in pursuit of getting good grades,” she said. “I put my value in academics, rather than in the experiences that truly give life value.”
And now, she told her classmates, “I dare say I have a bit of regret.”
“I am hesitant to use the word ‘regret’ as I have always lived by the standard that there is no room in life for it because a lesson can be gained from every situation,” Zimm said. “But now I look back on the four years of perfect grades and wonder if it was worth everything I lost or let go of. Maybe not. Only recently have I discovered that I should have been treating my life as more of a long-distance race than a sprint. It is about the journey, not the race. Racing through your grand ‘to-do list’ also means racing through what could have been some of the best moments of your life.”
Zimm declared that “if I could give one piece of advice to my freshman year self, I would tell her to focus on what she loves.”
“True passion will take you further in life than anything else,” she shared with her graduating class, further suggesting to her peers to “don’t be the kid who peaked in high school.”
“Even if high school was the most
touching on the stigma that can sometimes be associated with Pemberton given its location and socioeconomic status, she declared to thunderous applause, “We represent the working-class families working for a better future.”
“We are the underdogs,” continued Hussmann, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. “Do not discount the underdog when the race is not over. Our contributions to the future will be great. Maybe even better than the other towns we often compare ourselves to. To the world, Pemberton is just a spec. We are a small town in the middle of New Jersey. Most people do not know who we are. So why don’t we change that? With the brightness of our futures, let’s show the world what Pemberton truly is. Let’s change the world with our experiences, our knowledge and our determination.
“We are all going places, but my only question for you is: ‘Where?’ Where will you go to leave your mark? We cannot truly predict where we will be in the future, but know that your past actually marks the beginning of your future. Class of 2023, we have so much to look forward to, our whole lives are ahead
to you for the past four years.”
Guru, he said, is another word for teacher, before requesting of his classmates to “think of every coach and mentor who inspired you to strive for more.”
“Daivam – we all conceptualize divinity differently,” Selvakumar explained. “Muslims call it Allah, Christians call it God, and Einstein described it as a ‘harmony of all that exists.’ In my experience, it is one universal constant that unites these conceptions. It is the one thing we are all doing right, regardless of culture or race. It is a trait referencing described by Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, as an ‘unconditional positive regard.’ It is the key to self-actualization.”
Selvakumar then asked of the graduates what would be another question posed to them during Lenape’s 63rd Commencement Exercises: “Guess what
challenging part of your life so far, find a lesson in it and move on,” Zimm said. “… Now we must use everything we learned here as traction on the trail of life ahead of all of us. It is time to retire the ways of thinking that kept us in place, and pursue our passions in life and find confidence in ourselves. As long as you are putting one foot in front of the other, in pursuit of your definition of a fulfilled life, you are making progress.”
Bauer, in his “principal’s message” to the graduates, advised that “as you step out into the world, beyond the walls of Seneca, please remember that your education is not confined to a classroom.”
“The true essence of learning lies in what you brought to Seneca High School every single day,” Bauer declared. “It lies in the experiences, connections and relationships you have fostered. As you spread your wings and soar to new heights (the school mascot is the Golden Eagle), remember the importance of humility, kindness and empathy. Use your knowledge and talents to uplift those around you and make a positive impact in your communities as you have done here for the past four years.
“In just a few minutes, you are going to receive your diplomas and step into a new chapter of your lives. A time filled with uncertainty, challenges and countless opportunities. You never know what life is going to throw at you, so please take time to enjoy the little things in life. Be kind to others, don’t take your loved ones for granted, and live life to the fullest. Meet your opportunities with grit, but be guided by the character of the good person I know
of us and I know the excitement is almost too much to bear. Our future is in the palm of our hands. As Dr. Emmett Brown once said, ‘Your future hasn’t been written yet. No one’s has. Your future is what you make of it.’ Class of 2023: write your future and let the world write it in the history books.”
PTHS Principal Jermaine Blount said of the graduates that “today they leave us as mature young adults on the roadmap of their future, ready to make a positive impact in their life and in their community.”
“To the Class of 2023, there are times when you didn’t think you would make it – those critical moments where you supported each other with your frieznds, your family and your teachers,” he added. “Well, today, you made it! You met every challenge, you overcame every obstacle and we celebrate you for your accomplishments. As you set your pathway, equipped with courage, the confidence and the Pemberton pride that led you to success today, it will guide you to success tomorrow as you pursue your goals and dreams into your future.”
trait is in abundance tonight?”
“Love,” Selvakumar answered. “Unconditional love. Think of everyone who bestowed this gift and everyone who filled you with unconditional love.
“Graduates, remember that although you may be leaving these sources of unconditional love behind, the love they have borne you has become a part of you. Just as your eyes and ears guide you on a daily basis, this love too has influenced you, and will continue to influence you to become more resilient, more human, and more whole. Thus graduates, I believe it is our collective imperative to pay it forward, to become beacons of love in our new communities.”
“I hope tonight, and I pray, we become known for our intangible influence: our unconditional love.”
you can be.”
Heather Xenakis, director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD), of which Seneca is included, in certifying the graduating class, urged the graduates “to take the lessons you have learned from your time spent at Seneca, both inside and outside of the classroom, and reflect on what was, and is, important to you as a person and let your actions reflect those guiding principles as you become a contributing member of society as a graduate of Seneca.”
Valedictorian Siya Patel, declared, that “when taking a trip down memory lane, I am confident everyone in these green outfits (the color of the gowns) has experiences they wish to change and those they want to re-live,” but that “today presents an opportunity to start afresh – to seek adventures you did not have in high school.”
“Note that change is inevitable, so I call on you to embrace it,” Patel asserted. “Let the new experiences guide you as you steer through adulthood. Life will present you with countless different roads. Whichever path you may want to embark on, seize every opportunity you get. Let the next chapter be a period of growth and self-discovery.”
Student Council President and graduating senior Fabrizzio Scott’s final parting advice to his classmates was to “don’t be afraid to stick your neck out” and to “always have confidence in what you are doing and treat everything a little less seriously.”
“From classmate to classmate, friend to friend, I am so proud of you all,” he declared.