(June 8, 2017) Pocomoke High School’s Class of 2017 closed out four years of growth and development in front of an auditorium packed with exuberant well wishers during its graduation ceremony, last Tuesday.
Among 78 graduates, the overwhelming majority will attend institutes of higher learning, with 36 students heading to four-year colleges or universities, and an additional 27 attending two-year institutions. College-bound Pocomoke seniors were awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships.
Of the remaining number, eight members of the Class of 2017 are enrolling in the military, while seven are entering workforce development.
During an emotionally charged speech, Kasey Lee said that graduating and receiving a high school diploma is a significant chapter in life. Lee plans on attending the university of Georgia this fall.
“Each milestone we achieve from this day forward will consist of good and bad moments that we can look back on and learn from,” she said.
Cautioning against complacency, Lee encouraged her classmates to appreciate the present while keeping an eye on the future.
“I hope we never forget to cherish every person, every moment, and let our past accomplishments motivate us as we move onto our next journey of achieving many more milestones,” she said.
The next speaker, LeAnn McDowell, focused on moving from the safe and familiar to, as of yet, unchartered waters. McDowell plans on attending Cornell University this fall.
“For four years we lived in an environment where so much was known and very little was left to guess,” she said.
Acknowledging her elders, McDowell said each graduate owes a debt of gratitude for the support system they were provided while attending Pocomoke High School.
“There’s not a person on this stage that didn’t have at least one adult in this building rooting for them when they were here,” she said. “Because of that support most of us knew we would be graduating today.”
While their path through high school has concluded, McDowell said the road ahead is bound to provide some unexpected twists and turns.
“We have our plans, but plans can change in ways we can never anticipate,” she said. “That’s scary, but we have to be ready for that.”
During his commencement address, Lou Taylor, Worcester County Schools’ superintendent, noted with pride that this was the first graduating class under his reign.
“Many of you have shared your lives with us since kindergarten, or even before that, but it is our joy to see how far you’ve come,” he said.
Taylor highlighted a recent New York Times article by the former director of admission at Dartmouth College, Rebecca Sabky, who noted the difficulty in distinguishing between thousands of applications from well-qualified students.
“In that deluge of promising candidates with exceptional accomplishments, many remarkable students become indistinguishable from one another on paper,” he said. “Reading that was jarring … but Ms. Sabky then described the one quality that is always irresistible for an applicant: kindness.”
In the article, Sabky highlighted a student application that included a letter of recommendation from their school custodian, who was motivated to write because of the young person’s thoughtfulness. The custodian said the student exhibited a, “refreshing respect for every person at the school, regardless of position, popularity or clout.”
After reading the article, Taylor said the issue of character resonated within his own purview.
“When I read this piece … I was struck because as I thought about our students here in this auditorium, and across Worcester County, I smiled in the knowledge that we are blessed to have students just like what she described,” he said. “And not just a few.”
During her speech, McDowell said it was time to embrace new passions, overcome new obstacles and pursue new opportunities.
“Now it is time to venture into life, the big unknown,” she said. “It’s like a giant surprise party we all have to attend.”
Among 78 graduates, the overwhelming majority will attend institutes of higher learning, with 36 students heading to four-year colleges or universities, and an additional 27 attending two-year institutions. College-bound Pocomoke seniors were awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships.
Of the remaining number, eight members of the Class of 2017 are enrolling in the military, while seven are entering workforce development.
During an emotionally charged speech, Kasey Lee said that graduating and receiving a high school diploma is a significant chapter in life. Lee plans on attending the university of Georgia this fall.
“Each milestone we achieve from this day forward will consist of good and bad moments that we can look back on and learn from,” she said.
Cautioning against complacency, Lee encouraged her classmates to appreciate the present while keeping an eye on the future.
“I hope we never forget to cherish every person, every moment, and let our past accomplishments motivate us as we move onto our next journey of achieving many more milestones,” she said.
The next speaker, LeAnn McDowell, focused on moving from the safe and familiar to, as of yet, unchartered waters. McDowell plans on attending Cornell University this fall.
“For four years we lived in an environment where so much was known and very little was left to guess,” she said.
Acknowledging her elders, McDowell said each graduate owes a debt of gratitude for the support system they were provided while attending Pocomoke High School.
“There’s not a person on this stage that didn’t have at least one adult in this building rooting for them when they were here,” she said. “Because of that support most of us knew we would be graduating today.”
While their path through high school has concluded, McDowell said the road ahead is bound to provide some unexpected twists and turns.
“We have our plans, but plans can change in ways we can never anticipate,” she said. “That’s scary, but we have to be ready for that.”
During his commencement address, Lou Taylor, Worcester County Schools’ superintendent, noted with pride that this was the first graduating class under his reign.
“Many of you have shared your lives with us since kindergarten, or even before that, but it is our joy to see how far you’ve come,” he said.
Taylor highlighted a recent New York Times article by the former director of admission at Dartmouth College, Rebecca Sabky, who noted the difficulty in distinguishing between thousands of applications from well-qualified students.
“In that deluge of promising candidates with exceptional accomplishments, many remarkable students become indistinguishable from one another on paper,” he said. “Reading that was jarring … but Ms. Sabky then described the one quality that is always irresistible for an applicant: kindness.”
In the article, Sabky highlighted a student application that included a letter of recommendation from their school custodian, who was motivated to write because of the young person’s thoughtfulness. The custodian said the student exhibited a, “refreshing respect for every person at the school, regardless of position, popularity or clout.”
After reading the article, Taylor said the issue of character resonated within his own purview.
“When I read this piece … I was struck because as I thought about our students here in this auditorium, and across Worcester County, I smiled in the knowledge that we are blessed to have students just like what she described,” he said. “And not just a few.”
During her speech, McDowell said it was time to embrace new passions, overcome new obstacles and pursue new opportunities.
“Now it is time to venture into life, the big unknown,” she said. “It’s like a giant surprise party we all have to attend.”