The 2015 commencement ceremonies for Mineola High School mark an end not only for the 176 members of the graduating class, but also for a number of fixtures that have been with them through their secondary education.
One of those is senior class advisor Suzanne Sabatini, who last year had warned Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler to make his 2015 graduation address his best yet after overhearing praise about the 2014 edition.
First describing the Class of 2015 as a group of “Nice, thoughtful, empathetic seniors (who) have set a very high mark for those who follow you,” Nagler recalled having a conversation with a friend about the nature of work, noting that “loving what you do everyday makes work a lot easier.”
He divided types of work into three categories: a job which is done out of necessity that does not define you; a profession “which is more closely aligned with who you are;” and a calling where “your profession and your life become intertwined and you find yourself not easily separated… they happily coexist, each getting the attention they deserve when necessary.
“The best example of someone who has found his calling,” the superintendent said, happened to be the friend he was talking about and the other fixture for the graduates through their high school lives: high school principal Ed Escobar, whom is taking a central administration next year.
Describing Escobar as “the personification of someone who loves his job and his passion for children drives his being,” Dr Nagler advised the class to “follow your heart to work that calls to you. Not only will you be happy, but those you encounter will also receive a huge benefit, for those people who truly love their work can’t help but touch other people’s lives.”
The class officers centered a large portion of their addresses around memories of Escobar.
In her speech to the class, 2015 Valedictorian Monika Dharia recalled seeing the outgoing principal on her first day as a freshman.
“[He] met me with a huge smile. He said ‘hello’ as if he knew me for years,” she said. “Even though I personally didn’t know his name, I waved back, pretending I knew who he was. Since that first day, [he] has continuously greeted every graduating class whenever they entered the building.”
Salutatorian Michael Woytysiak said Escobar is someone, “who will always be remembered as an enthusiastic principal of Mineola High School capable of bringing a smile to any student he encountered,” while Class President Elizabeth Brown noted that “when we went too far,” some of her classmates would resort to “buying Mr. Escobar a light and sweet coffee so he would get us out of further trouble.”
A third person who will be missing from the Mineola School District is current Board of Education President Artie Barnett, who noted how “absolutely dedicated” Escobar has been to students “and he’s watched every step you’ve taken.”
Quoting the Apple Computer “Think Different” commercial “Here’s to the Crazy Ones” from 1997—when most of the graduates were born—Barnett’s advice to the class was to “celebrate yourselves today and be yourselves tomorrow and forever. Don’t conform, don’t be somebody else’s person, be yourself no matter what anyone else thinks or says.”
Receiving three separate standing ovations, Principal Escobar likened his words to a message in the high school yearbook and referenced a bulletin board in his office where he keeps postcards he receives from Mineola alumni telling of their journeys.
“A strong community relies on people actively making connections to one another,” Escobar said. “As a class and community you have the character, confidence and goodness to make positive connections that will last your entire life. Though it can be difficult to know what you really love so early in your life, don’t stand back and shy away from new experiences and ideas and embrace the challenges you face and appreciate all life has to offer.”
Check back here for a photo gallery of the Mineola High School Class of 2015.
