The Hightstown High School Class of 2024 came together for the last time at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton to celebrate the high school’s 109th graduation ceremony on a warm afternoon June 18.
Student Council President Matthew Mikros welcomed family and friends to the graduation ceremony.
The names of eight seniors who are entering the U.S. military were read off. Four seniors are entering the U.S. Air Force and two seniors are entering the New Jersey National Guard. One senior each is entering the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Senior Max Peterson, who has been appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was recognized by Vincent Commisa, state coordinator of New Jersey Field Force West Point Admissions.
Then, to the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance,” the 398 seniors – boys in blue caps and gowns and girls in white caps and gowns – filed onto the arena floor.
Some seniors personalized their mortarboard caps with the names of the colleges they plan to attend, while others created fanciful decorations for their caps. One senior decorated her cap with flowers and a photo of herself as a child, and another senior wrote on her cap that “The rest is still unwritten.”
Hightstown High School Principal Dennis Vinson said that “commencement,” which was taking place at that very moment, is defined as the beginning of something new.
“While today marks the end of your high school journey, it also signifies the start of a new chapter in your lives,” Vinson said.
“But commencement is more than just a transition. It is a celebration of everything you have accomplished and the potential that lies ahead. It is a time for new beginnings, fresh opportunities and endless possibilities,” he said.
Vinson called on the seniors to reflect on their journey at Hightstown High School – from their senior prom, and the fine and performing arts shows to athletic competitions.
As the seniors step into the future, Vinson said, they should embrace the unknown with curiosity and courage. The path ahead may not always be clear and there may be obstacles in the way, but only in facing those challenges will they discover true strength and potential.
“Remember, commencement is not an event,” Vinson said. “It is a mindset. As you move forward, carry with you the spirit of commencement – the belief that every ending is just the beginning of something greater.
“Class of 2024, the future is yours to create. As you leave Hightstown High School and step into the world, know you will always have a place here. Believe in yourselves, dream big and never forget – once a Ram, always a Ram.”
Looking out at the Class of 2024, Senior Class President Aditya Bala encouraged his classmates to welcome the changes and challenges that will come their way. These are opportunities for growth and discovery, he said.
Bala said he was grateful for the tight-knit community that the East Windsor Regional School District had provided him. No matter what happened – or not – the class always came together in the end.
“Now as we take our next steps in this path of growth, I am reminded of a powerful lesson a friend once said – with no fear, there is no courage. With that same courage, we can make an impact,” he said.
Bala said he remembered his own moments of doubt and uncertainty. Everyone has faced their own fears, but it was in those moments that they found courage and pushed through their fears and discovered their true potential.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the determination to move forward despite it, he said. Courage empowers his classmates to take risks, embrace new opportunities and make a difference in their communities.
Bala said that while he and his classmates try to achieve their dreams, they should not lose sight of who they are. It is easy to get caught up in the expectations of others and to lose themselves in the process, he said.
“Remember to be true to your values and to the person you have grown into over these years,” he said. “Believe in yourself.”
Hightstown High School teacher Robert Bucci, who was the faculty speaker, said he was honored to have been chosen to speak at the ceremony. He seized the opportunity to impart a little bit of wisdom to the class on its way out.
Bucci encouraged the graduating seniors to take time to reflect on the next phase in their lives. They are about to write the next chapter, and it is up to them to write it however they like.
As they begin to write that chapter, they should appreciate the journey – the good, the bad, the highs, the lows, the successes and failures, he said. In a world without “downs,” there can be no “ups,” Bucci said.
“We are shaped by our experiences,” he said. “You all started your high school journey amid COVID. I ‘taught’ some of you through computer screens. I knew your ceiling fans before I knew your faces.
“But you persevered. You made it. Appreciate that. The character traits you built – perseverance, resilience and tenacity – never go away. View every step in your journey as a learning experience, and nothing can hold you down.”
Then, one by one, the seniors stepped up to the stage to pick up their diplomas. Some students gave fist bumps to their favorite teacher on their way back to their seats.
After the last senior walked across the stage and picked up a diploma, Mikros and Bala asked the seniors to rise and to turn the tassel from right to left on their caps.
“Class of 2024, congratulations. We did it,” Mikros and Bala said in unison as their classmates tossed their caps into the air and walked into their future.
Two Hightstown High School seniors chatted and shared smiles on their last day as high school students.
Family and friends who were sitting higher in the stands were treated to a big-screen view of the seniors on the Jumbotron at the CURE Insurance Arena.
The seniors waited patiently for their turn to pick up their diplomas.
The seniors decorated their caps, sometimes with messages or the college they plan to attend.
