Dr. David Hopson
On Friday evening, June 8th, the Class of 2012 graduated from Gateway Regional High School in a wonderful, well attended, outdoor ceremony. This class, as recognized by the class officers at their awards ceremony, was not necessarily seen as an outstanding class when they began high school in the fall of 2008. In the years since, these young adults experienced much, felt the highs and lows of life as students, youth, and members of society, and overcame that initial perception.
This class, from seven diverse towns, had all kinds of people as members with the common theme of reaching this destination despite challenges. In recent years, the world we’ve known has changed dramatically. At whatever level we look we see significant changes – our solar system “lost” a planet that many memorized in elementary school; our world where the “Arab Spring” has changed the way millions look at the interactions between politics and social media; our country where bipartisanship has become a dirty word rather than a lofty goal; our state where tornados tore through the region and changed the very fabric of our landscape; and even our district where our student population dropped to historic lows resulting in the consolidation of our elementary schools. It’s hard to argue that change doesn’t happen, as our world is ever changing and those changes are always challenging our perceptions, our plans, and the way that we live.
Graduation marks the move to another phase of a student’s life, the graduates’ last time together as an entity known as the Class of 2012. This class recently underwent a terrible tragedy and experienced all of the angst and pain that results from the loss a fellow student. In a lesson that I hope member of the Class of 2012 carries forward, they learned how to take this loss and grow from it – to make the most of a negative situation by using this to bring their class together, to support others in their time of need, to grow in understanding, knowledge, and capacity – in short to create a shared memory of finding strength and unity in a time of great loss.
I hope that this class takes this understanding of overcoming an obstacle and of helping others with them as they leave Gateway– it may be the most important and long-term item that they’ve learned to date. I ask that they remember that luck comes most often to those who work hard, that blaming someone else doesn’t solve a problem, and that success come to those who prepare for the challenges that life brings. I want our graduates to consider how they can take their knowledge and make a difference in the world by measuring success not in a material way but by resolving to thank, support, and share their lives with others who have made a difference in their lives.
I ask that the graduates of the Class of 2012 reflect on the potential meanings of the memorable butterfly release, as outlined by their class adviser Ms. Lavigueur. Whatever meaning one wants to put on the transformation from caterpillar through the chrysalis to the winged butterfly, it does show that change can be both inevitable and wonderful, similar to the change that parents see happening when their baby is so quickly walking across the stage to receive a high school diploma.
My congratulations to the Class of 2012 and my best wishes and hopes to each graduate for a bright and productive future!
