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Mostly Cloudy Lynbrook High School holds graduation ceremonies
Rain doesn’t dampen spirits of class of 2012
By Rosemary Leonetti
The afternoon thundershowers that forced the Lynbrook High School commencement indoors last Friday did nothing to dampen the spirits of the families and friends who celebrated the accomplishments of the 244 graduates of the class of 2012. With the familiar strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” filling the air, the graduates were greeted by enthusiastic applause as they entered the high school gym, forming a wave of green and gold.
In her valedictory address, which she titled “Unafraid,” Ilana Ajzenman quoted Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Anna Quindlen, who said she “majored in the unafraid.” “To me,” Ajzenman noted, “majoring in the unafraid means being willing to take risks. Fortune favors the bold, and we will never know what we are capable of unless we try. This September, we won’t be coming together for the first day of school, but we will be taking our first fearless steps into the world. I hope that as we move on to our futures, we can all be unafraid together.”
“It seems like yesterday we were all hopping on the bus to the Kindergarten Center,” said Salutatorian Timothy Keegan. “Because we attended Lynbrook, we have grown from those cute young kindergartners into fine, ready-to-excel graduates. Because we attended Lynbrook, we no longer see failures as endings, we see them as challenges. We know what it takes to overcome failures and obstacles. We will continue to care, continue to strive forward.”
Principal Joseph Rainis highlighted the moments and events that set this class apart — a class whose members have been accepted at more than 280 top colleges and earned over $15 million in scholarships. Rainis proudly noted that 93 percent of the class earned Regents diplomas; 63 percent, Regents diplomas with advanced designation; and 28 percent, Regents diplomas with advanced designation with honors. In addition to excelling in the classroom, he said, the seniors brought pride to their community through their achievements in the fine and performing arts, athletics and community service.
