Nothing like a graduation ceremony to resurrect and rekindle the sweet aspirations of one’s youth.
The dreams and ambitions and virtual blueprint of a tantalizing future waiting to be grasped and incredibly within reach, the milestones to be conquered and the million more miles to go with all the accompanying thrills and thumps – all of that mingled with the trademark palpable relief and infectious ebullience to make the air crackle and sing on June 7.
This was the atmosphere as the Twin Valley High School Class of 2014 trooped into the Alvernia University auditorium to receive their diplomas.
Navigating the crowd, James Allen Jr. has his grandparents and father flanking him.
‘Today is essentially a stepping stone towards my future, an MBA and a job,’ he says, without the slightest ambiguity.
Grandmother Janet beams by his side: ‘We are so proud of him!’
To hear Dalton Mast say it underscores the pride and pragmatism of the scholars waiting to file in and take their places in the spotlight of the Commencement Exercises.
‘In five years, I would be graduating college and making a whole bunch of money.’ Hollywood? ‘Perhaps! But as of today I have been accepted at Millersville College and am also looking forward to a possible move to Florida.’
James and Dalton were among the 252 successful graduates who donned the green and white together with Valedictorian Taylor Hertzler (son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hertzler, Elverson) and two Salutatorians Nicholas Baylis (son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Baylis, Honey Brook) and Nicholas Gardocki (son of Mr. and Mrs. David Gardocki, Morgantown).
A young man of many talents, Hertzler shied away from peering into the looking glass, ‘In five years, I am not entirely sure (where I see myself) but as of today, I have been accepted into school for music (composition) as well as school for engineering, so I am trying to decide which to pick.’
Considering the spectrum of his choice, Hertzler spells it out, ‘I am keen on mechanical or aerospace engineering. I have been accepted into Penn State University and I am waiting for acceptance from the University of Pittsburg.’
Salutatorian Nicholas Baylis has his work cut out, ‘In five years, I would want to be graduating with a degree in chemical engineering.’
Looking back, Baylis admits, ‘For high school, it wasn’t too bad. Besides studies, I did a lot of other stuff, too. I ran cross country and was in a couple of clubs like the National Honor Society (pointing to his golden collar embossed with the club’s insignia) and the TSA (Technology Student Association).’
‘I guess that will all change once I join college,’ he adds ruefully. ‘It’s going to be a lot harder.’
Nodding in agreement, Salutatorian Nicholas Gardocki outlines his plans, ‘I wish to graduate with a computer engineering degree and then join the US Army. My brother is enforced in the US Air Force RDC (Recruit Division Commander) and I am going to aspire to the same scholarship as his, but do something different.’
Scholars seeking to transcribe their own uniquely different success stories was the crux of Class President Haley Rice’s address to her peers.
‘We are collaborators, we are transparent, we are connected and tech-savvy,’ she delineated the qualities of her generation, elaborating on each. ‘We are cautious, we are determined, we are prepared. We are optimistic and unafraid, we are family-focused… we are the educators, the farmers, the military personnel, the entertainers, the construction workers, the athletes and CEOs of tomorrow.’
On an emphatic note, Twin Valley Superintendent Dr. Robert Pleis observed that ‘the real successes and accomplishments come when you ‘show up’ even when you don’t want to; when you move out of your comfort zone; and when you are confident in tackling the tough choices in life.’
‘The fact is most people don’t regret their successes or failures, they regret the things that they didn’t do, the things that they didn’t show up for. So show up for every opportunity and make things happen, not just for yourself but also for those around you, so that you have no regrets down the road.’
Finally, it fell on the School Board President Thomas Legel to crunch the numbers. ‘This class was offered over $2.8 million in scholarships; $80,000 in local scholarships; received over 439 acceptance letters from colleges. Further, 202 students will be going on to post-secondary education, five will be joining the military and 39 will be joining the workforce.’
Lauding the efforts of the graduating class for their hard work, dedication and contribution towards community development, Legel exhorted the scholars to ‘take with you that community spirit and care for others that you have now.’
For parents, he had this to say, ‘You’ve already given them all the advice you can remember, so now it’s time to sit back and see if any of it has sunk in. Eventually, you will realize that they were listening to you, and they will realize that some of the things they heard (from you) were actually important. So be patient, keep calm, be supportive.’
