On June 21, 2024, Edison High School held its 65th Commencement Ceremony at the Jersey Mike’s Arena, formerly the Rutgers Athletic Center. After four years of hard work, devotion, and improvement, the Class of 2024 achieved a significant milestone in their educational career.. 

At the start of the ceremony, the graduates entered the arena with a procession led by Band Director Mr. Marc Denicuolo. Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” a timeless melody for many graduation ceremonies, filled the air.

As soon as the graduates took their seats, official morning announcer Eshal Qazi ’24 led the pledge of allegiance for the last time. Qazi concluded with her morning announcement tradition, “With Edison High, you are guaranteed to fly.” 

Shortly thereafter, the EHS Chamber Choir, under the direction of Mr. Joshua Lisner, delivered the National Anthem, setting a patriotic tone for the rest of the ceremony.

Principal Mr. Charles Ross then took to the podium to deliver the official welcome address, marking the formal commencement of the ceremony. He was followed by Salutatorian Eduardo Nunez ‘24, who reflected on his experiences and achievements at EHS.

“The beautiful thing about life is that life keeps going. You continue to learn and improve no matter what, and with that understanding,” said Nunez, “I’ve learned to confront the hardships and the road ahead. Ultimately, the best relationship you can have is the one with yourself.”

The EHS Chamber Orchestra continued the proceedings, with an orchestral arrangement of Claude Debussy’s classical piano piece, “Reverie” under the direction of Ms. Brittney Milicia. 

Valedictorian Atharva Inamdar ‘24 followed, sharing memories and words of wisdom.

“As you move on in life, being surrounded by so many people, seemingly more talented than you and better than you, is intimidating, but that’s okay,” said Inamdar. “Do things anyway and do them for yourself.” 

After both the valedictory and salutary addresses, choir members continued the music section of the ceremony with their performance of James Eakin III’s selection, “I Will Fly,” creating an emotional and uplifting atmosphere to the ceremony.

Following the music section, Simone Banks ‘24 delivered American Poet Rudy Francisco’s poem, “Immortality”, sharing thoughts and ideas that she looked forward to in the near future. This was the first time there has been a spoken word at graduation. 

“I wanna speak the unspoken,” said Banks, quoting Francisco. “I wanna face everything in our world that’s broken. I wanna be the one that performs the Heimlich maneuver as soon as our society starts choking.”

Several chief guests, including Board of Education President Biral Patel and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edward Aldarelli, took the podium to share their remarks with the graduating class. Following their speeches, Aldarelli officially certified the Class of 2024 as graduates of EHS.

The highlight of the ceremony came as teachers called each student from the Class of 2024 to the podium to receive their diplomas. Students posed for the camera as friends and parents proudly called out their names, celebrating their achievements. 

“I have been waiting for this moment since 2005 when I had my son, so this is a really proud moment for us. In a way, I feel like I’m graduating too; I never thought we would make it, so I’m really happy that he’s graduating and going off to Stevenson College,” said Alicia Carter, the mother of Aidan Carter ‘24.

“I’m really proud of my daughter. I think she’s done an amazing job, and we’re very excited,” said Mr. David Petroski of graduate Alayna Petroski ‘24. “She’s going to pursue a degree in anthropology, so we’ll see where that goes.”

Graduates also shared their reflections on their experiences in Edison High and advice they would give to current and incoming high schoolers.

“I’m excited because this is the start of a new point in my life, so I’m very appreciative of everything that’s happened to me so far,” remarked Nunez. “Remember to enjoy your life on top of school and work; you have to make time for yourself and find yourself.”

As the night came to a close, senior class president Idhika Turya ’24 and Student Council president Charvi Padmanabhani ’24 delivered closing speeches, reflecting on COVID-19, hardships and their time at EHS. The ceremony concluded with the students turning their tassels, cementing their achievement as graduates.

“It’s so surreal for these four years to go by in a quick second. Live in the present. Enjoy your time in high school. Always take the risks because those rewards outweigh the risks,” said Taha Shaikh ‘24.

As the Class of 2024 graduates of Edison High School embark on their next adventures, they carry with them the lessons learned and the memories made, ready to soar to new heights and more.

Readers can watch the commencement ceremony here and view graduation photos in an album compiled by Karina Hawaldar ‘25 here.