On June 20, 2023, Edison High School held their 64th Commencement Ceremony at the Jersey Mike’s Arena, formerly known as the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC). After four years of hard work, dedication, and growth; these students achieved an important milestone.
As the ceremony commenced, the graduates made their way into the arena in a procession led by Band Director Mr. Marc Denicuolo. The playing of “Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar is a tradition for many graduation ceremonies.
As soon as graduates settled into their seats, official morning announcer Ava Yap ’23, led the pledge of allegiance for the final time. The EHS chamber choir, under the guidance of Choir Director Mr. Joshua Lisner, followed with the National Anthem. Concluding her segment, Yap maintained her morning announcement tradition by proclaiming, “Fly high eagles.”
Following the National Anthem, Mr. Charles Ross stepped forward to deliver a welcome address to the graduating class, esteemed faculty, and proud families. Concluding his speech with “Don’t forget the four R’s of eagle pride, class of 2023. You are all that is great about Edison High and you will not be forgotten.”
The chamber orchestra, led by Orchestra Director Ms. Brittney Milicia, played “Colors of Home,” composed by Alan Lee Silva. This was the second time the EHS Orchestra has ever performed at a graduation.
After this music section, salutatorian Lavanya Rao ‘23 and valedictorian Vinay Menon ‘23 gave their addresses to the graduating class.
“Even if you cannot ensure greatness in your story, you can still use the game to make a better version of yourself” stated Rao in her speech. “We don’t know the rules of the game, so you can make your story however you like. It is your story.” In her concluding remarks, she expressed gratitude to the faculty, friends, and the graduating class.
After Rao’s speech, Menon also reflected upon his time at EHS.
“From as soon as we learned to make sense of our senses, we’ve learned in two main ways: exploration and imitation,” Menon stated. “Each community we will become a part of will enrich our lives and show us new wonders, and we will bring our experiences to contribute the same.”
After both the valedictory and salutary addresses, choir members continued the music section with their rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone with Climb Ev’ry Mountain” by Rogers and Hammerstein, led again by Lisner. The song symbolizes the overcoming of hardship and the friendships the graduating class created throughout their years in Edison High.
Acting Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edward Aldarelli, then took the podium to extend his congratulations and share his remarks with the graduating class. Concluding his address, Aldarelli officially certified the class of 2023 as graduates of EHS.
Graduates were overwhelmed with emotions as they walked the stage.
“It’s nerve-wracking, it’s exciting, mixed emotions, I just wanted to graduate already!” said Sahana Ali ‘23.
Throughout this time, the graduates’ guardians, relatives, friends, and other supporters cheered and expressed their joy at seeing them reach this point in their lives.
“It’s very awesome to see Brianna graduate. It’s great to see her turn into such a wonderful young lady. She’s going to college in a few months and she’s growing up, and it’s great! I will miss her very much after she leaves,” said the parents of Brienna Cieslak ‘23.
“It feels surreal and amazing! We are so proud of Ava, and know for sure that Edison High is the best!” said parents of Ava Yap ‘23.
As the night came to an end, senior class president Ridhi Gera ‘23 and student council president Sarina Ahmed ‘23 gave their final remarks and congratulated the graduating class and led the turning of the tassel to signify their achievement.
“It felt exciting, I’m so proud of all the work that I did. It will be a bit tough for all of us as we won’t be able to see each other. I’m excited for what’s ahead of me,” said Gaurang Vasan ‘23.
Many graduates also reflected on their time at EHS, remembering memories from their four years at EHS.
“One of the best moments we had in my life was Badminton for Charity, hosted by UNICEF,” continued Jayesh Chaurasia ‘23. “Badminton for Charity had such great enthusiasm, we were able to fill up all the stands. All of them wanted to play and I thought it was pretty memorable.”
The graduating class also had some advice for future graduates of EHS.
“Don’t take your time for granted. If you want to do something, don’t wait on it. Don’t hesitate on anything and try to live your life without regrets. If you wait on something for too long, you’ll realize you love it before it’s too late,” said Akash Mitra ‘23.
Readers can watch the commencement ceremony here and readers can also view graduation photos in a photo album compiled by Idhika Turya ‘24 here.
