It’s only the beginning for the many Berkeley County public and private school graduates who received their high school diploma this season.
It was a time for the valedictorians and salutatorians of the class to reflect on the end of their secondary education and look toward the future, or as St. John’s Christian Academy Valedictorian Jansten Cole Robertson said:
“Today is a day that we have been waiting ever so patiently for.”
Berkeley Middle College valedictorian Zari Kaylee Veronica Case focused on what she learned during high school, and had some advice for her classmates.
“One thing that these last two years have taught me is the appreciation of delayed gratification. Delayed gratification is putting off what is easy and appealing for now for what is great in the long term. It is patience, self-control and willpower. It is realizing that the wait is not over yet,” Case said. “Mark Twain once said: ‘the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.’ So as you continue on this journey we call life, keep in mind that what feels like the end is most often the beginning. Go out and discover the big ‘why.’"
Goose Creek valedictorian Ian Jef Aquino Bongalonta said the tests of their lives will no longer resemble the ones they are used to.
“Today we say goodbye to multiple choice tests and move onto the multiple choices we will face in life,” Bongalonta said. “You can’t pay your bills by filling in ‘C’ if you don’t know the answer. We say goodbye to the highly scripted simulation enclosed in a brick wall — well, in our case a few bricks and hunks of metal, and say hello to the real world.”
Berkeley High School valedictorian Laura Beth Futrell advised students that learning occurs in all facets of life.
“We must always keep our minds open to the new opportunities to learn outside the classroom,” Futrell said.
She reminded the Berkeley faculty that their labor is not in vain, and encouraged her peers to express their gratitude in years to come.
“Whether you plan on going to college, the military or the workforce, there will always be those moments when you will want to thank your high school teachers for providing the knowledge that you needed to be successful in the future,” she said. “When you do have these moments, I urge you to send your teacher an email and let them know they’re not just lecturing to brick walls.”
Timberland valedictorian and future Harvard student Gabe Wadford praised his class for a job well done, which superseded academics.
“We are truly an amazing class,” Wadford said. “We are amazing because of our spirits …we all want to see one another succeed which says a lot about who were as a group. We all have the potential to do wonderful things.”
As he and his peers prepare for the real world, Wadford encouraged the class to contribute ideas to society that are backed by sincerity and good intentions.
“As we increasingly engage in the world around us, it is imperative that these beliefs and ideas we contribute are well informed, well thought out and appropriately articulated,” Wadford said. “But above all, it is important that at the heart of every idea, there is good will and understanding.”
Cane Bay High valedictorian Andrew Parnow referenced the remarkable year for Cane Bay’s football team, which ended the season with 10 wins and 2 losses, after previous setbacks:
“Friends, like our football team, you may experience times in your life where it will feel like every situation you face is an uphill battle. You may feel discouraged and will want to give in and forgo the fight. Do not give in. Continue to fight. Let God fill you with his unwavering strength each day and allow his joy to permeate your entire life."
Hanahan High Salutatorian Andrea Claudette Heyward likened high school to climbing a mountain, but said there is another mountain ahead of them.
"I say to you to not just keep climbing mountains but to keep conquering mountains ... Right now we're at the base of another mountain and every person who has ever climbed a mountain knows you can't just take a straight line to the top. You have to look for the best path."
Stratford valedictorian Brooke Elisabeth Mitchum said character will play a key role in remembering the past and moving forward.
"Greatness is to leave those around you with a little more happiness and sense of hope than they had before," Mitchum said. "Our time as seniors will not be remembered by our grades or our popularity. It will be remembered by our relationships and our character. So on your journey to achieve greatness don’t forget about those that helped you along the way."
On a similar note, Cross High Salutatorian Samantha Detamore advised her class to be kind.
“The world’s a cruel place on its own. Please don’t add to it,” she said.
