Applause and well-wishes resonated throughout the Wisdom Lane Middle School auditorium as 153 students received their certificates of completion from Levittown’s Gerald R. Claps Career and Technical Center program.
Levittown Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tonie McDonald thanked the graduates for their contributions, including ties made for the district concerts, printing jobs, senior citizen services and delicious catering.
“We couldn’t operate without you,” she said.
In his opening remarks, director Frank Creter told the students to follow their passion and to never stop learning.
“Try to overcome the challenges that prevent you from becoming who you want to be,” he said.
In her address to the senior class, SkillsUSA president Kimberly Herrera said that being enrolled in GC Tech’s program “helped us to realize that we must work hard to succeed.”
Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes gave the students some sound advice.
“Don’t worry about the big goals. Go for the small,” he said. “And make yourself stand out and apart from others.”
Student awards and scholarships were bestowed among many of the graduates, prior to being individually called to the stage to receive their certificates of completion. A slideshow developed by the computer animation students that recapped the school year was then shown to the graduates and their families.
