SR graduates resolute as they move forward
SLIPPERY ROCK — With classmates and teachers saying their high school careers were defined by passion and compassion, Slippery Rock School District's Class of 2017 was urged to seek out challenges, persevere through adversity and continue fostering a spirit of communication and collaboration at the district's graduation ceremonies Friday evening.
The school's 173 graduating seniors walked into the Morrow Field House at Slippery Rock University to applause and cheers from friends and family members packing the venue, and listened as their classmates — salutatorian Brooke Schaefers and valedictorian Mari Reott — spoke about what defined their four years in high school, and what will define their lives going forward.
For Schaefers, who mulled the concepts of community and perseverance, the take-away from high school was the realization that the goal she and her classmates had been striving toward for the last four years was only the beginning. She urged her classmates to continue striving to achieve, and reminded them that no matter where they find themselves, they'll always be able to call Slippery Rock home.
“Rather than be fearful, you have to take the risks to achieve rewards,” she said. “In the end, you'll only regret the chances you didn't take.”
Reott reflected on achievement as well, but reminded classmates and visitors that once students walked out of Morrow Field House and into post-high-school life, the definition of success would change radically. When they wake up Saturday, Reott said, she and her classmates will no longer be part of a system she believes is too focused on grade-point averages and test scores. She said her classmates' achievements and strengths — from the arts to sports — couldn't be properly accounted for without moving beyond the system they lived within for the last four years.
“Unfortunately, our scholastic system has emphasized academic success,” Reott said. “Now, we have a chance to move beyond the labels.”Still, achievement is a hallmark of the class' time at Slippery Rock, said district Superintendent Alfonso Angelucci. While 10 graduates from the class will join the armed services, 86 percent plan on continuing their education in some form, he said, and the class has earned $816,000 in scholarships and other financial aid to help them pursue post-secondary education. He urged them to continue reaching out and fostering a spirit of collaboration with those they encounter in their lives.“This class has engendered our mission: pursuing knowledge and cultivating independence,” said Angelucci. “You've already put your stamp on (high school) as a group that values working with others. Don't stop.”The evening's final thoughts came from school board member Theresa Pearce, who quoted former University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, and reminded graduates that they will have to do more than just show up to achieve great things.“Every game is life, and life is a game,” Pearce said. “The game is never over. The secret of the game to endure, to strive, to seek, and never to yield. Do not yield. Carry on. Congratulations and good luck.”
