Graduating senior Andrew Smith, the student speaker for Skyline High School said he wasn’t nervous about giving a speech.
“Diarrhea can be caused by a lot of things,” he said to great laughter.
His serious last words, quoted by the great Bob Marley, were “one love, one heart, let’s get together and be all right.”
All fun aside, high school graduation is a special time and certainly a rite of passage. Skyline principal, Lisa Hechtman recognized the class of 2013, first by asking them to stand up if they learned anything while at Skyline. They all stood.
Then, she asked them to stand if they were members of the National Honor Society, or if they took any International Baccalaureate classes, if they were IB graduates, if they earned their associate’s degree while in high school, if they earned a scholarship, if they were going to college, if they were National Merit commended scholars, if the were National Merit finalists and so on.
Clearly, this was not a class of slackers, as the number of students who stood up in each category were considerable.
“You are unique and born for a specific purpose,” Hechtman said. “You matter. We have great expectations of you, and we’re very proud.”
School board president Brian Deagle encouraged the class to take risks and to not be fearful.
“It’s often when we feel uncomfortable that we’re making the right decision,” he said.
He told the class the quality of their lives would not be determined by whether or not they accomplish their dreams, but rather if they try.
Andrew Smith, the student speaker at Skyline High School’s commencement, sported a Taco Bell hat for most of his amusing speech.
A student is recognized by principal Lisa Hechtman. Hechtman recognized the group as a whole, asking them to stand up if they learned something while at Skyline, then individually for other achievements.
A graduate beams after receiving her diploma.
A graduate walks down the stairs to be congratulated by Skyline principal Lisa Hechtman.
