Raritan High School Graduation A ‘Memorable Moment’ For Seniors

HAZLET, NJ – Decorated in green robes and black masks, Raritan High School seniors finally received their long-awaited in-person graduation on Wednesday. Spaced six feet apart on the high school athletic field, approximately 100 graduates each celebrated the milestone at 9 and 11:30 a.m.

Watch the full ceremony below:

Friends and family watched from a distance – apart from the graduates as well as each other – on the bleachers that overlook the fields. To kick off the ceremony, Class President William Zinckgraf led the Pledge of Allegiance while student musician Gabrielle Guida performed the national anthem.

Principal Andrew R. Piotrowski gave a congratulatory speech to the seniors, touting their unrelenting perseverance to excel given extraordinary circumstances.

“The Rockets of the class of 2020 have led the charge for a community that stands together. Four years ago, you entered the hall of Raritan and decided to pledge that you will graduate high school. You rose to the occasion even when you thought it was impossible.”

RHS session 2 graduation Congrats to all pic.twitter.com/29bWnufwEl
— Jacqueline Hafner (@HazletDirSpSvc) July 8, 2020

Valedictorian Katherine Koestler and Salutatorian Danny Fiore also took to the podium to congratulate their peers.

Although it wasn’t the typical graduation that seniors expected, several Raritan Rockets demonstrated the unforgettable experience. Senior Sam Simmons, who will be attending Brookdale Community College, called the ceremony “honestly great” and “memorable considering the circumstances”.

Senior Celia Grebenstein echoed Simmons’ comments:

“It was an overall memorable moment for me and my classmates,” said Grebenstein, who will be attending Rowan University. “It was a little bit different than I expected it to be population-wise, but I guess I also didn’t know what to expect considering the guidelines of safety due to the pandemic. other than that, my friends and I will always have something to remember during these hard times.”