|
|
|
|
Click to visit the
Official Town Site
|
|
|
|
|
|
General News: CCHS Graduates Get Inspired by the General
|
| General Petraeus greeted graduates before the ceremony starts. |
|
| Pre-ceremony excitement was evident as the graduates paraded in. |
|
| The graduates listen to applause from the crowd. |
|
| Class president Tomas Kerr welcomed graduates and guests. |
|
| General Petraeus spoke of the unique support found among members of the Cornwall community. |
|
| Gabriella Favorito was the 2010 class valedictorian. |
|
| The graduates get ready to receive their diplomas. |
|
| Celebration was in order once the commencement ceremony was completed. |
June 26, 2010
High school graduation is almost always momentous for the graduates and their families who look back over a dozen years of hard work, triumphs, failures and challenges that shaped the students standing on the brink of independence. This year’s graduation at Cornwall Central High School held even more significance because a hometown hero, General David Petraeus, shared his love of Cornwall and his passion for success with the graduating class.
School Officials and A Fallen Soldier's Family Meet with the General
Two hours before the ceremony was scheduled to start the students started arriving, posing for photos with their parents and making sure that their green and white caps and gowns were properly affixed. The excitement grew after 5 pm as everyone awaited the arrival of the general, who was reportedly delayed at the tribute to the Purple Heart Hall of Honor held earlier in the day.
In the school library, members of the school administration and the board of education waited to receive General Petraeus, who was to deliver the 2010 commencement speech on the 40th anniversary of his own graduation from Cornwall high school and just two days after President Barack Obama tapped him to run the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan. When he arrived, Petraeus spoke for several minutes with the family of Lt. Colonel Michael McMahon, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 and whose son, Mike, is a member of the graduating class.
The Ceremony Begins
Outside, the sun’s rays cast a golden hue on the crowd as the dignitaries and graduates paraded in and took their seats for the commencement ceremony. Tomas Kerr, the 2010 class president, welcomed everyone and the CCHS Concert Choir, with Brien Schweizer as soloist, sang “Star Spangled Banner.”
After greeting the guests and graduates, high school principal Frank Sheboy explained that he started as principal the same year that the new graduates walked in the door as freshmen and how each of their successes invigorated his job. He spoke about how graduates had been accepted by more than 100 different colleges and universities, including two Ivy League colleges, and acknowledged four graduates – Guy Burkhart, Thomas Mendiola, Justin Raynor and Robert Reeves – who are joining a branch of the military after graduation while three are others pursuing either ROTC training or other military training. He also asked all active members of the military and veterans in the audience to stand.
Petraeus Retains the Heart of a Green Dragon
Sheboy then welcomed the keynote speaker, General Petraeus, as a leader, an intellectual, an athlete, a scholar, and “a green dragon,” too.
In his crisp uniform with the four-stars sparkling on his epaulets and the sharp tilt of his Army beret, Petraeus cut an imposing figure as he described how over the years he has come to realize the special appeal of Cornwall, a community that “motivates you to give back.”
He praised the athletic, academic and artistic achievements of the high school graduates and encouraged them to “embody the heart of the dragon” once they leave.
General Challenges Graduates to Act, Dream, Plan and Believe
General Petraus spoke personally about the meaning he found in the words of 1921 Nobel laureate Anatole France, who wrote, ““To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” Recalling an incident when he suffered a bullet wound to the chest after another soldier’s gun accidently discharged, Petraeus said he first convinced himself, then others, that he would be out of the hospital within 100 days and that his commitment helped his recovery.
“Remember you can overcome any obstacle,” he told the graduates, “believe it and turn it into reality.”
Valedictorian Gabrielle Favorito Remembers the Joys of High School
After the general finished his speech and the concert choir sang two inspiring songs, class valedictorian Gabrielle Favorito delivered a speech in which she noted the importance of family, friends and teachers who helped the students blossom into the graduates they are today. She affectionately poked fun at principal Sheboy, noting his penchant for wearing green socks, and referred to the class of 2010’s commitment to their school, their community and their nation that he had inspired. “Use the passion of your heart to make a difference,” Favorito advised her fellow grads.
Awards and Diplomas Are Handed Out to New Graduates
Following encouraging words from school board president Larry Berger and school district superintendent Timothy Rehm, focus moved to the individual graduates who were called up to receive nearly 50 different scholarships and citizenship awards. With the last light of day, the 283 members of the graduating class were called to the stage individually to receive their diplomas and as a full moon rose over the Hudson Highlands, they were pronounced to be graduates and many took their caps and in a traditional gesture, tossed them up into the air.
Comments:
|
What a special event this was, for families and the community. It was an honor to hear these words of inspiration from General Petraeus, a true American hero.
posted by Kris Hintz on 06/28/10 at 4:47 PM
|
Add a Comment:
Please signup or login to add a comment.
|
 |
|
|
|
