Butler grads reflect on true meaning of success
In the bleachers from which graduates of Butler Senior High School’s Class of 2024 had once watched football games and pep rallies, parents and friends sat to watch the commencement ceremony on Friday, June 7.
That evening, 453 seniors graduated. Co-principal John Wyllie, Jr. said some had been recognized as nationally ranking student athletes. Others had been awarded accolades for academic competitions. On Art Bernardi Stadium’s field, all graduates were champions, regardless of whether they had medals or trophies to show for their accomplishments, he said.
“Each of you has faced your own unique battles, academic struggles, personal hardships and moments of uncertainty — and you have triumphed,” co-principal Jason Huffman said. “A conqueror is not merely someone who wins. A conqueror is someone who persists in the face of adversity.”
Class president Carson Bish offered opening remarks, and vice president Nicole Urban introduced student theme speakers Sophia Bauer and Macey Gamble, who spoke about success and its accompanying failures. Riley Chapla, valedictorian, gave the farewell address.
Jasmine Cordova, a student who died in 2022, was remembered during the ceremony with a white rose on the seat where she would have joined her classmates.
During the ceremony, student council president Jordyn Vandevort announced this year’s distinguished graduate as Dr. William DiCuccio II, a 1966 alumnus who has helped with mission work in the Dominican Republic and held roles including vice president of medical affairs at Butler Health System and chief of staff at Butler Memorial Hospital. DiCuccio is vice chairman of the board of trustees at Butler County Community College.
“Let it be an honor and privilege to be here today recognizing the excellence in those who once walked the same hallways that we are saying goodbye to,” Vandevort said. “Walking the halls one last time ... I will walk a little slower, and I will breathe a little deeper, reminiscing on fond memories and hard moments.”
“Everyone remembers the grades, the As on report cards, the winning games, the stellar performances,” Bauer said. “But as we begin the story of our new lives, it is vital to remember that the path here was not one created from an unblemished record or a seamless, easy journey.”
Gamble encouraged her fellow classmates to see beyond their shortcomings, and to shift their perspectives as they embark on their separate paths following graduation.
“No matter who we are — student council president, the funny guy, the kid on the football team, the quiet kid who kept to himself or the girl who everybody knew because she was so bubbly — we have all had life thrown at us in different ways,” Gamble said.
“You’re graduating and I don’t know what it took for you to get here, but I want to remind you that you got here,” she said.
Among the rows of parents watching their children receive diplomas was Dave Smith, of Butler Township, whose son Terrell Holderman, a record-holding athlete, will be attending Shippensburg University on a scholarship to play football.
According to the court system, Smith is Holderman’s custodial legal parent. According to Smith, the terminology is simple: Holderman is his son.
Holderman has lived with the Smiths since he was 12. Six years later, “he’s doing amazing things,” Smith said.
As his son prepares to leave for college, Smith said he would advise him to never stop trying to achieve his goals, no matter how hard they may seem. He would have given himself the same advice in high school, he said.
