In Longmeadow 243 students graduated; 95 percent of the students will to college.
6/5/11 Holyoke High School - Staff photo by Michael Beswick -Capturing the moment before Holyoke's 146th Commencement is Zujeily Stephens (left) and Alyssa White.Families and friends cheered on hundreds of students donned in caps and gowns during graduations held across Western Massachusetts Sunday.
In West Springfield, 300 students were advised to remember where they come from as they go through their journey in life.
“When you are in doubt or feel a little bit lost allow me to offer a suggestion, wear your (school) IDs,” said Principal Michael J. Richard. “It will remind you of who you are and where you have been and it will also identify you as a West Side Terrier, a label you should all be proud of.”
Richard said he is proud of the senior class. About 80 percent of the students will go on to a four-year colleges, with others joining the military, entering the workforce or going on to a vocational school.
“I know we are sending a confidant, compassionate and creative group out into this world,” he said.
Class valedictorian Summiya Qureshi and salutatorian Grace H. Slawski gave their classmates words of encouragement and hope for the future.
“We are all in this together. West Springfield High School is part of a diverse city, full of people of all different ethnicity’s. We are immigrants who come from all over the world and we are talented young individuals,” Slawski said.
In East Longmeadow 231 students graduated with 90 percent going on to college, said Principal Michael Knybel.
“The class of 2011 set the tone for the entire student body, no other class has done this with such distinction, “ he said.”
The class turned in a documented 15,436 hours of community service, volunteering their time at Shriners Hospital and Mercy and Baystate Medical Center.
Valedictorian Max Y. Lu, 17, who will go on to Harvard University in the fall, delivered a comical speech about the success of teen sensation Justin Bieber and credited his mom and dad for helping him make it where he is today.
“Hi, mommy, hi daddy, thanks,” he said.
“As we leave the familiar halls of East Longmeadow High and enter the world we must actively take risks and embrace change,” he said.
Mayor Elaine Pluta told 157 Holyoke High School graduates that “the small dreams are over” and now “the sky’s the limit” at the school’s 146th commencement Sunday. Pluta delivered the congratulatory address on the 50th anniversary of her own graduation from Holyoke High in 1961.
“The time flies, so please enjoy your life and make good choices,” said Pluta. “Only you are now responsible for your own future and the choices you will make.”
Salutatorian Erin Corrigan spoke to her peers about the memories they shared and created her own: she took a photo of the class of 2011 from her spot on the dais.
“In this camera is now a memory of the day we officially grew up,” she said.
Valedictorian Noah Whitcomb said the school and the city have a less-than-ideal reputation, but he and his classmates will reach out to the “skeptics” and show them what they’re made of.
“We must share our passion with them so they will develop a greater understanding of who we truly are,” he said. “We are impassioned about our school and city and we always will be.”
In Longmeadow, 243 graduates accepted their diplomas. More than 95 percent of the students will go on to college.
“The members of the class are contributors, you built a reputation as a group of young people committed to improving their school and community,” said school principal Lawrence Berte.
As in previous years, there is no valedictorian and salutatorian selected for the graduating class. Various students spoke and performed musical numbers for the audience.
Class President Edward O’Reilly told his classmates they should not forget the past, but they should embrace the future.
“In fact our future is so bright, I have to put my shades on,” he said and put on sunglasses along with the school principal and other students on stage.