New Rochelle HS Celebrates Newest Class of 2021 Grads

NEW ROCHELLE, NY —A special graduation ceremony on Thursday honored two dozen New Rochelle High School seniors for their perseverance during difficult times and for completing their academic requirements over the summer to join the Class of 2021.

District administrators, family members and friends honored students’ accomplishments at a graduation ceremony held at the high school. Speakers included Superintendent Jonathan Raymond, New Rochelle High School Interim Principal Steven Goldberg and Board of Education President Julia Muggia Ochs.

The speakers praised the “remarkable grit” shown by the students as they overcame obstacles in their way to cross the finish line and graduate.

“Each one of us experiences our own Mount Everest,” Ochs told the graduates. “Your resilience will serve you well.”

The gathered students graduated with the support of teachers and administrators who led an innovative summer program to help those in elementary through high school meet the academic, social and emotional challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raymond acknowledged students’ hard work and the support given to them by their families. Expressing the district’s pride in graduates’ accomplishments, he urged them to “never give up.”

The ceremony was a more intimate affair than the dual commencements this June in which 675 diplomas were presented. This week’s smaller ceremony has special meaning for those who helped usher students along a less direct path to graduating high school.

“As you continue on your life journey, find your voice and learn to use it,” Goldberg told the newest members of the Class of 2021 . “Speak, express and let yourself be heard. And take the time to listen... try to understand others’ point of view.”