A bright sunny evening greeted the tri-town community for the graduation ceremony of the Valley Regional High School (VRHS) Class of 2023 on the front lawn of the school on June 13.

A section of the school’s band welcomed attendees with music, which included the graduation march “Pomp and Circumstance,” as graduates made their way to the front of the crowd and onto the bleachers next to the stage.

Principal Mike Barile addressed the graduates first, praising their “commitment to excellence” and “intellectual curiosity” that have led the class to accomplishments in academics and athletics.

“You have spent the last four years at Valley working hard, pushing yourself to new heights and facing challenges head-on,” he said. “You are now poised to enter your next phase of life, a step I know you are ready for,” he said.

Region 4 School District Superintendent Brian White spoke further to those talents and the difference they will make in the future.

“You are a class of many talents. You have made great contributions during your time at Valley Regional High School, and you have all it takes to be successful and to make a positive difference in this world.”

The transition into their new phase of life and all of the success it can bring about was the theme of the speeches given by three of the evening’s graduates.

Class President and honor essayist Anne Benson took to the stand first to repeat to her classmates a question they were all asked when they were younger: “What do you want to be when you grow?” While she said that at 18 years of age, she is still “unsure which path to take,” she assured her classmates that it is nothing to stress over; rather, “uncertainty is not a concept to fear, but rather an invitation to explore the unknown.”

With the class concluding its high school career, Benson said it was time for her and fellow Warriors to embrace the unknown ahead, as it gives each individually a chance to finally write their own story with the “abundance of opportunities” ahead of them. She adds that none of this could be possible without the support and companionship of their families, VRHS faculty, and friends to help them realize that chance.

“While academics are important, it’s the experiences that we have with our friends, teachers, and families that will carry with us throughout our lives. All of these experiences come together to help guide us through uncertainty. No matter your path after graduation, I want to encourage you to experience everything. Close that computer. Put the phone down. And experience all that this world has to offer. Because it is the people we meet and the memories we form that make this life worth living,” said Benson.

Salutatorian Matheus Silva’s speech centered around the emotional state and meaning of the word “saudade,” which he says can roughly translate from Portuguese to multiple meanings such as a mixture of “to miss,” “to yearn for,” or “to have nostalgia for.”

“Saudade is what you feel on a plane flying to a new country, thinking about who and what you’re abandoning because home doesn’t allow you to dream or to grow. Saudade is what you feel sitting on the bleachers right now, staring at the school where you spent four years making memories and friends. It’s what makes you stare into the future scared and hopeful of what is to come,” he said.

Silva, who is from Brazil, reflected how despite the melancholic meaning of the word, it invokes a feeling that he and his classmates should carry with them as they take the next step in their lives.

“Saudade of this school, your family, friends, teachers, and faculty should not but will motivate you to make them proud wherever you go. Saudade of the community that fought so hard to see you at this moment will motivate you to imitate their kindness in whatever community you become a part of. Saudade of grand moments like these will push you towards excellence. Let the saudade of everything you and your family sacrificed and miss guide you to great things.”

Jack Finnegan, the class valedictorian, opened his speech remembering when the number 2023 would be attached to his class from when he got his school-assigned email at Essex Elementary School. That moment quickly led up to graduation from high school faster than he or his classmates could realize.

“I think I can speak for all of my classmates when I say school was not all fun and games, and yet it feels as though graduation has snuck up on us. The days were long, but the years went by fast,” said Finnegan.

Because of the way time flies, Finnegan encourages his classmates to see how “each brief moment in time is another opportunity to cherish the ‘now’ because as we move forward, the ground beneath us will inevitably shift,” he said. “But appreciating the day doesn’t mean we should be scared of or overwhelmed by the thought of tomorrow,” he added.

And the best way to embrace “the thought of tomorrow” is for graduated Warriors to constantly do good for those around, said Finnegan.

“Every decision we have made throughout our academic journey has led us to this very moment… Each decision we make, whether it is joining a club or sport, pursuing a particular trade or major, studying hard for an exam, or helping a neighbor, has the potential to impact not only our own trajectory but also the lives of others,” he said. “A kind word, a helping hand, or a moment of encouragement can ignite a flame within someone’s heart, propelling them on their own unique path of success.”

Class officers bestowed upon their lower classmen their gift of Chromebook charging stations and chargers to be placed around the school to serve the digital portion of their education.

To view more photos of Valley Regional’s graduation ceremony, click on this gallery at: https://www.zip06.com/photo-galleries/20230620/valley-regional-high-school-2023-commencement/