Photos: Congrats to Floral Park Memorial High School 2023 grads

The Floral Park Memorial High School community celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2023 at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University on June 24.

Salutatorian Samannita Mukherjee acknowledged the family, friends and teachers who helped all the graduates get to the momentous day. She stressed the importance of showing gratitude for their elders.

She honored her late grandfather by reciting one of his Bengali poems to the crowd, which encouraged the new graduates to follow their dreams and explore new pathways.

“The treasures that you dream about are worthless without hard work, purpose and determination,” Mukherjee said. “It’s not enough to just dream, you have to put yourself out there and fulfill that dream.”

Valedictorian Deirdre O’Neill urged her fellow graduates to face their fears head on and be patient as they adjust to the next chapter ahead of them.

Whether it is college, trade school, entrepreneurship or exploration, all the graduating seniors are headed in new directions, and O’Neill spoke about the importance of not comparing their individual journeys to others.

“Instead of focusing on where other people are headed, I suggest you all enjoy your own ride,” O’Neill said.