The time of their lives
Goshen The weather cooperated beautifully on Saturday, the rescheduled date for Goshen High School’s graduation ceremonies. Principal Robert Litz moved the ceremony from the planned Friday date because of the saturated ground at the Historic Track and the threat of more rain. The crowd laughed when one of the scholarship presenters, John Gould, wished the retiring principal well in his new career at the weather bureau. The Class of 2011’s all-night party was held on schedule the night before, but the graduates managed to be bright-eyed when they received their diplomas and the congratulations of faculty, family, and friends. This class had an outstanding record of achievement in their GPAs, Regents diplomas awarded, community service, honors and scholarships. The six honor graduates, who eloquently addressed the assembly, were Christina Cassano, Benjamin Conley, Jennifer Kang, Esther Laaninen, Josh Shih and Melissa Solomon. The day was filled with joy and a few tears for those who were gone. The entire class rose to its feet to applaud graduate Antonio Figueiredo, who received the Hannah Crossley Memorial Scholarship and was saluted for overcoming adversity. After the diplomas were awarded and the ceremony brought to a close, graduates and their families and friends savored the moment, embracing one another and posing for pictures. Several of the graduates and their family members shared their reflections on the day. “It means so much,” said graduate Erica Phillips. “I actually graduated a year early and I get to move on with my life.” Cesar Leon said he felt “happy and proud of myself” to be graduating. Graduate Chelsea Cerillo said, “It’s the start of a new journey,” while her friend Ceira Dawson admitted, “It’s pretty crazy.” Chelsea’s dad, Charles, remarked, “It’s an incredible day to see my daughter growing up to be a young, beautiful woman and knowing that she is going to do great things with her life. She’s made me very proud.” Dianne Merenyi, mom of graduate Nicholas, said, “Oh my gosh this is a wonderful experience. My eldest son graduating. It’s an honor.” Dr. Ron Israelski, proud parent of Katelyn and Sean, said, “Of course, I’m incredibly proud of them and also proud that they were able to graduate from a high school which has such a wonderful record of community service and high aspirations.” Music was provided by the Goshen Central High School Band under the direction of Mrs. Kimberly Longo. The Goshen Central High School Varsity Choir and Jazz Voices, under the direction of Mrs. Lori Fedor, sang a rousing rendition of “I’ve Had the Time of My Life,” which summed up the experience of this graduating class. Editor’s note: Goshen’s list of scholarship recipients will appear in a future edition of The Chronicle.