June 26, 2012
'NEVER FORGET WHERE IT ALL STARTED'
By Steven Crighton, Journal Inquirer
EAST HARTFORD — Speaking to the 402 members of the East Hartford High School graduating class Monday, keynote speaker and state Rep. Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, reflected on his own graduation from the school in 1994 — the year most of the graduates were born.
"It's funny, at first it made me feel old, but then the psychology kicked in. When you get older, you will see you will convince yourself that you don't feel old," Rojas said.
But then, Rojas admitted, that mentality is a part of getting old.
The graduates had much larger global issues to deal with than Rojas did 18 years ago, he said. Much like the Bushnell itself that night, Rojas joked, the world has become too hot, flat, and crowded.
It would be the harrowing task of the youngest generations to tackle problems such as global warming, globalization, and a population growing out of control. It's a difficult and humbling outlook that class President Rachel Conboy, Salutatorian Shyam Patel, and Valedictorian Joshua Dillon indicated in their speeches that they are ready to accept.
Patel warned his fellow graduates to avoid living in the past and to always keep moving.
"Mind the best way to make use of your time," Patel said. "Because you only have one chance, at any given time."
Conboy said that despite growing to know the ins and outs of the school so well, such as where the best water fountains are and when to avoid the library, graduates must know that it is time to let go.
"As sad or bittersweet or happy as it could be, it's time to refer to high school in the past tense. East Hartford High School was our old home — it's time to move on," Conboy said.
Dillon said his fellow graduates and the school's faculty had become like a family over the years.
"We're there for each other, and that's what counts," Dillon said. "You can kick us out of the house, but you'll never be able to replace us."
School Superintendent Mark F. Zito specifically commended the nine members of the graduating class who would go on to serve in the military. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps will all be represented by members of the Class of 2012, Zito said.
Board of Education Chairman Jeffrey A. Currey noted that the next president of the United States could be sitting before him, if it is a desire the graduate pursued passionately.
"I ask you, as you leave this theater tonight ready to make your debut on the world stage, let that graduate moonrise light your way. Let the end result be one that is worth learning, and never forget where it all started," Currey said.