Glen Ridge High School held its commencement the evening of June 18, at Hurrell Field.
Because of the intense heat of the day, the students, dressed in their traditional formal wear, got into line at the far end of the field, where it was shaded. Then, to “Pomp and Circumstance,” proceeded through the balloon threshold, past proud parents and took their places in the stands.
There were 143 graduates.
The senior class president, Charlotte Morgan Platt, welcomed everyone. Chosen by the students, Alessandro Badalamenti gave the class speech.
“Why would I ever be scared?” he asked.
Alessandro said when he was young, he was very shy and his family, looking on now, probably did not recognize him. Then he got down to business.
“I wish I could forget our freshman year,” he said. “But then 10th grade happened. I consider this the best year of high school. But 11th grade snuck up on us and it felt like nothing could go wrong. And then it did. He was younger than me and he should be here now.”
Alessandro was referring to Nathan Latifi, a GRHS junior who died in a single-car accident, Jan. 23, 2023.
“He took up a room,” he continued.
Alessandro advised his fellow-graduates to enjoy everything in life, even the detours, even getting lost, because life was not meant to be watched, but lived.
The valedictorian address was given by Arnav Saraogi.
“We did a lot of dumb stuff,” he said, for example, messing with each other’s Chromebook. “That’s not bad. We were able to stay in the moment.”
Arnav’s advice was to not worry about things backfiring and to remember not to take everything so seriously.
Superintendent Dirk Phillips, who is retiring at the end of the month, then spoke.
“We finally made it,” he said. “It took me 29 years.”
Phillips was a district employee for that many years and superintendent for nine years. He said, as a wrestling coach, a boy on his team had just lost a tough decision and was out of the championship round. He told the disappointed wrestler to just step back, look at all the spectators and take in the moment.
“Carry a full heart of gratitude,” he told the graduating class. “Your accomplishments are not yours alone.”
He asked the students to look with gratitude upon their parents, their teachers, their entire community.
“Gratitude makes sense of our past and is a guiding light,” he said, wishing the kids success, gratitude and happiness.
The class salutatorian was Julietta Anna Lipari; the senior of the year was David Anthony Kelly; the citizen’s cup was given to Harrison Czerniecki Velechko and the Nathan Latifi Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Patrick Hurley.
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