Moving On: The Andover High School Class of 2011

Members of the Bloomfield Hills Andover graduating class of 2011 closed their high school careers Sunday focused on the future, but certainly appreciative of their experiences.

"Find your past teachers and thank them, even if they gave you a C,"  outstanding female senior Rachel Rohr told the hundreds in attendance at Meadow Brook Sunday afternoon.

She then turned to the teachers and paid a heartfelt compliment, "We want to be like you."

Most of the speakers added a humorous twist to their words of advice and thanks.

Michael Linden, outstanding male senior, touched on his zeal for community politics and described the high school experience as a lifelong bond.

"Ask anyone... to know me is to disagree with me," he said. "Andover is a thread woven into the fabric of our lives."

Both Rohr and Linden were voted by classmates as speakers, since Andover does not rank valedictorians, salutatorians or a top scholar.

Andover Principal Rob Durecka quoted Tom Brokaw in his presentation of the 230 graduates to the Board of Education: "You cannot get through this world alone. You need each other."

Ingrid Day, president of the Board of Education, asked each student for a moment to reflect.

"Take a moment and close your eyes...," she said. "Who has had an impact on me in my day to day life? Who do I listen to when I can't get a straight answer from myself?"