Congrats, Grads

The 2015-2016 graduation ceremony is packed with new surprises and lots of joy for the new graduates

 Graduation is an exciting time in life. It’s a time when students first begin transitioning into adulthood. The graduating class is definitely looking forward to this day, but the ceremony this school year is going to be a little different due to the significant changes that had to be made because of a turf field installation.

 “It is a day that [the graduates] will never forget. [Graduation] is their moment in time,” said senior class Sponsor,” Mrs. Martha Ryman.

 A lot of time, planning, and organization are needed to create a graduation. All of the administrators and teachers involved dedicate a lot of time to create an exciting environment for the students, but there is going to be a major difference this year due to the change in location. The senior class of 2016 will be graduating at Rock Bridge High School because of the renovations being made at Potomac Falls.

 “In terms of what we did last year’s graduation at Potomac Falls is going to be totally different because we’re not at our school. At this point, I hope all goes well and [that] we have everything that we need on graduation day,” said Ryman.

 A lot of time and dedication go into creating a graduation ceremony. Each of the organizers have their own unique way of planning for the big day. All of the people involved have their own specific roles that contribute to the overall turnout of the event.

 “We’ve had a lot of meetings, and I’m fielding about 25 e-mails a day from parents and students. It’s a lot of work, a lot of prep and organization, but we’re in the final organization stages now,” said Ryman.

The speaker at graduation will be Potomac Falls English teacher, Mr. Jason Walker. For the third year in a row, a faculty member will be speaking at the graduation ceremony. Students have an option to choose anyone to speak at the ceremony, but they look forward to hearing what their teachers have to say about this next chapter in life.

  “[All graduation speakers] had something to say, and I will bring my approach to it. I don’t want [the speech] to be ‘me telling [the students] what the keys to life are’. I want to tell them something different,” said Walker.

 Though there is a big physical difference in the graduation ceremony, the spirit and environment will still remain. The graduation organizers hope that this event can be a positive environment where the graduating class can all come together and recognize each other and their accomplishments.

 “I hope that on graduation day, they can come together one more time and look at how far they’ve come in these past four years. [I want them to] leave here feeling like their time here was well spent,” said Ryman.

 Graduation should be a distinguishable time on one’s life. It represents a new chapter in these young student’s life, and students should be proud of what’s behind them and excited for what’s in the future.

 “It is certainly the right of passage from adolescence into adulthood. Once you have graduated, you are really considered a young adult. After they walk across that stage, they are expected to make their way in the world,” said Walker.