From all outward appearances, Riverhead High School’s commencement ceremonies yesterday were pretty typical: The senior class marching onto the football field, accompanied by the repetitive notes of “Pomp and Circumstance,” expressions of uncertainty and nervousness giving way to smiles; proud parents and family members packing the bleachers, cheering wildly; mortarboards decorated with artwork and messages; the occasional hijinks among students during the ceremonies; music, song and, of course, speeches — leading up the “the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” as Riverhead High School Principal Sean O’Hara put it, the moment when each graduate receives their diploma. The principal then says the hallowed words, “by the power vested in me by the State of New York ” and pronounces members of the senior class “graduates of Riverhead High School.” Caps are tossed, hugs are given. There are leaps of joy and high-fives and faces young and old wear broad grins and tear-streaked cheeks.
But this was no ordinary graduation — not by a long shot.
“We did not know until seven days ago that we would be here, all of us— together,” O’Hara told the crowd.
It was a story-book ending for a graduating class that rode out much adversity, beginning in the spring of its junior year, when the coronavirus struck New York and the world around them came to an abrupt, screeching halt. They coped with school being shut down and activities ceasing, remote learning, failed budgets, contingency cuts, and more uncertainty than any young person should ever have to face.
But cope they did, as did the teachers, administrators and staff who invented, on the fly, new ways to do their jobs and teach and communicate with their students. Together, they learned, as their principal told them yesterday evening, “Together we are Riverhead Strong.”
“You can choose to remember your senior year as the year of the pandemic,” Interim Superintendent Christine Tona told the class, “or you can choose to remember your senior year as the year where you overcame adversity, developed resiliency and learned to appreciate the small but important things in life,” she said. “Some may refer to Class of 2021 as the class that survived the pandemic. I hope instead that you are known as the class of inspiration.”
Keynote speaker Tjuana Fulford, founder and executive director of the Butterfly Effect Project, drew on the poetry of Langston Hughes and the lyrics of hip-hop artist the Notorious B.I.G. to drive home her messages about the importance of pursuing one’s dreams, believing in yourself, and never giving up. The 2002 Riverhead High School grad spoke of her own journey in life, of the evolution of her goals and aspirations and of how each step along the way in its own way prepared her for what she is doing right now, “living my dream,” running an organization she started with eight girls in 2014 that now serves over 500.
Fulford shared 10 pieces of wisdom “to help you be the best person you can be.” Her short list of 10 gems: “Be true to yourself… Don’t give up… Be open-minded… Be teachable…Be accountable… Trust the process…Be compassionate… Failure is a blueprint for success…Be your own cheerleader…Remember who you are and whose you are,” she said.
“You are the class that reminded the community that this is not a time to separate but a time to pull together. You are the class that practiced love at a time when some adults forgot what it was. You are resilient. You are leaders You are way-makers and ground shakers. You are the answered prayers in your family and the hope in the community,” she told the graduates.
“You come from a community that is diverse and proud of it… You come from a community that sees your face and can tell you who your kinfolks are. You come from a community that will fgve you the shirts off their backs to see you win. You come from a community that created a Facebook page the sole objective of which is to bless you. You come from a community that will stand with you and for you. You are Riverhead Strong,” Fulford said to applause.
Fulford urged them to keep this affirmation in their hearts: “I am strong. I am beautiful. I am intelligent. I am thankful. And I am the future.”
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Diane Tucci
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