PEMBERTON

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