Saint Mary’s Schools recently celebrated the graduation of the class of 2024, capping off four years of high school achievement for a group that entered these formative years during a pandemic.
Class of 2024 earned nearly 17 million dollars in academic scholarships, along with acceptances to Yale, Duke, Cornell, Dartmouth, Case Western, Villanova, Notre Dame, Georgia Institute of Tech, NYU, RIT, Virginia Tech, The Catholic University of America, Geneseo, Pratt, Seton Hall, Carnegie Mellon, Michigan, Providence, Fordham, Siena, St. John’s, and more.
“The glorious blue skies over Marist Hall on Thursday, May 30, set the stage for the 71st Commencement Exercises for Saint Mary’s High School as the Class of 2024 processed onto Denihan Field with Pomp and Circumstance livening their spirited marching cadence. The evening ceremony was a wonderful celebration for all in attendance, especially the graduates, who had much to be proud of after their hard work, perseverance, and resilience over the past four years. As a community, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to our newest St. Mary’s alumni family members,” noted Eileen Symmons, their fellow alum and director of communications for the Church and Schools of St. Mary.
Vanessa Savage, the class’s salutatorian, chose words of encouragement to open the main part of the ceremony.
“As we embark on the next chapter of life, here’s my advice: Believe in yourself and surround yourself with people that believe in you. Even when you doubt your abilities, trust that the people who know you best see something exceptional in you,” said Savage. “They believe you can achieve great things, and they’re right.”
Principal Gerard Buckley reminded the students to look to the bigger picture for direction in their lives with a quote from Pablo Picasso.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away… I think all too often individuals go through life and fail to find that gift,” said Buckley. “So I really encourage you to explore your interests and passions in college, and when you find your gift, embrace it with everything in your power, to become an expert as a lawyer, an accountant, a programmer, a teacher, or a member of religious community.”
After the graduates were acknowledged, valedictorian Leigh Dubois made her speech. She stated that rather than focusing on all of the things she might have missed out on, she was choosing to celebrate all they had accomplished.
“There’s so much we’ve all achieved. We came together and fostered friendships during a pandemic. We excelled in sports, winning championships and receiving the number of athletic scholarships. We put on theatrical performances that never failed to amaze audiences. We became trailblazers outside the classroom, spearheading our own initiatives and becoming role models to the underclassmen. We excelled academically, and racked up acceptances from many of the country’s top colleges,” said Dubois. “Regret can overwhelm you if you allow it to, but I see no reason why it should. There are so many incredible memories we have made together. We’ve broken boundaries.”
Congratulations Saint Mary’s Class of 2024.
