LEHMAN TWP. — Ominous clouds could be seen in the distance, but the clouds above the Lake-Lehman High School stadium were idyllic, exposing blue sky and letting in plenty of sun to warm the scene as 151 Lake-Lehman seniors graduated in front of an impressive crowd of family and friends.
The number of people in attendance was too great for the home bleachers, which were filled with shoulder to shoulder on-lookers, and a row of folding chairs just inside the track fence held even more relatives, beaming with pride in anticipation of their graduates taking a significant step toward their futures.
Zane Denmon, the senior class president, referred to that future as something that can be as frightening as it is beautiful, noting that as he and his classmates step into their adulthood they will be defined by the choices they make.
“But let there be hope,” said Denmon, “because life is full of possibilities, possibilities that many of us have never even heard of.”
The class president encouraged his classmates to be flexible as they go forward into a life that holds no certainties, and he asked them to remember their bonds to each other as they go on to form new ones.
Those bonds were particularly in the mind and in the words of Hannah Cross, the student council president, as she addressed the class of 2015.
She looked back at the path of her class, coming from different elementary schools and assimilating into their high school society. Remembering the class’s acceptance of one another and growth into a “family,” she recalled how strong friendships were cultivated throughout the years and experiences of their scholastic career.
Cross advised her classmates to keep strong hold on their roots, saying, “Our high school years will not be remembered by a grade level or a semester. It will be remembered by moments.” Giving a nod to the friends, teachers and parents who helped the graduates become who they are, Cross paid tribute to the class’s past.
The class’s valedictorian, Elana Herceg, celebrated the triumphs of the group throughout its senior year.
“The class of 2015 is a class of spirit,” said Herceg. She explained that despite having their class prank and picnic go awry, they came together to organize a memorable and special class night.
Herceg also championed the pride of her graduating class, applauding their accomplishments in both academics and extracurricular activities, noting that several of her athletic classmates brought that pride to the state-tournament level.
Lauding her fellow graduates for both their perseverance and their exceptional qualities, of which kindness was at the forefront, Herceg expressed her appreciation for being a member of the class. “I am so grateful to have been part of such an extraordinary group of students.”
Although Jason Field, the salutatorian of the class, did not discount the group’s extraordinary qualities, he suggested that his classmates keep in mind how special ordinary can be.
Field challenged the conventional definitions of success and greatness. He provided statistics that illuminated the miniscule percentage of the population that reaches what is considered a powerful or influential status to say that wealth, fame and fortune might not be what his classmates should seek in their futures.
Field invoked the words of the Reverend Oliver G. Wilson to encourage his classmates to celebrate their individuality. “Use what talents you have. The woods would have little music if no birds sang except the birds who sang best.”
Borrowing that insightful quote, Field went on to advocate a focus not on achievement but on personal development. He challenged his classmates to become the best versions of themselves that they could be, doing well for themselves and their most cherished loved ones.
He suggested that “average” might be the grandest and most successful thing a human being can become, if his or her priorities are in the right place.