On the evening of May 25, 143 young men and women donning purple caps and gowns walked out of Clark Field House and onto the field at Bracewell Stadium en route to the chairs that had been set up for them around the 50-yard line.
The commencement ceremony was the last school event members of the Burlington High School Class of 2024 would experience as a collective group, and they had learned years earlier not to take such opportunities for granted.
“Our freshman year was really wonky,” Salutatorian Hannah Wentzel acknowledged in her address to her classmates and their families, friends, and teachers seated behind them.
These graduating seniors entered high school in the fall of 2020 as schools throughout the nation were grappling with how best to operate while mitigating the spread of the novel virus. For Burlington, that effort took the form of hybrid schedules, with students attending school in-person on alternating days. The pandemic also put a damper on school events.
“COVID took a lot of experiences our freshman year, such as dragon boats, only being able to go to football games if we had special tickets, the Homecoming dance and festivities, the Vice Versa dance, and I’m sure we can all remember the struggle with the masks,” Wenzel said.
With the eventual return to normalcy that followed came the return of opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
“Our sophomore year was our first real high school year,” Wenzel said. “We got to participate in clubs and sports normally, attend dragon boats and dress up for our first high school dance. The activities we participated in during high school really helped shape us into the people we are today.”
Through swimming and diving, Wenzel learned the value and importance of working as a team. From Leo Club, she learned to serve others, and her service on Student Council helped her to understand the importance of being involved. From her participation in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, she learned the importance of community and vulnerability, as well as the ability to allow herself grace in the face of shortcomings and to place her identity in more than just academics.
“My point in all this is to urge you to think about how fast time goes and to take every opportunity,” Wenzel said. “It is also to show our great amount of knowledge and growth and character our years in school have given us. It seems like just yesterday, we were hanging out at the monkey bars at recess, only worrying about our playdates after school, and now, here we are, graduating.”
Valedictorian Adam Johnson similarly expressed appreciation for the opportunities presented to him and the friendships forged during his time in high school while acknowledging the significant changes ahead.
“There’s a point that all seniors go through, a time of realization,” Johnson said. “We realize it’s all over. Gone are the days of talking to your friends as you walk the halls on your way to your next class. Gone are the days of being in the Kennel at a football game, or playing your favorite sport or instrument.
“For me, this happened several days ago when our final soccer game occurred. I never realized until that moment that we are truly done with our high school experience. No more will I be staying up until 3 in the morning trying to finish a TSA project I should’ve started four months ago.
“What I’m really going to miss most is being able to see my closest friends everyday, joking around with them at lunch, in class and on the field.”
Johnson went on to speak of challenges, accomplishments, and growth, as well as the struggles and discomfort that often accompany it. He also shared some words of wisdom.
“One of the most important lessons I learned through high school was to get at least one thing done a day, whether that was a school assignment or this speech,” Johnson said. “No matter how I was feeling, no matter how tired I felt, I always made sure to better myself by doing something. And I want you to apply this to your life. No matter what you do or what you want to pursue, regardless of how you feel, it doesn’t matter how small it is, it’s that you show up and do it.
“Because two things will happen: You will realize that the hardest part was just getting started, and the second is that you’ll have momentum, making it easier to accomplish tomorrow, but if you don’t show up, if you give into your thoughts, you will compromise the relationship you have with yourself, you will have tricked yourself into believing that even though you need to get something done and that you’re capable, it does not matter. So just show up, because when you do, you will have already won.”
Principal Monical Myers, in her final commencement address before retiring, likened the growth of the students before her to the renovation of BHS.
“As you sit together with your classmates for the last time, I want you to think back to the person you were when you first entered the doors of BHS as a freshman,” Myers said. “Just as our building is under construction, so were you.
“For the last four years, you have matured and grown into young men and women, and you will continue to revise your values, your ideals, and your goals. You are not the same person today that you will be in 10, 15 or 30 years from now. Each day, you will have the opportunity to improve yourself as we refurbish Burlington High School and find things that need to be changed, you also have that opportunity each day to make improvements within yourself.
“There will be times when life comes at you hard. Being an adult isn’t easy. You will experience situations when you wish you were wearing a hard hat, steel-toed boots and a safety vest for protection. During those moments, remember that it is how you respond to those difficult situations that indicate your character.
“I have confidence in you. I have seen you mature and make good decisions and I know that you will continue to make us proud.”
Superintendent Robert Scott also has confidence in the Class of ‘24.
“Today’s students who are graduating seniors are competent, prepared, excited, and ready for the next phase of your life,” he said. “Those opportunities may be in the workforce, in the military, on a college campus, with your families, or maybe even as a teacher or staff member here at Burlington. … I congratulate all of you, and please remember, you will always be a Grayhound.”
Board President Darven Kendell encouraged the students seated before him to continue to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way, rise to meet life’s challenges and to serve others with compassion.
“We are counting on you to continue your education or enter our workforce,” Kendall said. “Life is one big cycle. You realize that, don’t you? We need you. We have invested in each and every one of you. It’s your turn and your privilege to take your turn in this cycle. … On behalf of the entire board of education, I congratulate you, Burlington High School Class of 2024.”
And with that, the students turned graduates filed across the stage to accept their diplomas and embark on life’s next chapter.
