Schools

HKHS Seniors Graduate

The Class of 2011 goes off into the world with "Pomp and Circumstance."

The band played “In All Its Glory,” the choir sang “Lean on Me,” and even one of the speakers sang a brief ditty. And to that accompaniment the 169 members of Haddam Killingworth High School’s Class of 2011 graduated Tuesday night.

Ensconced in the safety of a huge white tent in the event of rain – which never materialized – the graduates listened to several of their peers encourage them to go forth fearless into the world, to follow their dreams, but remember the good times they had at HKHS.

“High school is a time to grow, not only as a student, but as a person,” said Carley Mooney, the class president. She went on to thank the high school’s teachers, who she said were committed to “the whole person” not just the students in the children they taught.

Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I will be proud to call this school my alma mater,” she said, before urging her fellow students to “take a risk, throw caution to the wind and just do it.”

Jill Griswold, the senior class salutatorian, evoked the popularity of YouTube wunderkind Rebecca Black when she sing a brief a refrain from the 13-year-old’s tune “Friday,” to impress on the graduates the importance of finding their niche.

Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“She found her niche, she’s going after her dreams. Don’t let anyone stand in the way of your ambitions. Make sure you’re pursuing what you enjoy and find your niche.”

Clayton Rountree, the class valedictorian, made the standing-room only crowd laugh and then break into applause when he joked that people are always telling him that high school is the best years of a person’s life.

If that’s true, he said, “then something’s really wrong” when CAPTs, CMTs and homework are included in the best years of your life.

He summed up by quoting the character Ferris Bueller, from the film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

“Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.”

 

 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here