An East Rockaway class filled with unique individuals graduates

Superintendent Lisa Ruiz told East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School’s 78 graduates on June 23 to be inspired by an unlikely celebrity: the “Left Shark,” who became an Internet sensation for missing some of the choreography to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” at the 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show. “He was the one who went rogue and who actually stole the show,” she said. “So be unique.”

The speech set the tone for the rest of the graduation. As the night went on, the graduation’s other speakers noted that each graduate is an individual with their own passions and their own dreams.

“We defy stereotypes [about high school] because each of us is one of a kind,” said Natalia Cuttitta, who served as the valedictorian for the class of 2017.

But each individual contributed to the class to make it successful. Some students played on the high school’s various sports teams, some volunteered to help rebuild houses after Hurricane Sandy destroyed much of the town and damaged the high school in 2012 and some participated in the school plays. Each student, however, put all of their effort into whatever they were interested in, according to Katharine Calabrese, who served as the salutatorian of the class.

“It is our drive for success, and our ‘finish first’ attitude that have inspired me most,” Calabrese said in her address to her fellow classmates. “We have also shown that we could work together to achieve a common goal. We won the Cup,” she added referencing the senior class’ Rock Rivalry championship this year.

According to Cuttitta, these shared experiences helped make high school a unique experience. “We have all influenced each other’s lives in one way or another,” she said. “Whatever path you decide to take, I am glad that our paths crossed.”

As a class, the students have received more than $40,000 in scholarships. They will go on to a variety of colleges, including Molloy College, Pennsylvania State University and Villanova University.