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RFHS graduates receive diplomas
  
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By: NORMA MARTINEZ, Managing Editor
Words of encouragement, congratulations, and gratitude were reflected in the speeches given Friday, May 29 at the Rockport-Fulton High School commencement ceremony for the class of 2009 as 198 graduates received diplomas.
Senior Jill Gaskamp sang the national anthem, Neel Bhakta led the pledge of allegiance, and Caitlin Foster conducted the invocation.
RFHS principal Tisha Piwetz told graduates to consider the words of Dan Rather who said, “If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.”
She reminded students they control the path they will take and added, “It’s the journey, not the destination which makes life worth living.”
Salutatorian Sarah Hamilton presented five stories about life, each presenting a different perspective. The first was about four sisters growing up together, and the second about a shopping cart torpedo game which ended badly.
The third story was about an abandoned baby giraffe, and the fourth was about a wedding. Her final story referred to a family’s move to Australia.
She concluded by wishing each of her classmates to “live the life you love, and love the life you live.”
Valedictorian Jenny Harrington reflected on her education beginning from ABC school, through elementary and middle school, and finally high school.
She said, “None of this could have prepared us for the nerves we would feel today. We carry under our caps and gowns a weight that reminds us of what we have learned.”
She noted the days of “read-ins, AR points, and water days,” as well as “class parties and field days are a distant memory in our past.”
“We are past that first day of high school when the campus was unknown territory, seniors were intimidating, and teachers actually had the audacity to give us homework that first night.”
Harrington noted, “Now we are past our senior year, those days of college applications, scholarship deadlines, the dreaded question of our future plans, and for the brave few of us who actually took the class, calculus. Pretty soon pep-rallies, band and choir concerts will become a distant memory just like those days of elementary school.”
She said some graduates will travel far away, while some will stay here, but either way, “it is here we go our separate ways.”
She said they will enter, “a world without read-ins and water days, a world that has no idea what the armadillo gang is and a world that won’t believe that even seagulls attend our graduation. We are about to enter the unknown and I just want to tell you three things that I have learned.”
First she said, “Do not lose yourself out in the big world. We have allowed the events of this small town to shape our lives, but do not lose that small town charm; it is what makes you who you are. It is so easy to get caught up in what other people want you to be, do not let them change you, be who you truly are.”
Second she said, “Do not lose sight of your goals. When you realize the world is a very competitive place outside of Rockport, do not let it get to you. Fight until the end. Your goals will keep you on track and will always make you strive for something better.
And most importantly, she said, “do not, do not, do not be afraid to fail. Failure may not seem like an option to you, but you have to realize it is certainly a possibility. Do not deny yourself the possible time of your life because you are afraid to fail. Failure is merely a learning tool through our walk of life, so do not let it stop your progress.”
Harrington concluded, “I know it does not seem like it right now but there will be times when we are so home sick it hurts, there will be times in our life when our world will be falling apart. But do not let this scare you because every last one of us will face trials in our lives.
“Some we learn from, some may be left unresolved. Just do not lose sight of who you are, do not become so bogged down by stress you forget what you are looking for and most importantly remember that failure is not the end of the world.”
The class was certified and all graduates received their diplomas, after which C.J. Ponton led the benediction.
The students then stood for the alma mater, marched to the end of the stadium to gather one last time as a class, and toss their caps into the air to celebrate their graduation.
Senior Jill Gaskamp sang the national anthem, Neel Bhakta led the pledge of allegiance, and Caitlin Foster conducted the invocation.
RFHS principal Tisha Piwetz told graduates to consider the words of Dan Rather who said, “If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.”
She reminded students they control the path they will take and added, “It’s the journey, not the destination which makes life worth living.”
Salutatorian Sarah Hamilton presented five stories about life, each presenting a different perspective. The first was about four sisters growing up together, and the second about a shopping cart torpedo game which ended badly.
The third story was about an abandoned baby giraffe, and the fourth was about a wedding. Her final story referred to a family’s move to Australia.
She concluded by wishing each of her classmates to “live the life you love, and love the life you live.”
Valedictorian Jenny Harrington reflected on her education beginning from ABC school, through elementary and middle school, and finally high school.
She said, “None of this could have prepared us for the nerves we would feel today. We carry under our caps and gowns a weight that reminds us of what we have learned.”
She noted the days of “read-ins, AR points, and water days,” as well as “class parties and field days are a distant memory in our past.”
“We are past that first day of high school when the campus was unknown territory, seniors were intimidating, and teachers actually had the audacity to give us homework that first night.”
Harrington noted, “Now we are past our senior year, those days of college applications, scholarship deadlines, the dreaded question of our future plans, and for the brave few of us who actually took the class, calculus. Pretty soon pep-rallies, band and choir concerts will become a distant memory just like those days of elementary school.”
She said some graduates will travel far away, while some will stay here, but either way, “it is here we go our separate ways.”
She said they will enter, “a world without read-ins and water days, a world that has no idea what the armadillo gang is and a world that won’t believe that even seagulls attend our graduation. We are about to enter the unknown and I just want to tell you three things that I have learned.”
First she said, “Do not lose yourself out in the big world. We have allowed the events of this small town to shape our lives, but do not lose that small town charm; it is what makes you who you are. It is so easy to get caught up in what other people want you to be, do not let them change you, be who you truly are.”
Second she said, “Do not lose sight of your goals. When you realize the world is a very competitive place outside of Rockport, do not let it get to you. Fight until the end. Your goals will keep you on track and will always make you strive for something better.
And most importantly, she said, “do not, do not, do not be afraid to fail. Failure may not seem like an option to you, but you have to realize it is certainly a possibility. Do not deny yourself the possible time of your life because you are afraid to fail. Failure is merely a learning tool through our walk of life, so do not let it stop your progress.”
Harrington concluded, “I know it does not seem like it right now but there will be times when we are so home sick it hurts, there will be times in our life when our world will be falling apart. But do not let this scare you because every last one of us will face trials in our lives.
“Some we learn from, some may be left unresolved. Just do not lose sight of who you are, do not become so bogged down by stress you forget what you are looking for and most importantly remember that failure is not the end of the world.”
The class was certified and all graduates received their diplomas, after which C.J. Ponton led the benediction.
The students then stood for the alma mater, marched to the end of the stadium to gather one last time as a class, and toss their caps into the air to celebrate their graduation.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of rockportpilot.com.
Sandy wrote on Jun 10, 2009 10:34 AM:
" I am so glad that our graduations are outside at R-F Pirate Stadium . It has become a tradition to watch all of my children, relatives and friends walk across on this field. I tear up everytime the music starts and the seagulls like on que come flying in above the lights. They leave when the music ends, again as on cue. I hope that the future graduations are always held here.
On a side note, the sound system was very crackly this year and the visitors side was only hearing mumbling, if they heard anything at all. I hope that next year they try out the system before graduation.
Congrats to all the graduates and their parents. Job well done. "
On a side note, the sound system was very crackly this year and the visitors side was only hearing mumbling, if they heard anything at all. I hope that next year they try out the system before graduation.
Congrats to all the graduates and their parents. Job well done. "
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