Student speakers spoke proudly about their classmates and administrators exhorted graduates to realize their potential at the 123rd commencement for Mineola High School last Saturday morning in the LIU Tilles Center.
“Show respect to others. Continue to inspire others,” Class of 2014 valedictorian Kristen Sze-Tu told her classmates. “I believe everyone has something about them that is admirable. You inspire me so I hope you continue what you do best.”
Sze-Tu recalled the loss of classmate Frank Trvigno, who died at age 17 in an accident in Upstate New York last year. And she recalled that she initially wanted to attend a private high school, but was glad she didn’t.
“Staying in Mineola was the best decision I ever made,” she said, describing the community as “so humble, so diverse, so nurturing.”
Class president Emilia Beszterda told her classmates she had mixed feelings about speaking at graduation.
“I’ve been avoiding this speech. I’ve been avoiding looking back on the last, best four years of my life.” Beszterda said.
“Just remember to cherish theses last four years with these people around you. Always remember to stay classy. Go Mustangs,” she concluded.
Salutatorian Joyce Hwang recalled sharing a tearful moment with an old friend she hadn’t seen for a time when they signed one another’s yearbooks.
“It didn’t matter how much time had passed since we had last spoken. We were tied by bonds formed years ago,” Hwang said.
She expressed confidence in the way her classmates would conduct themselves after high school.
“In the next chapter, I know you will carry with you the caring and the kindness that has characterized the class of 2014,” Hwang said.
She preceded her remarks by joining a group of fellow graduates in singing a version of the Beatles’ “In My Life.”
A quartet of graduates including Kathryn Barnwell, Rebecca Bastos, Michelle Senra and Bonnie Small also sang “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield.
The song includes the lines, “Drench yourself in words unspoken/Live your life with arms wide open/Today is where your book begins/The rest is still unwritten”
Mineola Superintendent of Schools Michael Nagler referred to those lines when he addressed the graduates.
“We all have special talents. Don’t hide them. Discover them,” Nagler said. “They will mean everything to you.
He said he wasn’t a poet, but said, “Somebody once told me to seize the moment. This is the moment.”
Mineola High School principal Ed Esobar, whose son Jacob was among the graduates, commended the students for helping make Mineola a better place.
“I believe that by working hard, doing what is right – and not just when people are looking – you will connect with people and make a difference in your community,” Escobar said.
Mineola school board President Artie Barnett, whose daughter Kerri was among the graduates, encouraged the students to reflect on their high school experiences as well as the future.
“You made mistakes and they became the greatest lessons,” he said. “You learned our state here on earth can be fragile.”
He told them they would face difficult days in their lives, but advised them to persevere.
“Don’t be afraid to fail. Ask her out. Take the trip. Take the job,” he said. “Yesterday’s history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”
