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Students stand during the PMHS Graduation ceremony on June 23.

On June 23, 2018, friends and family of Pelham Memorial High School seniors attended a graduation ceremony held in the Pelham Middle School gymnasium to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2018. The ceremony consisted of heartfelt speeches, proudly presented awards, and a performance by the PMHS Band.

PTA Council President, Leah Tahbaz, had the honor of awarding the Fairclough Award to the three top academic students of the graduating class. From 1st place to 3rd place, Patrick Roche, Emily Xue, and Jillian Harrison received awards. The award is named after William Fairclough, a former guidance counselor at PMHS.

When asked how she feels about receiving such a high award, Xue said, “I was surprised. My grade is full of geniuses, so I was wondering: which genius is going to get this award? And I did not think it would be me.”

Xue also commented that PMHS prepared her for college by helping her mature and providing support. She said, “I can see how much I have matured over the four years. I feel like the teachers not only taught me valuable lessons in the classroom.” Xue cited Mr. Beltecas, the Science Research teacher, as one individual who taught her lessons and constantly reassured her. She also commented that her Science Research class was an important aspect of her PMHS life. She said, “Every single year I have been with the same people, the same group of friends; they are like my own little sanctuary.” Emily Xue will attend Vanderbilt University.

Another award, the Memorial Tablet, was given out by Superintendent Dr. Champ to two students, a boy and a girl, who demonstrated, “the highest mental, moral, physical, and academic achievements during their high school years.” The recipients of the awards were Jillian Harrison and Mason Brady.

The ceremony was filled with music by the PMHS Band, directed by teacher Mr. Van Bochove. The band performed a rendition of “Carry On Wayward Son” by Kansas as students and parents exited the gymnasium. On his selection, Mr. Van Bochove said, “I like doing a song that has something to do with moving on.” He spoke further about the graduating seniors in band. He said, “The seniors this year are very talented and I hope they keep music in their life because it can bring them a lot of joy.”

Seniors Nick Wessman and Hannah Mackay and senior class president Eva Perez were some of the many who gave heartwarming speeches.

Nick Wessman shared an anecdote about his father, who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. In his speech entitled, “The Final Supplement,” Wessman talked about how the Pelham community came to his aid in a time of need. He gives numerous examples of how friends, family, and the school were kind and supportive. In his speech, he said, “My dad is here with us all today to watch me graduate from high school, and most importantly, there isn’t a doubt that he has so much more life to live. How do I know this? Because an entire community came together for a single family out of the kindness of their hearts, and this has given us all the brightest outlook of all.”

Mackay delivered a speech entitled, “Wait, What?” It focused on aspiring to change the world, and not being afraid to not know what will happen. Mackay said, “Here at Pelham, students shine. Be it on the stage, the field… band or chorus, Science Research, forensic speech. We are molded by our mentors to lead and to never stop questioning, no matter what the future holds. As it is in our hands. So good luck to everyone, and I challenge you all to follow your dreams. But remember that it is okay to have no clue what is going on, as long as you ask.”

Perez spoke about her love for baking as an analogy for trial and error. Her speech entitled, “Recipe for Success,” encouraged her peers to be true to themselves and believe in themselves.

Two other seniors, Aidan Sisk and Eyuel Bekele, commented on their senior experiences at PMHS.

Aidan Sisk commented that the class he will miss the most is Science Research. “Even though it’s a lot of work, you find your groove, and then you end up liking it. High school wouldn’t be the same without it,” he said. Along with Science Research, Aidan was also President of Philosophy club and says he will, “miss it dearly.” He will be attending Binghamton University with a guaranteed transfer to Cornell University.

Eyuel Bekele said he will miss AP Literature, “AP Lit was lit! I had a great teacher [Ms. Strachan] and a great class.” Eyuel Bekele will be attending Marist College in the fall.

Principal Clark spoke highly of the graduating seniors, “To a person, the members of the Class of 2018 are intelligent, creative, hardworking, resourceful, respectful, and loyal to their school, their community, and always to each other.” Principle Clark reminisced about her memories with the graduating class and told about how she predicts great things from them. She took the audience back to the Senior Talent Show, and exclaimed that in her 14 years as Principal, “it was the most imaginative show (she had) seen.”

Superintendent Champ used Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s analogy of a thermometer to speak words of wisdom to the Class of 2018. Dr. Champ said, “We are each here, now, at this time and in this place: June 23, 2018 in Pelham, in Westchester County, in New York, in the United States, in North America. Each of you has been part of a family, a school, and a community. Each of these divisions, whether geographic or relational, adds a different layer of context to the world within which we each function. I, being new to Pelham this year, had many goals for the year, one of which was to build relationships and get to know the school and community; In other words, to take the temperature of the place. To be a thermometer to identify and collect data on the ideas and principles of popular opinion that make Pelham, Pelham. This is an important first step when entering any new context or environment.”

Board of Education President Madeline Smith reminded the seniors that they are ambassadors representing PMHS. She told the audience how she always sees the seniors smiling, and hopes they retain that personality. Smith said, “So make sure you always represent the true you – the caring you, the friendly you, the considerate you, and the loving you.  Be the best ambassador that you can be. You are always on the job.”