New Beginnings for Class of 2023
Ralph P. Adams Stadium could not have been a more perfect setting for Cuyahoga Heights High School’s 85th Annual Commencement on Sunday, May 28. That afternoon marked an important milestone for the 86 members of the Class of 2023.
“Your hard work and dedication have brought you to this moment,” Principal Scott DeTray told the graduates. “But graduation is not the end of your journey; rather, it marks the beginning of a lifelong commitment to learning and personal growth. Embrace the pursuit of knowledge, for it has the power to transform lives and shape the future.”
Senior Class Vice President Riley Conners sang the “National Anthem” and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. This was followed by the Middle/High School Orchestra, directed by Grace Brown, which played “Canon in D”.
“If you take away anything from this moment, make sure you take advantage of what life gives you,” Class President Alize Reyes advised her classmates. “Minor setbacks make for a major comeback. Every single graduate here today is bound to do great things, but the power is in your hands now.”
Superintendent Tom Evans, himself a CHHS graduate, congratulated the Class of 2023 and introduced Salutatorian Hyatt Taylor and Valedictorian Samson (Sam) Wheelock.
“This is the time that you get to decide the rest of your life!,” Taylor told his classmates. “Everyone can be ready if they have a dream in mind. The important part is that you try your best. You don’t have to be an astronaut, but at least shoot for that moon, and I guarantee you’ll land among the stars.”
“People will throw stones at you. Don’t throw them back. Collect them all and build an empire,” said Wheelock in recalling one of his favorite anonymous quotes. “You will have countless stones thrown at you. But, if you want to succeed, you must have the courage, the strength, and the resolve to resist the urge to throw them back, and to instead collect them all and use them to build your empire. I can’t wait to see what empires you forge,” he told his classmates.
Senior Class Secretary Sierra Wise led the class members in presenting a red rose to their parents and guardians. The rose symbolized the love and support their parents provided during the students’ school years.
Members of the Board of Education awarded diplomas, Class Treasurer Jack Bohning then led his classmates in the Tassel Ceremony in which they moved the tassels on their mortarboards from right to left, signifying their graduation. “Congratulations Class of 2023!! We are officially graduates of Cuyahoga Heights High School.”
Everyone then joined in singing the Alma Mater led by teacher Noah Hamrick. And, with the familiar sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance”, the students filed out of the stadium and into the next chapter of their lives.
Photos:
Alize Reyes addresses her classmates.
The Class of 2023 on the field.
Georgia Barnes and Maddie Hepburn pose for a picture.
Noah Wilson points to his diploma.