This is not just a high school graduation for us, this is us graduating into the open ocean that is the world ahead of us, the world outside Sullivan West.”

Class president Peter March

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Valedictorian Elizabeth Reeves said being 18 was at times “overwhelming and confusing.”

She proudly wore her light blue stole as she addressed graduates, friends and family at Sullivan West High School graduation on June 28. She graduated summa cum laude with an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors for her mastery in mathematics and science. It is important to know who you are and remember those who inspired you, she told her classmates.

“When we entered elementary school, we were all strangers,” Reeves said. ”We didn’t know one another, and we certainly didn’t know who we were....

“Recognize that what you are at this moment does not equal another person’s accomplishments, We are not equal. We are not special or perfect. We are people, and we fail, we change our minds, and we may struggle.”

She said the people who helped you through high school will continue to influence you throughout life. “Don’t forget where you came from, how you were raised or taught,” she said. “And don’t forget the people who helped you get here, a friend, a family member, a teacher, or someone else, whomever they may be.”

‘In times of struggle we come together’

The salutatorian, Henry Simon, made listeners laugh and reflect on the meaning of community, especially in caring for one another.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought—That’s not the right speech,” said Simon.

He changed tack.

“Well, we made it. The end of high school is here. And what a long strange trip it’s been. How do you properly commemorate making it through? I personally think a T-shirt would be the best option, but I guess a ceremony is fine.” 

Simon told the crowd he “could say anything” in his final speech but wanted to talk about community. Looking out at the audience reminded him of its importance. Community could be “a coalition of mole men living in the sewers,” he said. But in reality, he said, “in times of struggle we come together to help one another, and that is what makes us a community.”

Their high school years of shared experience has created a community “unlike any other, for it defies time and distance,” he said.

“Reach out in times of need,” Simon told his classmates. “We, the Class of 2024, are a community and will be there to support one another for the rest of our lives, whether it’s me needing money, or someone wanting a shoulder to cry on, or me needing money...I take credit, debit, check, cash, Venmo.”

Simon received several awards. He belonged to the National Honor Society and Student Council, and served as treasurer of the Class of 2024.

‘A remarkable class’’

The traditional processional “Pomp and Circumstance” heralded the start of the ceremony. It had been a hot, rainy week, but the weather gods were smiling as several hundred attendees filled the stands at the football and soccer field. Eighty six graduates took to the field under an array of balloons in blue and white, the school colors.

Leading the Pledge of Allegiance was class vice president Coco Gao, who graduated summa cum laude and was recognized with an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors indicating mastery in mathematics and science.

In his welcoming remarks, Scott Haberli, the soon-to-be retired high school principal, told the graduates, “Each one of you has demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and resilience throughout your academic journey. Despite the challenges and uncertainties you have faced, you have emerged victorious, ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.”

In closing, he said, “May your futures be bright, your dreams limitless, and your hearts forever tied to the spirit of Sullivan West.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bressler said the graduates had made a great impact in the classrooms and on the athletic fields. She talked about the school’s Future Farmers of America chapter, the career and technical endorsements on many diplomas, and the class’s first in-house art show.

“You are a remarkable class,” she said. “I have known many of you for a very long time...way back when you were celebrating sixth-grade graduation, and I was taller than Carly Diehl and Lucas Herbert.”

“It has been exciting to watch you grow because you have made a great impact on Sullivan West,” she said. “You are smart, resourceful students who stand up for what is right and put your all into what you do.”

The Sullivan West High School Band performed the National Anthem, followed by “Season of Love” by the school’s senior choir. 

Diplomas were presented. Class president Peter March announced the Class of 2024’s gifts: a $2,000 donation to the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and $5,000 to the student council. “To bring future classes together outside, we are paying to build and assemble a gaga ball pit,” he said.

Before the graduates walked into their future as the band played, March told them: “We grew up hand-in-hand, having fun together, and leaning on each other for support,” said March. “This is not just a high school graduation for us, this is us graduating into the open ocean that is the world ahead of us, the world outside Sullivan West.”