By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Needham High School (NHS) celebrated the Class of 2024 on Sunday, June 2nd in front of a packed crowd of beaming family members, friends, faculty members, and more. Despite the rather humid conditions, the sunny and 80 degree weather made for an exquisite day to honor these seniors.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the 421 graduating seniors walked down the hill onto Memorial Field as the NHS Band played “Pomp and Circumstance.” Master of Ceremonies and NHS Assistant Principal Pierre Jean addressed the crowd once everyone was seated. “Your presence has been felt throughout the years,” Jean stated, “and you [seniors] have left a mark on NHS for sure. Through athletics (go rockets!), performing arts, or beautifying the school, you gave it your all. You even brought back and created some new traditions. Your class also gives the title for having ten sets of twins that will be crossing the stage today. As I have gotten to know you as a class and individuals, I am most impressed with your ability to use your voices to address issues in our community.”
Following this welcome, Senior Lilian Schmalz, who is going into the U.S. Naval Academy, lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The NHS Band Chorus then sang the “Star Spangled Banner” before Student Speaker, Senior Mikayla Tow, gave her incredible speech. Within her remarks, Tow discussed how their digital identities attached to NHS (their emails) will be permanently deleted, and with that, it is time for them to move on. She expressed that back in the third grade, she was told her graduating year would be 2024 and thought to herself how far away that seemed. Now, standing at graduation, she encouraged her fellow classmates that while things don’t last forever, they should cherish the memories they have made as they embark on their next chapter in life.
Principal of NHS Aaron Sicotte then took the stage, congratulating seniors on their amazing accomplishment and offering some advice as they travel through their bright futures ahead. He encouraged them to lead with curiosity long before they create their core beliefs. “Graduates, I implore you,” Sicotte stated, “be open, be curious, and lead with curiosity. Please! You are the ones that are going to change the atmosphere we live in now. I believe in you, because where I have seen a lot of curiosity, both in general and toward others, is right here in my school and from this amazing group who is about to graduate.”
The NHS Chorus then performed a beautiful song, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” before the second Student Speaker, Senior Emerson Ward, took the stage. Within her speech, Ward described the last four years of high school as being somewhat of a divide, especially due to their first years being in COVID. Despite the challenges they went through, Ward praised the Class of 2024 for finding their voices, both inside and outside the classroom. “But we did not let the adversity that we experienced,” Ward stated, “stifle our achievements over the years. In fact, it did quite the opposite. It motivated us to find our voices within tense classrooms, branch out to new people, and redefine what our education was going to look like. All of the noise that we hear around us and the culture of our environment could not silence us as a group of students. In this crowd, I can hear booming voices, emanating intelligence, charisma, and passion.”
Senior Brad Hamermesh then presented the Class Gift to the school. “For the Class of 2024 final impact on NHS,” Hamermesh explained, “our Student Council has voted to help make even more noise on Memorial Field. We will be purchasing an improved portable audio system which can be used to make noise at a wide range of school and community events, including athletic events, youth nights, senior nights, field day, pep rallies and the bonfire.”
School Committee Chair Liz Dempsey Lee took the stage next to address the Class of 2024. She commended them on their bravery and determination as they had to come of age during unprecedented times. Taking all they have learned over the past four years, including how they overcame these hard times, she believes they are more than ready to tackle the gray that is seen within our world today. She exclaimed, “You have the skills and capability that our world needs.”
Two awards were then given out by Lee and Superintendent of Schools Daniel Gutekanst, one for academic excellence and one for service. This was followed by Gutekanst giving his own speech, in which he mainly addressed the families more so than the seniors. This was due to an earlier comical exchange he had with a former NHS graduate who informed him that they did not remember him speaking at their graduation. He went on to formally congratulate the Class of 2024 and commend the parents for the sacrifices they had made throughout their child’s time here at NHS.
Upon conclusions of these speeches, each senior’s name was announced as they walked across the stage to shake hands with school officials. Loud cheers from the crowd could be heard throughout the names being called, with everyone truly ecstatic for these graduates.
Once they were officially declared graduates, seniors threw their caps high into the air in an excited celebration of all they had achieved and everything that was to come. On behalf of Hometown Weekly Newspaper, congratulations to the NHS Class of 2024!
