By By JESSICA SIEFF / Niles Daily Star
Brandywine and Buchanan graduates are getting a start on their summers and their futures this week as both schools celebrated their 2009 commencement ceremonies Sunday.
"It's taken us our years," said Brandywine valedictorian Jordenne Ferenczi, "but we are finally here and ready to take the next step in the world."
Graduating Bobcats heard from several distinguished members of their class during Sunday's ceremony, including co-salutatorian's Emily Low and Greg Beaver who demonstrated two very significant characteristics of high school life: academic success and high school relationships.
"As most of you may know," Beaver said. "Until a couple of months ago, we were a couple for all of high school and no one inspired me more than her to be the best I could be, no only in school but in sports and everything I do."
The two continued their address together.
"We both strived to be better than the other, yet still helped each other along the way," Low said. "I'm sure everyone has that person in their life that shaped their future and mine is Greg."
Low and Beaver also gave special recognition to the teachers that inspired them while their time was spent in Brandywine's classrooms as well as their families and friends.
Class president Leah Kachur also touched on her time at Brandywine High School but also focused on the future.
"Today marks the end of an era," she said. "Years of books, plays, dances and sports have all led to this gratifying moment…
"Today we sit here as proof of hope for the future," she continued. "We are the businessmen, the teachers and the parents of tomorrow. By our own dedication to our success in high school having qualified us to lead the future, today we rise above and shed those labels. For today's graduation is the culmination of our commitment, from the efforts from that first day of kindergarten to now as we await the satisfaction of diplomas in our hands."
Plenty of diplomas would reach a sea of hands by Sunday afternoon. Buchanan graduates also had something to show for their four years of high school during a simultaneous ceremony.
For those graduating seniors, the act of receiving their diplomas a slide of the tassel followed by a toss of the cap into the air – signifies the end of their high school careers.
Pep rallies, sporting events and high school dances will soon give way to college campuses, college athletics and long nights spent studying for courses.
But the lessons of high school don't dim so quickly. "While at times it may have been easy to have been drawn into negative aspects of school," said Kachur, "we have chosen to pursue and accomplish."
The graduating Bobcat ended her speech on a high note.
"I would like to end with a quote by Joel Hawes," she said. "'Aim at the sun and your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object on a level with yourself."