Irvington Seniors Accept Sage Advice, Look Hopefully Toward the Future

An early evening graduation ceremony was held at the lovely riverfront Mathiesson Park for the Irvington High School seniors. Shortly after 5 p.m., the Irvington High School band began the processional by playing "Pomp and Circumstance" as the class of 2010 made their way to the risers and took their seats. After the pledge of allegiance, the IHS band segued into the "Star Spangled Banner".

Dr. Scott Mosenthal, the principal of Irvington High School, gave the opening speech:

"I would like to take a few moments to recognize the people who have played a major role in the accomplishments of the class of 2010, I begin with the parents and grandparents who have supported, encouraged, and loved the young people sitting in front of you; education begins in the home. It's also quite clear that the teachers and staff members of the Irvington school district, and I include Dows Lane and the Main Street School, have done a tremendous job in preparing these students for life beyond Irvington High School. Their knowledge, dedication, and love of kids are second to none," he said.

Yesterday was Mosenthal's eleventh graduation since becoming principal. "Indeed the best part of my job, without fail, is welcoming boys and girls into the high school and seeing them leave as young men and women four years later," he said.  Mosenthal then addressed the graduating class with some words of wisdom for life after high school:

"You will, I'm sure, be faced with opportunities that will appear at first to be overwhelming; your first reaction might be to play it safe and sit back or let someone else take a risk while you spectate," he said, mentioning just a few of the recent challenges the class of 2010 has already encountered. "So my message today is simply this: embrace the lives in front of you--we adults not only expect you to do so, we need you to do so."

Robyn Kerner, Board of Education president also had some sage advice for the IHS graduates:  "It is not always important to be right--getting along with everyone is much more important in the long run. Life is not a zero-sum game; more important than being right is building relationships that will enhance our life experiences," she said. "It is easy to be a gracious winner; yet it is your attitude and ability to deal with adversity that will set you apart."

The president of the class of 2010, Gemma Duffee, who is attending the University of Vermont in the fall, addressed the crowd: "As I reflect on our time at Irvington High School, those four years seem to blend together more so than any other time in my life," she said. "None of these days would have been half as enjoyable if it weren't for all the great people that I shared them with, whether it be the teachers, custodians, my classmates, and even the security guards Maxwell and Cesar. My friends were my teachers and my teachers were my friends. It was my interactions with all these people--whether they be lengthy conversations, small talk , or even simple smiles in passing--that make me happy to have gone to Irvington High School."

Salutatorian, Dasha Parkhomenko, who will be attending Georgetown University in the fall, engaged the audience with some personal anecdotes from her life, leading to the advice that "there will be times when we, the graduates, will be deemed inexperienced and have to prove ourselves to reach the finish line...We will have to accept our failures but not let them crush our spirits." 

Valedictorian, Rebecca Macies, who will enroll at Cornell University, reflected fondly on her four years at Irvington High School: "I recall the question every student has been asked over the past few months: What is your favorite thing about Irvington High School? For me that question was the key to my realizing why the students standing beside me are so remarkable. My favorite part of Irvington High School was without question, the feeling of community and the mutual respect between every individual here," she said.

Superintendent Kathleen Matusiak spoke last. She bestowed this advice on the graduates: "Know what you want, pursue it with your best intentions and be willing to learn from others. Take risks, and from time to time make mistakes. Surround yourselves with positive people and focus your energies on what really matters. Take good care of yourselves and never stop believing  in what you can accomplish."

Patch asked the graduates and their relatives how they felt about graduation. Here's what they had to say:

"[Rececca Macies] is a great girl and she spoke very well; she's the valedictorian and received a handful of awards." - Kevin Buis, Rebecca Macie's uncle

"I'm delighted, it's a great day, it's up from here" - Norma Gillis, grandmother of a graduate

"I'm very proud of him; his experience at Irvington High School was very enriching." - Mrs. Ganti, mother of Neil Ganti

"I've seen my two nephews grow up here and turn out to be fine young men, and that's a very positive experience; they're good kids, and they're in a good school district. - Dr. Madhu, Neil Ganti's aunt

"I'm going to miss my friends; it's going to be tough not seeing them every day, but we'll always be there for each other, and that's what's important." - Mike Kennelly, a graduate

"I'll miss all aspects: sports and academics--it was pretty amazing. They're going to go on to do great things and I'm happy that I went to school with them." - Marc Veilleux, a graduate

"She had fantastic grades, she did really well and I'm very proud of her." Phillip Nesmith, Tatyana Rodriquez's stepfather

"[Daniel's] my first grandchild and I'm very proud; it's quite a moment, and a beautiful sight; the weather is good, we're lucky. He did so well, he has a scholarship to Iona college." -  Pat Torpie, Daniel Swiecki's grandmother

"The relationships we made with our teachers is something I'll remember the most, they're really awesome." - Samantha Bednarz, a graduate

"It's been a great experience; now she's going off to college, she's the first one, we have another one graduating in two years." - Rick Powers, Danielle Patota's stepfather

"My grandson graduated today. It was a beautiful ceremony; I wish them all good luck. With this economy I don't know what's going to happen to these young people coming out of school. I wish them all luck." - Violet Palmer, grandmother of a graduate

"I'll miss how much everyone was a family, and how everyone was so connected even though we were so different." - Mike Tarulli, a graduate

"I'm very proud of him, I've seen him grow up to be a fine man. The last two years he's really blossomed as a person, both intellectually and socially, and we're very proud." -  Marc Veilleux's uncle

"The relationships you make with the teachers are great, a lot of schools are too big; here you get to know the teacher's on a personal level. I know a lot of other schools don't really have that." - Alex Sacchini

"My first day of high school freshman year when I met my latin teacher, she really motivated me to learn, and transformed everything from what I wanted to do with my life to where I want go to college. It had a great impact on me." - Scott Long, a graduate