Huntington High School Celebrates Class Of 2023 Graduation

HUNTINGTON, NY — The Huntington High School class of 2023 celebrated its commencement in late June in front of a near-capacity crowd, the school district announced.

Clad in navy blue caps and gowns, more than 325 seniors marched into the auditorium to a standing ovation as strains of Elgar’s "Pomp and Circumstance No. 1" filled the air. The group garnered millions of dollars in scholarships and grants and gained admittance to some of the most select colleges and universities in the nation.

This marked the Huntington’s 162nd annual commencement exercises, which date to July 18, 1862, when a class of six students earned diplomas during the Civil War.

This year’s senior class captured numerous academic, artistic, athletic, musical and humanitarian awards, earning county, state and national recognition along the way. The top scholars and student leaders sat in chairs on the huge stage along with school officials and members of Huntington’s Board of Education.

Senior members of the chamber choir performed Francis Scott Key’s “"tar Spangled Banner." The 90-minute ceremony included a series of short addresses.

Dartmouth College-bound salutatorian Haileigh Smith is planning to study for a career as a dermatologist. To prep for her address to her classmates, she flipped through her primary, intermediate and middle school yearbooks.

"As I flipped through the pages I was hit with how much has changed over the last 13 years," Smith said. "But, at the same time, I was awe stricken with how almost nothing has changed. Sure we may have gained a foot or two in height, lost the braces, maybe changed our hairstyles. But, whether they were 8 or 18 years old, I saw the same smiling faces that eagerly had their pictures taken on the first day of school, the same enthusiastic kids radiating with each and every spirit day, and the same goofy or loving personalities showing through the signatures in the back of every book. Those kids running their hearts out in pictures of elementary school field days were caught in the same athletic poses in high school, only this time they had varsity jerseys on their backs. The happy toddlers waving in the yearly parades were now uniformed members of the band or Highsteppers, leading those same parades themselves as graduating seniors. To me, the funniest part was seeing how half the kids we voted for superlatives in Finley claimed those same superlatives again in senior year. If that doesn’t show continuity, I don’t know what does. With every graduation it felt like we were losing something in the moment. But then time happened, and we moved on to bigger and better things. We kept the best of what and who we had with us and we gained more than what we ever would have expected in terms of relationships, opportunities and experiences. I have no doubt that the same will be true for this graduation."

The tradition-laden ceremony evoked a variety of emotions in both the seniors and their family members as tears could be seen in more than a few eyes.

Valedictorian Laurel Bonn, who is headed to the University of Georgia in the fall to pursue an academic major in biology for preparation for a career in dentistry, gave a passionate speech.

"Whether you launch yourself into a gap year, overseas to Europe or college across the country, know that Huntington will always be here as your rock, your center, and your light, that will burn for eternity," Bonn told her classmates. "No matter how far apart, we will always gravitate towards each other like the planets in the solar system, with this school as the sun that keeps us all connected. Huntington High School is where we will always be able to find a source of light remembering all of the good times, happiness, and childhood memories that happened the past four years. I am honored and proud to be leading the last official send-off of our class of 2023’s rocket into the universe in which after, all of us will lead our individual missions. Before we do just that, I have one final mission for all of you: Through tears, frustration, and mistakes, find happiness and satisfaction in the little things. The little things ignite small fires that grow into burning passions. I cannot wait to see where these passions take all of us in the future.”
"Embrace the chance to be unreasonable."

Superintendent James W. Polansky’s gave his final Huntington commencement speech after leading the district since July 1, 2011. He is retiring at the end of the summer.

"What I have found most joyful throughout my time here are the relationships I have cultivated – with students, colleagues, parents, community members and others," Polansky told the crowd. "It is these relationships that have truly shaped my experience and have motivated me to do my best work. In this light, I implore you, class of 2023 members, to maintain positive relationships and choose joy as you travel life’s roads. When you do so, you will feel good. When you feel good, you will do good. When you do good, it reminds others of what joy feels like and it might just inspire others to do the same. If someone comes into your life and has a positive impact on you, remain thankful that your paths crossed. If they can’t stay in your life or if you drift apart over time, be thankful that they somehow brought joy into your life even if it was just for a short while."

As Polansky signaled the seniors had met the requirements for a diploma and were now officially graduated, the new alums tossed their caps high into the air to the cheers of the crowd, before hugging one another and being congratulated by their families.

The teenagers and their loved ones lingered for more than an hour in the auditorium lobby and around the front of the building, posing for countless rounds of photos and saying goodbye to one another. Many of them realized this would be the last time the entire class of 2023 would be assembled together in one place and they appeared unwilling to let go of the moment even a minute too early.