A Mansfield Senior High graduate cited the playoff slogan of the Cleveland Cavaliers Saturday morning when she urged the Class of 2016 to be “all in” for themselves.
Raquel Eatmon, a member of the Class of 1988, said the “all in” phase reflects the support of all of Cleveland as the Cavs pursue an NBA championship.
“My question to you is: When have you been all in for yourself instead of a ball team or your favorite star?” she asked the graduates.
Eatmon, CEO of Rising Media, a communications company, urged the class to pursue their goals without fear of failure and without regard to the “haters.”
“You’re going to fail sometimes. That’s what happens on the way to success,” she said. “Don’t fear failure. Fear is what paralyzes you.
“Be afraid of never accomplishing you goals. Don’t be afraid of failure, be afraid of a lackluster life day after day.”
Eatmon cautioned graduates – who leave with a combined $2,697,968 in postsecondary scholarships -- not to allow what may have happened to them to define who they are. She recalled being raised by a single mother and enduring an entire winter without heat.
“There’s a difference in who you are and what’s happened to you. We all have hard times sometimes. Let the past go and move on,” she said.
Eatmon urged the class to ignore the criticism of others.
“There will be haters. Some people won’t like you because they can’t be you. Let it go. Let them be,” she said. “Even if you move away, come home sometimes and give back to the city that raised you. Don’t worry about the haters, they’ll be waiting when you get back.”
Coming from a small town is no barrier to having big ideas, Eatmon said.
“We need you to influence the world and nurse it back to love,” she told the graduates in closing. “We are all in for you.”
Valedictorian Grace Haring, the daughter of David and Jill Haring, will attend Miami University to study psychology and neuroscience. She reminded her classmates that the human brain “is amazing.”
“It is so important to your success to think positively. It is up to you to find and pursue your passion,” she said. “Success is in the eye of the beholder, Class of 2016, and I’m sure each of you will achieve your own.”
Salutatorian Thea Crowley, the daughter of Matthew Crowley and Steph Udhe, will study environment science at Lewis and Clark College in Portland Oregon.
“I plan to dedicate my life to preserving nature,” she told fellow graduates. Passions can take you so many places but always remember where you came from. Always remember this school.”
Superintendent Brian Garverick recognized graduates who had participated in clubs, music and organizations or played sports while at Senior High.
“You leave here with a solid Mansfield City Schools education,” he said. “Your teachers have prepared you to move forward on your life’s journey. They realize your potential. I realize your potential. But it is up to each of you to develop your potential.”
First-year Principal Dr. Jose Hernandez certified to Garverick and board of education president Renda Cline than the Class of 2016 had met all requirements for graduation.
At the outset of the program Jimmy “Shorty” Gordon received the 2016 Golden Tyger Award, established by the Class of 2012 for outstanding service to Mansfield City Schools.