Photos By Craig Matthews
LITTLE EGG HARBOR—The many ways that the Pinelands Regional School District teaching, guidance and administrative staffs helped the members of its current graduating class to navigate through some rough currents and prepare for whatever challenges or uncertainties might await them were touched on by class representatives in commencement addresses that preceded the awarding of diplomas to some 240 Pinelands Regional High graduates on the evening of June 22.
“As a class, whatever you are choosing to do with your limitless potential and powerful minds beyond the safety and familiarity of high school, I hope we always remember the trials gone through and lessons learned within these walls,” Salutatorian Katherine Almond told the graduates and their families who had crowded together in the school gymnasium for the occasion due to the vicissitudes of the weather. “Through our memorable, albeit rocky, years as Wildcats we learned the importance of patience, grace, and being able to see beyond what’s directly in front of you.”
Almond also pointed out the key role that mutual support mechanisms has played in the process of making the most of trying situations.
“It has been proven time and time again that it is okay to lean on others and to allow others to lean on you; and above all, this group of individuals – students and staff alike – know how to make any time a good time,” she maintained.
Class Valedictorian Melissa Myslinski also urged her fellow graduates to “don’t ever
forget your roots and where you came from.”
“… For one second, look around you, at your parents, your friends, your former teachers and administration. These people have been by your side, guiding you, pushing you, providing you with what you need to be a successful high school student and human being,” she said.
Myslinksi also reflected on how “for the past 13 years, from preschool to this very moment, we have been in a constant countdown.”
“A countdown that began the day we realized that school isn't just about coloring, crafts, playing kickball during recess and having what felt like the most amazing class parties,” she continued. “It started the day we dreaded waking up before the sun rose, the day homework began to pile up, classes became full of lectures and notes, tests became tougher, and every second of class that passed by felt like eternity.”
Student Body President Olivia Benson also emphasized how the graduates’ shared experiences of the past few years had helped them forge a resiliency that will serve them well in the coming years.
“No matter what you do or where you go, know that you will always be prepared for the change that comes your way because of the years you have had at Pinelands,” Benson told them while offering some advice on leaving the comfort zone of their familiar school routines and environment and dealing with the accompanying fears of graduating and becoming adults or of losing friends that she had heard many express. “The fear we feel today means we have made high school worthwhile. Instead of letting this fear consume you, reflect on
all of the amazing moments in our highschool careers and be excited for the future memories that we will make. Hold onto your lifelong friends, but look forward to making new ones, too.”
Myslinski, who said her life “has never been anywhere near perfect, nor has it ever been easy” and that she had “already been through a lot,” credited the support she received at Pinelands with having helped her to overcome those rough patches to achieve the distinction of being the top student in her class.
“But if there is one thing I have learned from my experiences, it is to never give up,” she declared. “Every day is a new day, so wake up smiling. Make someone laugh. Cry tears of joy. Help someone out. Do what you can to make the most of the time that you have. And most importantly, surround yourselves with those who love you and want the best for you because they are the people that will help you grow as a person.
Myslinski further asserted, “Today, I can confidently tell you all that without my close friends, family, teachers and coaches, I would have never become who I am today, and I definitely would not be standing here as class valedictorian.”
Almond briefly chronicled the various ordeals this particular group of graduates had experienced, particularly those who had been in the district from the time they entered junior high.
“We started seventh grade in 2017, and in a few short months we started split sessions because of construction at the high school,” she noted, and eighth grade “was spent sharing the junior high with the students and staff of the building across the street, which was once again closed, but this time for more long-term construction.”
No sooner had those interruptions been dealt with, Almond recalled, than the
pandemic-related shutdown of March 13, 2020, “brought our expectations for that year to a screeching halt,” resulting in a hybrid of virtual schedules, frequent school closures, and virtual Wednesdays, with masks still required in school buildings as of last year.
The school year just passed was the first one for this graduating class that has gone according to plan, Almond pointed out, “and we undoubtedly made the most of it.”
“I don’t say all of this to dwell on the maybe, less than ideal events of the past,” she added. “But I use these memories to help guide us into our future, which is now closer than it has ever been.”
Benson reminded those who were transitioning from students to alumnae that “although it may seem like time has passed so quickly, we cannot forget everything it took to get here,” citing “the late-night crams to complete an assignment, the inner battles to get up every morning, and the time management that it took to balance work, school, sports, and clubs.”
And while it may have been stressful, she acknowledged, “it was also so much fun.”
“We had dances, pep rallies, football games, our senior trip, and all of the little wonderful moments that make high school so special,” Benson recounted. “Although I cannot believe the times of crying and laughing while trying to not disturb a class are over, I hope it is these memories that we never forget and look back on as some of the best times of our lives.”
At the same time, the student body president encouraged her soon-to-beformer classmates to “embrace the inevitable change we are about to face” with “a positive mindset toward our future.” But she also cautioned them to “not be afraid to make mistakes, because this is what this time is for.
“And when we do,” she added, “I cannot wait to hear all about it at our class reunion.”
