Fri., June 15, 2007The big day finally arrived -- my little sister's graduation from Chantilly High School. The floor was a sea of purple and white (their school colors). The class of '07 consisted of 675 students. A stern warning about proper behavior was given before the commencement officially began. However, it wasn't a surprise when well into the ceremony, beach balls suddenly appeared amongst the students and were bumped around until they were confiscated. Various faculty and students presentations followed. Peppered in was music accompaniment from the band and chorus.
The keynote speech was given by "beloved history teacher" and football coach Phil Cronin. He mentioned the different hats he wore as a coach, teacher and mentor/role model. The following are excerpts from his speech that I found inspiring. "We pushed you to try new things or to grow beyond your expectations of your self. To stay in your comfort zone, to not try new things -- that would be a tragedy! We asked you to give more than you thought you had and told you that there weren’t always trophies or prizes at the end. Sometimes it was the process that was important and that by learning to take care of the little things, the details, that would make you successful."
The ceremony was a little more than two hours long ... impressively efficient. When it ended, happy teens and proud parents, grandparents and friends poured out of the George Mason Patriot Center. Endless possibilities awaiting the new graduates!
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