This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Wantagh High School Graduates Class of 2011

Wantagh seniors receive diplomas at Friday night's commencement ceremony.

The gym was filled with smiles, laughter and a ton of tears Friday evening.

Though the weather may have led to relocation, hundreds of family members, friends and faculty gathered to witness the Wantagh High School class of 2011 in their black and yellow gowns as they graduated.

Wantagh High School Principal Carolyn Breivogel expressed how truly proud she was of this year's graduating class and all their accomplishments at the start of the ceremony.

Find out what's happening in Wantagh-Seafordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I'm so honored to congratulate you as you celebrate the completion of your secondary studies," she said. "As you look to the future, I think about the past four years you have spent with us. There were many exciting times and serious times which helped to shape you as the young adults you all are. I hope in the years to come you reflect back on your years in Wantagh High School as happy ones. Please know that all of you have left a mark on us here in Wantagh."

Friday's ceremony allowed many of the 2011 graduates to take a stand at the podium and address their fellow classmates one final time. Senior class co-presidents Matthew Reimann and Frank Walker gave a heartfelt but comical speech about their class and the time they've spent in Wantagh, followed by words from Salutatorian Jamie Wasserman and Valedictorian Nicole Kelly.

Find out what's happening in Wantagh-Seafordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Wantagh is a delightfully close community," said Reimann. "Everyone knows everyone, and we have successfully embraced this united identity."

"Though this communal atmosphere is at first bizarre, it has become our most important asset in recent years," Walker added. "If you recall, the 2008-2009 budget did not pass. We were told that many activities would have to be cut from sports to music to art programs...With our strong cohesiveness, enough money was raised to restore many important school functions. This is been one of the enduring examples of Wantagh citizens banding together to protect the welfare of our community."

Wasserman, who will be attending the University of Virginia this fall, delivered a speech that zeroed in on a more specific experience the class of 2011 endured - September 11, 2001 - and how as young third graders, they were forced to grow up that day.

"Our grade was too young to understand...All we understood was that innocent people were killed," she said. "This year's graduating class had no choice but to grow up quickly and be strong for each other. We couldn't be shielded from the sometimes harsh reality of the world anymore...It has only made us more prepared individuals and a tightly bonded group. We are not a naive group of 17 and 18-year olds preparing to step into the real world for the first time."

Georgetown University-bound Kelly told her fellow classmates and all the proud guests that when it came time to reflect on her high school years and time in Wantagh, one simple proverb came to mind: "It takes a village to raise a child."

"In our small and close-knit Wantagh community, this quote rings true as we look at ourselves and the influence that our surrounding peers have had on us," said Kelly. "We have been raised by not only our parents and family members but by all of the people who have entered our lives since we took our first steps outside our front doors."

Senator Charles E. Schumer, D-NY, gave the Wantagh High School class some very basic advice as they head out into the real world, "Go for it," said the New York senior senator. 

Schumer emphasized, from his own personal experience, the great rewards one can receive by simply taking a chance.

Graduates were announced, one by one, to receive their diplomas - the official end to their career in the Wantagh School District. Superintendent Lydia Begley bid farewell to the class of 2011 with a few words of wisdom.

"Most of all, the key to lasting success is something far more simple. It is attitude - remaning positive when things do not go well, when lifes disappointments surround you and overwhelm you. Try not to let yourself fall victim to those disappointments."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?