Seniors say goodbye at Verona High School graduation

The departing seniors of Verona High School said goodbye to the life they've known for the past four years but also became part of a march larger family of alumni, according to their principal. 

The Verona High School Class of 2017 threw their caps in the air and prepared for the next chapter during a commencement ceremony held Friday night, June 16 at Caldwell University. As they prepared to depart, VHS Principal Josh Cogdill asked them all to have fun in their future endeavors and enjoy the moment.

"Kindness will bring meaning to your life," Cogdill told the newest graduates.

Dr. Marie Meyer served as the honored guest speaker, a duty that the local English teacher said left her feeling honored and intimidated. 

"I am not Mark Zuckerberg ... with tips on how to change the global marketplace," Meyer said. "I'm an English teacher."

Meyer recounted the story of "Ulysses" by James Joyce and its parallel to "The Odyssey" by Homer, as the tale takes place on June 16. 

"That's the advice that I can share, the advice to write your own epic tale," Meyer told the graduates.

Austin Camp, valedictorian and student class president, said his speech was the hardest thing he ever had to write, more difficult than any school assignment. Camp dedicated his speech to his classmates for the impact they had on his life.

An emotional Camp, who claimed to be dealing with "allergies," recounted the many successes of the Class of 2017 from the clubs they started, holding the first spring pep rally and the sports accomplishments including seven conference championships and two Group 1 titles that year.

"Our grade just doesn't know how to lose," Camp added.

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The current graduating class was also the last born in the 1990s, the "greatest generation," according to the valedictorian. 

Salutatorian Kelly Petrino asked for help from Alexa, the Amazon app, to write her speech. That help did not come so instead Petrino said she wrote it all the night before graduation, in classic high school style. 

Petrino said she was grateful to grow up in a close-knit community like Verona.

"Tonight we celebrate achievement," she said, adding that the accolades would not have been possible without the district's teachers.

A video montage displayed photos of the graduating seniors from throughout the years as well as their goodbyes. The students from Brendan Adrian to Min Zhou all walked up to receive their diplomas and complete their time in high school.

Senior Class President Kelsey McKeen led her peers in turning their tassels and throwing their caps into the air to celebrate.

McKeen said she was honored to serve as the voice of the Class of 2017 and looked to the many choices they all had ahead. They all transitioned from scared freshmen to confident seniors but learned that even the "older kids" didn't have it all figured out, McKeen said.

"No one really knows what they're doing," she said, "because no one's path is set out clear for them."

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com