WEST ORANGE, NJ — All 512 students who graduated from West Orange High School during the 121st annual commencement exercises at Codey Arena on June 22 responded differently to the rite of passage they had looked forward to since first entering the school as nervous freshmen four years ago. Some sported large smiles, others danced and some remained serious. But one thing is true for all: Their adult lives have begun.
As daunting as that sounds, Brianna Attamante is ready to move on. The WOHS valedictorian urged her fellow graduates never to take their education and years growing up in West Orange for granted, and to use the lessons they’ve learned and the diversity that enriched them to help those who are marginalized, saying that their voices are more powerful than they realize.
Above all, Attamante stressed that they should appreciate every moment they are alive. Acknowledging the 49 innocent lives lost in the Orlando nightclub shooting, she advised students to live for those taken too soon as well as for themselves. They should never let years go by without feeling they have accomplished something, she said.
“Once you leave this arena, take risks and dare to dream of impossible things,” Attamante said. “Do not be afraid of failure. Embrace it and revel in it. Be better because you’ve learned from your mistakes.”
Salutatorian Mythili Kanagala also spoke of the importance of learning from the past, and reminded the class that everyone’s experiences make them who they are. She added that they should use what they have learned to make good decisions and find their purpose in life.
Finding one’s purpose was the key message West Orange Board of Education member Ron Charles sent to the students during his address. Charles, whose son Anthony was among the graduating seniors, told the class that to find success they should follow their passions and create a purpose.
“If you’re willing to listen to and be guided by a small voice within you that makes you come alive, you will be more than OK,” Charles said. “You will be happy. You will be successful. And you will make a difference in the world.”
Most graduates will undoubtedly follow their dreams as they enter the next phase of their lives. But for this one last night as students, many simply could not believe that their West Orange educational careers were actually over.
“It’s unreal,” Genesis Guedes told the West Orange Chronicle prior to accepting her diploma. “It’s weird that this time finally came. I feel like we’ve been waiting for this day all our lives.”
Guedes is already looking forward to attending Drew University. But she said she will always have fond memories of attending WOHS, from playing sports to making friends to meeting her boyfriend of four years. And she especially appreciates the guidance she received from teachers, calling her AP history teacher Michael Figueiredo a “second father” who inspired her to study history in college.
Richard Lindsay also praised the teaching staff as particularly influential on him during the past four years. Lindsay said they were all instrumental in preparing him for his future.
“The teachers really care,” Lindsay told the Chronicle outside Codey Arena. “They teach you stuff that you’ll be able to use later in life instead of just doing what their job requires.”
As for advice to incoming WOHS students, Taylor Detmar said they should not believe any upperclassmen who tell them there is a pool on the fifth floor, as she did as a freshman. But in all seriousness, Detmar encouraged them to attend WOHS football games and embrace the school’s spirit. Most schools do not have as much student enthusiasm, she said.
During the ceremony, Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Rutzky advised the Class of 2016 to always pretend that a loved one is with them whenever they make a major decision. That way, he said they can judge the wisdom of a potential action based by whether that loved one would approve of it. He told the Chronicle afterward that he is not worried about this group of students as it is clear to him that they are a “remarkable” bunch of people.
“I really think they are a very classy group of young ladies and young men,” Rutzky said in a June 23 phone interview. “Obviously we’re sad to see them go, but we’re thrilled for them and excited for them to move to that next portion of their life.”
And Board of Education President Laura Lab believes the students will be well prepared for the real world,thanks to the West Orange School District. Academically, Lab told the Chronicle they were offered an “extremely comprehensive” curriculum that kept them engaged and helped them to discover their interests. On top of that, she said the school system’s diversity enabled them to “appreciate society and embrace the differences as part of the norm.”
WOHS Principal Hayden Moore certainly knows the caliber of students of the Class of 2016; though every class is special to him, Moore said he was impressed by this year’s graduates for displaying intellect and humanity throughout their four years at the school. He said this was demonstrated when they gave Jimmy Tiernan, a classmate battling leukemia, an extended standing ovation when he accepted his diploma.
Overall, Moore said the Class of 2016 was truly exemplary.
“I think this class shows its humanity, shows its heart,” Moore told the Chronicle in a June 23 phone interview. “What more could I be proud of as a principal?”
Photos by Mary Ellen Morrow
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