Bittersweet night as Cedar Grove High School students graduate

Life in high school is full of ups and downs but the speakers at the Cedar Grove High School graduation ceremony on Friday night remembered the positives.

The roller coaster lasted right until the end thanks to the weather. The Class of 2017 was supposed to be the first to graduate on the newly renovated high school field but rain forced them into the auditorium. 

It gave the graduates one more moment together in the building they called home for the past four years. All School Council President Samuel Almodovar said he experienced the full gauntlet of emotions prior to graduation.

From the laughter to the sorrowful goodbyes, Almodovar said they went through it all together while growing up.

"Tonight is the night we finally become adults," he said.

From the seemingly cool freshmen to the more experienced seniors, a transition that could have been overwhelming did not feel like it at Cedar Grove High School, according to Almodovar. 

"Twelve years together, wow," he said.

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Speaker Deanna DeCorte remembered how long many of them have been friends, with some sharing a bond since kindergarten.

"We've been together for years but that will all soon change," DeCorte said. 

She lamented the fact that they may never all be in the same room together again. However, she said they all found new families along the way through those they met. The four years at the high school went by in the blink of an eye, she continued.

"This morning we were high school students," DeCorte said. "Tonight we will be high school graduates."

Fellow speaker Dylan Luke said it was 12 years of great, painful, stressful and tough times in school. Looking back he was glad that it all happened though. After all, education is not just about how well someone does in school, but how they've grown, according to Luke.

"I learned some very, very tough realities," Luke said, but also had plenty of intimate moments specifically during junior year. 

Luke went from a bratty youth to a "less bratty young man" and attributed three factors to growth: curiosity, drive and experience. He encouraged his peers to always question things in their future.

"Why is the Earth round?" he asked. "Why do memes exist? Why do I have to do this homework?"

In between the speakers, the high school choir and jazz band performed "We Are Young" by Fun and "Peace of Mind" by Boston in addition to the national anthem. 

Cedar Grove High School Principal Rick Mangili noted the many accomplishments of the Class of 2017. The graduates will head to schools as close as Montclair State University and as far as Florida State University. One will also head to the Marines.

The seniors continued the tradition of winning the lip sync competition and thrilled audiences with performances of "Charlotte's Web" and "Sister Act." They received a total of $103,000 on scholarship night. 

The graduates were the first to experience the new auditorium at the high school. On the sports side this season the cheerleaders, wrestling and softball teams all won championships.

"It says a lot about the students up here tonight," Mangili said, "... and you, the parents."

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com