BELLEVILE, NJ — A rainy morning dampened everything but the spirits of Belleville High School’s Class of 2023, as the newest Buccaneer alumni walked from the school to Doc Ellis Field in a steady downpour to receive their diplomas on June 23.
Even with less than stellar weather, the stands at Municipal Stadium were packed with enthusiastic family and friends, ready to watch this year’s seniors throw their caps in the air.
“When I woke up this morning, I certainly didn’t think we would be walking out in a downpour,” BHS Principal Caleb Rhodes said to open the ceremony. “But it will make for a memorable moment for everyone. I’m glad we could have all the graduates’ loved ones with us rather than having to go inside with only two tickets for each family.”
Class of 2023 President Carmela Urbano said in her speech during the ceremony that she decided to get involved in extracurricular activities when she started high school to help with her anxiety; Urbano played volleyball for the Buccaneers and served as the yearbook’s editor in chief in addition to being class president.
“There were times when I sat in my room feeling scared and alone,” Urbano said. “There were times when I had no motivation to do homework, clean my room or even talk to my family. In these times I felt small. I was a little girl in a dark room waiting for a bright light to shine on me.”
She said she tried out for the volleyball team and joined the Student Government Organization (SGO) to distract herself from feeling anxious.
“I was able to make new friends and learn many valuable lessons,” Urbano said. “There was one lesson in particular that changed the way I saw things. My volleyball coach, Mr. Spina, told me that it doesn’t matter when you lose or mess up, what matters is what you make of it. You can cry about losing a game or making a mistake, but nothing good will come out of it unless you make a change yourself. I applied this advice to many things in my life. Instead of seeing extracurriculars as a distraction, I started to see it as an opportunity to prove to myself that I am worthy, and I won’t let my anxiety get the best of me. Instead of waiting for the light to shine on me, I tried to become my own sunshine.”
This year’s SGO President was Nicholas Aleksashvili, and he spoke at the ceremony as well. He thanked his family, teachers and friends, asking the crowd to give them a round of applause before continuing.
“Today we will be entering the real world,” Aleksashvili said. “All the knowledge we learned in high school was to prepare us for what’s coming next. In the coming months, we will all be experiencing some kind of change in our daily lives. While that’s scary, it’s also exciting and something we need to get used to because all things change.”
Bianca Reyes, the class of 2023’s salutatorian, gave her now former classmates advice when she spoke at the ceremony.
“We are celebrating a grand accomplishment,” Reyes said. “Today we are celebrating ourselves. We are celebrating our time at this school. Today, we go from being high schoolers to having been high schoolers. Today we have the power to look back on our accomplishments and carry them with us. Do not forget that these accomplishments are your own. Even if your accomplishments are not acknowledged, do not let anyone take them away from you. Do not let anyone get away from disrespecting you. Do not let anyone tell you to accept that this is just how things are. You have the power to change it. We can change what is unjust and we can vote for what we believe in. We can make sure that we always use our voice.”
Superintendent Richard Tomko certified that the class of 2023 met all graduation requirements, and Board of Education President Luis Muniz, whose son Joshua was graduating, accepted the class as candidates for graduation. But before the names could be called and the caps could be thrown, valedictorian Mikaela Andrade spoke to her class one last time.
“Life will place obstacles in your path, but you set the limits to success,” Andrade said after describing her experience beginning at Belleville Middle School after immigrating to the country from Ecuador.
“I am here today thanks to a country that accepted me and a school that embraced me.
“I am here thanks to the friends who became my confidantes and whose unconditional bond has strengthened me in more ways than they can imagine.
“This is my story, but it is one not foreign to the class of 2023.
“We overcame so much to be here today, as a community confronting the effects of the pandemic and as individuals battling through isolation and the adversities of high school.
“We are here today despite the rain, the losses, the struggles and the silent battles kept in our hearts that we overcame to complete this milestone.
“Although our journey at BHS has ended, life’s journey has nowhere near started. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
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