The Leonardtown High School (LHS) Class of 2013 commencement at St. Mary’s College on Wednesday was an emotional one for two of the adults involved in the ceremony. Principal Maureen Montgomery’s son Ryan and St. Mary’s School Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano’s daughter Gina were seated in front of them with their 2013 classmates.
Montgomery said she told Dr. Martirano that this, her second commencement as principal, was as emotional as her first one. She said the superintendent told her, “Let me know when you stop feeling that way because it will be time to move you to another school.”
In addition to her son, Montgomery said she had known many of the graduates for a long time as she progressed from assistant principal at Hollywood Elementary to principal at Benjamin Banneker Elementary to principal at Spring Ridge Middle School. “You have made it, you have earned it, so I want you to enjoy every minute of it,” she said.
The principal noted that the graduates had received $11.2 million in scholarships and 67 of them than grade point average of 4 or better. She also asked the students who were going on to military service to stand. Many had received appointments to military academies. Dr. Martirano repeated the request to stand and also asked anyone in the audience who had served to stand. He also recognized NAS Commanding Officer Captain Ben Shevchuk who was in the audience.
The LHS Class of 2013 is the largest of the three county public high schools, with a total of 468 out of 1179 graduates in the school system. It was the school’s 34th commencement.
Montgomery said the Class of 2013 was defined as being “clever, creative and smart. You are without a doubt the overachievers of Leonardtown High School.” She said the path to success “Is to work hard. If you do you will win. You can’t lose. You will be happy.”
Dr. Martirano on several occasions said how much he loved all of the graduates. “I absolutely love this event. I absolutely love all of you,” he said to which the class answered with an “Awww”
The superintendent noted that the prospective graduates were in the center of the room as in a cocoon, surrounded by teachers and then by parents and friends. “You are at the center of our thoughts at this ceremony,” he said, adding “You are very special.”
He then got personal noting the birth of his daughter in 1995. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” he said, noting that you see the look of love when you view pictures of parents looking at their newborns.
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