Seneca Valley sends 564 graduates forward
JACKSON TWP — Graduation can be as scary as it is exciting, which is one reason graduation ceremonies include so much advice.
On Thursday, May 30, Seneca Valley Senior High School’s 564 graduates heard plenty, and offered up some of their own.
Tracy Vitale, superintendent of Seneca Valley School District, pointed out that she had become superintendent when the class of 2024 was in kindergarten. In that vein, she offered a bit of advice from Robert Fulghum’s book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”
She told them to stick to the basics: Share with others, play fair and lead a well-balanced life.
Vitale praised what the graduates had accomplished in their time at Seneca Valley as well as their attitude.
“You have shown us being humble doesn’t mean being timid or withdrawn.”
Plenty of the advice was from students themselves, however. Three students spoke, each of whom had gone through an audition process.
Lihini Ranaweera, one of two speakers picked from the top 2% of the class, reminded her fellow seniors to remember that time is a limited and precious thing, so they need to be sure they use it wisely. She urged them to be bold.
“Our time is now,” she said. “Let's make it count.”
Taryn Wilson, the at-large speaker, offered her class a metaphor. She spoke of a bottle of Penzeys almond extract as a secret ingredient, which enhances flavor when it's mixed in.
Likewise, she said, each of her classmates has their own secret ingredient, a mix of all their qualities and abilities.
“Regardless of where you go on your journey, remember your secret ingredient is what makes you unique,” she said.
Shivani Umesh, the second academic speaker, said she had asked classmates about people from their time at Seneca Valley who had influenced them. One student was inspired to be a band teacher and another mentioned that a third-grade teacher saw something special in him and has come to every musical performance he's been in since then.
“I began to see Seneca Valley as a rock,” she said. “A foundation we grow from.”
Students often have little say about where they go to school, but, she said, she and her class had been “adopted” by the Seneca Valley community.
“Now it's your turn to branch out and grow wherever the sun may shine,” she said. “Always see Seneca Valley as the rock that grounds you.”
