On the evening of Monday, June 6th graduates of Thomas Stone High School stood and gave a standing ovation to their parents and grandparents who helped guide them through their high school years. The salutatorian Emily Le described those four years as being filled with friendship, love and growth.
Alluding to the school’s mascot, senior class President Brittany Turpin told the graduates “cougars go after their prey and conquer them,” while reminding them to “dream, but believe that everyone of us has the power to influence the world and get things done.”
The choir sang, “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” by Carrie Underwood, which was followed by the Valedictorian speech by Jennifer DeMarco. DeMarco spoke about the future. “We are one step closer to finding out who we truly are. Change forces us into the unknown. Meet new people. Learn more about yourself. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things.”
The 337 graduates cheered, whistled and clapped when DeMarco ended with a quote by Harriett Tubman, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer.” Thomas Stone graduates, who earned over two million dollars in scholarship offers, are already beginning to turn their dreams into reality.
Kymani Gilmer, one of two winners of a school-wide writing contest on “What Thomas Stone High School Means to Me?” read his essay to the audience. He eloquently discussed perseverance, freedom and accomplishment. He gave his audience a lot to think about as they move forth in life. Gilmer said, “Step over every obstacle, naysayer and walk with your head held high. Own this experience. Smile on bad days and laugh on the worst. You’ve written the high school chapter, what you write next is in your hands.”
As each graduate walked across the stage they received their diploma along with a handshake or a hug from their Board of Education officials. You could feel the energy as parents angled for the best pic
