The 57th annual commencement exercises for The Wheatley School last Sunday were marked by musical performances, speeches by members of the graduating class and advice from East Williston Superintendent of Schools Elaine Kanas.
“Sometimes, there can be more than one thing you love, and making a choice too soon about what your passion is may preclude the opportunity to discover things you might love even more,” Kanas said. “Keep your eyes open for them by sometimes making a choice to try something that is not your passion as it might lead you to discover a new one.”
She also advised the 170 graduates in the Wheatley class of 2014 assembled in the Tilles Center at the LIU Post campus to be prepared to endure uninspiring tasks to reach their goals.
“Many times we need to do what we do not love to build the foundation for ultimately being able to love the everyday work we might do.,” Kanas said. “If you have a dream you want to pursue, be prepared to have the patience and perseverance to see it through to getting there. Even when you arrive, there will be times that you do not always love what you are doing that moment, but that is the price of true commitment.”
Class president Dillon Hamel drew laughs as he recounted his recurrent failures to be elected to class office from the time he was in fifth grade, until he was elected president at the end of his junior year.
“Forget the past. Determine your path to the future and you will get there,” he said.
Musical performances included Chelsea Wolgel singing “Corner of the Sky” preceding Kanas’s remarks. After Hamel spoke, a group of 11 women sang a medley of songs arranged by Caitlin Calio and Joanne Joshua, concluding with the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.”
Taylor Brahms performed another medley, accompanied by David Bahk on cello and Michael Lituchy on piano that began and ended with a poignant version of “What A Wonderful World.”
Ghazal Mizrahi sang a creative interpretation of the national anthem at the beginning of the Sunday morning ceremonies.
The two student speakers at Wheatley’s commencement are selected based on essays submitted by members of the graduating class.
“Wheatley is the place we found ourselves,” Allison Chowdhury told her classmates.
She said the “tight-knit community and loving staff” at Wheatley helped her to be open to new experiences.
“Take risks. Don’t be afraid to try something new,” she said. “Some of my best experiences have been when I leaned outside my comfort zone.”
Thomas Stroud, whose theme was “change” said when he first attended Wheatley, he couldn’t have imagined himself delivering a speech in front of so many people.
“In the past five years, we’ve grown up. We’re a little bit taller, a little bit less awkward, a little bit smarter,” he said. “What will last, what will stay with you, are the things that changed you.”
Stroud said he found a place for himself in the school’s video club and in performing in stage plays. He said he went from speaking other people’s words in shows to become “a kid who’s not afraid to speak his mind.”
Caitlin Calio received the Dr. Jan Smith Citizenship Award from East Williston school board Vice President Robert Fallorino.
Cloe Southard received the David K. Israel Scholarship, awarded to the student with the most promising future as an educator, from Meryl Fordin, president of the East Williston Teacher’s Association. Israel taught English for 40 years in the school district, Fordin said.
In his introductory remarks at the graduation, Wheatley School principal Sean Feeney praised the class of 2014 “as group that is leaving Wheatley better than they found it five years ago.”
“Be mindful of your outlook on your life because it can be important as you look back on the time of your life,” Feeney said. “You cannot always control what life throws at you, but you can control your reaction to it.”
He cited the examples of what the late American poet Maya Angelou and South African President Nelson Mandela endured to achieve their goals in life.
Quoting Mandela, he said, “One of the things I learned while I was negotiating was that if I didn’t change myself, I could not change others.”
East Williston school board President Mark Kamberg said the day was about celebrating “commitment.”
“Think about finding something you love, don’t be afraid of failure and cherish your experiences,” Kamberg told the graduates. “Do the right thing when no one is watching. Cheer on your friends.
He also told them to “find the strength to laugh every day.”
