More than 400 students celebrated a milestone achievement this past Sunday, June 28, as Hicksville High School held their 101st commencement ceremony.
Family members, friends and neighbors filled the stands of the Hicksville High School football field to cheer on the graduates, who were clad in white and black caps and gowns. Principal Raymond Williams opened the ceremony, saying that the class was full of “deeply talented students.”
“The challenges of the future pose opportunities to excel,” Williams said to the graduates. “We are living in a world where the opportunities are endless and our students are ready to compete. Go forward knowing you have been well prepared.”
At the ceremony, Hicksville High School class of 1980 alum Timothy J. Myers was also inducted into the Hall of Fame. The engineer, who had a daughter graduating that day, shared some words of wisdom.
“It didn’t seem that long ago that I was sitting in those chairs and I didn’t know what I wanted to do either, but that’s okay. You’ll figure things out along the way,” he said.
Also speaking at the event was Superintendent Dr. Carl Bonuso, Board of Education Vice President Kevin Carroll and Legislator Rose Walker, who praised the students for their charitable efforts.
“You always make me proud. You’ve given to so many people less fortunate than you and do all you can to help make lives better,” Walker said. “When you go on your separate ways, always remember to look out for those less fortunate and give of yourselves and make things better for someone else.”
Salutatorian Priya Mishra thanked her teachers for helping her navigate the difficulties of high school.
“While we may be excited to move on from high school as an institution, what we’re going to miss most are all the people we’ve formed bonds with. We could not have made it without the generosity of our peers, teachers and the faculty,” Mishra said. “To the teachers, thank you for being amazing at what you do. I think we can all agree that it was your humor, kindness and witty banter that made these years not just tolerable, but enjoyable.”
She encouraged students to make their mark in the changing world.
“There is greatness in all of you. You all have the power to leave the world a better place than you found it,” Mishra said.
Valedictorian Sebastian Niculescu echoed those sentiments, telling his peers to “create a ruckus for the better.”
“We live in a time of momentous change,” he said. “We have the ability to change society for the better. Fight for what you believe in.”
He urged students to embrace the “wondrous loneliness” that will come after graduation.
“The routine we have been operating under and the people that have populated all the little moments of our lives will be gone and our lives as we know them will change forever,” he said. “Yes it will be sad…but this loneliness will force us to construct a new world for ourselves. This is a productive solitude, a creative one. We won’t have the structure we’ve had looming over us for the past 12 years, we’ll be able to create our own definition of success.”
After the speeches, students were called up to the stage to receive their diplomas, marking the end of their high school years. The ceremony ended with the Class of 2015 moving their tassels and tossing their caps, ready for the journey ahead.
