One hundred and fifty-six members of the Mansfield Senior High School Class of 2017 walked out of Pete Henry Gym Saturday with diplomas, cheers, applause and a ton of good advice.
The class goes forward with a cumulative total of $1,684,304 in postsecondary scholarships.
“Our lives so far have been pretty straightforward. From now on the decisions we make will seal our futures,” valedictorian Anastasia Axiopoulou said in an address to her classmates.
“We will not always succeed at first but it will not be failure unless we let it.”
Axiopoulou, who will enter Wright State University to study for a career in medicine, urged all in the Class of 2017 to “cherish each moment” as they pursue opportunities that lie ahead.
“It is easy to get caught up in everyday tasks but remember to look around and enjoy life,” she said.
Salutatorian Gabrielle Swoope, who plans to enter Ohio State University to pursue a career in medicine, recalled kindergarten when the immediate goal was to get to recess. As years went by everyone was eager to get to the next grade but now, she said, she wished those years had not gone so quickly.
“There are winding roads with twists and turns ahead but as long as we remain positive we will get through,” Swoope said.
“I once heard someone say our mission in life is not just to survive but to thrive. Keep pressing on to your goals.”
Class president Olta Toska welcomed all the commencement program by asking for applause for all of the faculty, staff and families “who have helped us.”
“I am so proud to be part of this great group,” Toska said of the graduating class. “The diversity of this class is so great. We have learned more from each other than we ever could from a textbook.”
Senior High Principal Dr. Jose Hernandez had high praise for the Class of 2017.
“These students are entering the next stage of their lives. I appreciate the respect and support of this class,” he said. “Most of all, you in this class have shown love for each other.”
Herndandez called assistant principals Fuzzie Davis and Lori Crum to join him at the podium, then told Superintendent Brian Garverick and board of education President Renda Cline that he, Davis and Crum certified that the Class of 2017 had met all academic requirements for graduation.
Ms. Cline read a poem titled “The Dash,” which notes the dash between a person’s birth and death dates on a tombstone. The poem emphasizes all in an individual’s lifetime that is represented by that dash.
Garverick asked the graduates to stand if they had participated in clubs, sports, band, choir, art shows, musicals, or a host of other activities, including earning college credit of an associate’s degree while at Senior High. The entire class was standing to the applause of families and friends who filled the bleachers on both sides.
Jasaya Harris sang the National Anthem at the outset of the ceremony.
Graduate Antreassian and her mother, Anita Adkins, sang “Because I Knew You” from the Broadway musical “Wicked.”
The Senior High band played “Pomp and Circumstance” to open the program and the fanfare and procession as the class exited.