WOHS grads told to look for purpose, passion and people

The 496 West Orange High School seniors who completed all required courses graduated on June 22 in a late-afternoon ceremony held at Codey Arena.

Following the processional, which featured the Honor Court comprised of the top 10 percent of rising seniors, the National Anthem was sung in four-part harmony by graduating seniors Morgan Palent, Madison Gough, Elena Hause, and Delia Kravits.

West Orange High School Principal Oscar Guerrero welcomed students and families into the packed arena. In making his first commencement speech since becoming principal in November, he began by recounting the remarkable academic and athletic accomplishments of the graduating class.

He noted, “advance your skill system, commit to hard work, and lean on your support system: your parents, friends, teachers, advisors, counselors, and administrators that have all helped you get to this point, so you can all be prepared for real-life success but also drive you and your talents. And remember, you are now joining a family of alumni who once also wore blue and white. Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer.”

The graduation choir sang “The Impossible Dream,” with graduating senior James Felton on lead. The song was conducted by William Farley in his last appearance before retirement. The graduation band, under the direction of Lewis Kelly and Erin Lagatic, performed a rendition of “Arabesque.”

Salutatorian Tyler Harwood brought some humor with this speech.

“I am honored to be addressing you all as your class salutatorian, and for those of you who might not know what a salutatorian is, it means that I came in second place. It means that my GPA was three-hundredths of a decimal off from being valedictorian. If that doesn’t confirm that second place is first loser, I don’t know what does,” he said.

“It took me quite a while to find the right things to say in this speech. This is a special class. We’ve survived a global pandemic, remote learning, in recent weeks – the sky turning an apocalyptic shade of yellow, and the most formidable challenge, in my opinion, the senior parking lot, and thus our special class deserves an equally special speech.”

“While pondering some ideas to write about, my mind kept going back to our recent elementary school clapouts, which was for me and hopefully for many of you as well, a perfect full-circle moment, being able to go back to where it all started. Conveniently, at the clapout at Mount Pleasant, their kindergarten graduation was occurring at the same time, so we seniors were able to crash that and get clapped out of their own graduation. And that really brought me back and had me reflecting.”

He noted, “I have one vivid memory of my kindergarten graduation. I had just received my certificate or diploma or whatever the heck they gave us for graduating from kindergarten, and I was feeling on top of the world. I was feeling really good in my little paper cap and having just graduated from kindergarten, I felt as though I could take on anything. “What’s next?” I thought to myself, “First grade? Easy. Second grade? Piece of cake. Third grade? No problem. Fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade…”

And then I really started thinking about it and doing the math and that’s when it hit me. “I have to do this for another 12 years?!” My kindergarten self couldn’t even fathom 12 years because I had literally only been alive for half that time. I definitely felt humbled and small at that moment. And I feel even smaller in front of you all this evening having the whole world in front of us.”

Valedictorian Richard James Tibang began by thanking family and faculty and went on to address his classmates.

“And so, as we stand on the brink of our next chapter, we find ourselves in limbo, wondering what to do with all this free time now that we’ve deleted Google Classroom and Powerschool off our phones and that our Gmail no longer ends in westorangeschools.org. Many of us may find ourselves breaking free from the safety and comfort of home, launching ourselves into new environments, much like how it felt during the first day of freshman year. Only this time, we’ve got taxes, student loans, and a disorienting new sense of independence.”

“But despite our collective fears and anxieties, it’s important to recognize where our greatest strength lies: our ability to adapt. We got shoved into virtual school midway through our freshman year up until the end of sophomore year, and only experienced WOHS for real during our junior year, and we still turned out kind of OK. If we could do that, I think we could be alright. And this could never be possible without our support systems, our safety nets, the people who are our rocks, our shoulders to lean on.”

“I’m going to sound really Hallmark-gift-card —“Live, Laugh, Love” — but it’s true when they say that home is people, not a place. The families and friends that we’ve met here have allowed us to grow communities that have influenced and shaped our identities. So, after we’ve received our diplomas, thrown our caps in the air, and got no more tears left to cry, I implore you to find and build new homes out there in the world. Look forward to embracing whatever comes your way while staying in touch with the foundations you’ve made here. As we progress into the real world, filled with turmoil and uncertainty, let us be the glimmers of hope and the voices of good that will keep this place together. Imagine a world like that. It’s the things we have, and the people we’ve met that will still make us the happiest. We’ve got so much love, got so much patience, learned from the pain, and it turned out pretty amazing.”

Board of Education President Brian Rock offered students congratulations and advice.

“With tonight’s commencement ceremony, you have come to the end of your journey here in the West Orange Public Schools. We celebrate you tonight, and when you wake up tomorrow you’ll take the first step in the next chapter of your life. Before you do so, I want to leave you with a few words of wisdom. Those three words – we’ll call them the three P’s – are purpose, passion, and people.”

“But now, it’s up to you to define that purpose. Why do you wake up every morning, and what do you hope to achieve in your life? If you are lucky, you will be able to find a career that serves your purpose. I found my purpose in education, and I started my career as a teacher. But a purpose is not the same thing as a career. If you find yourself in a job that doesn’t align with your purpose, look for other ways to fulfill it. Take all of that money you’re making, and donate some of it to a good cause. Or give of your time, and serve as a volunteer with an organization.”

“The next “P” is passion. What brings a smile to your face and lights up your day? Now, it’s up to you. Life is about more than work, no matter how important that work is. So explore different hobbies and activities, and find something that you’re passionate about.”

“The final “P” is people. Find the people that really matter to you. Surround yourself with them and go to them for support. Figure out who has your best interests at heart and who you can actually trust. Those are the people you should look to for guidance and support. Learn to tune out the rest, and take their advice with a grain of salt. Know that many people will ask things of you – your boss, your coworkers, your neighbors, your classmates. They’ll pull you this way or that. Remember that it’s always up to you whether you say “yes” or “no.”

Be there for the people that you truly care about – and know that you can’t do everything for everyone. In good times and in bad, know who your people are. Be there for them, and they’ll be there for you.”

Acting Superintendent Hayden Moore stepped to the podium to officially proclaim the students graduates as they moved their tassels from left to right.
Diplomas were then distributed to the students amidst smiles, handshakes, and perhaps a few tears. As the recessional played, they exited the arena to head to Project Graduation, and their last evening together as a class.