Mercy High Graduation the End of a Journey

It was a bittersweet night at the Mercy High School commencement Thursday.

Even the Patch reporter got choked up talking to the Mercy High School Class of 2012; the girls were proud of their success but also recognized that their family of friends would be changing forever.

Here's what some of the graduates, parents and a teacher had to say:

• Kelly Murphy of Cromwell said, "I can't believe these four years are over already. It feels good but it's emotional."  
• Kendall McKinnon of Kensington said she still felt like a freshman. "The whole experience is surreal," she said. 
• Salutatorian Angela Pollard, who will be attending Yale University in the fall, said, "I will miss the sisterhood; being comfortable around my friends and classmates. It will be sad not seeing them every day but it's also going to be exciting."  
• Genna Marcin, the Class of 2012 valedictorian, said she feels "blessed and lucky to have gone to this wonderful high school and to have met the people here."  
• Katie Overturf of Middlefield said, "It's a little bit scary to leave what we have come to know for four years, but it's been a very memorable four years.  I'm going to miss this family."  Dad Kyle added, "She really loved it here."  
• Danielle Tylki of Wethersfield said, "I'm sad!  I don't want to leave all my friends." Danielle is planning to attend the University of Rhode Island to study kinesiology. Her mother, Liz, said, "It's been an amazing educational experience for her at an excellent school."  Danielle's sister, Emily, will be attending Mercy in the fall.  
• Amanda Pacheco of Wallingford expressed her gratefulness to her parents for sending her "to a great school ... I've made a lot of friendships."  
• Meghan Begley of Berlin is looking forward to studying criminal justice at Central Connecticut State University.  "I've been inspired by my father who served 26 years on the New Britain police force.  It's been overwhelming tonight."  
• Lynn Naumann, who teaches Spanish at Mercy High said, "We are graduating a class of very bright and energetic women of Mercy, and they all have brilliant futures."