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The Westwood class of 2019 graduated on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, June 2, walking across Flahive Field and into the unknown as "Pomp and Circumstance" played. The first outdoor graduation at Westwood High School in recent memory, the event celebrated the end of the class' journey through the Westwood Public School system - not to mention the new beginnings waiting for them on the other side of the day.
The graduation also marked a sad milestone for the class, as those who walked donned orange ribbons in honor of one of their own, Isabelle Alexandra Medina, who tragically took her own life in 2014. The class of 2019 carried Isabelle's loss with them, both on graduation day and in the years leading up to it; their dedication to their classmate was most recently exemplified by their enthusiastic turnout for this year's IAM Strong 5K Walk/Run. Westwood's IAM Strong Foundation, which works to obliterate the stigma surrounding teen mental health issues and carries Isabelle's initials as part of its name, had its genesis in the wake of the tragedy.
Photos by Daniel Curtin
The memory of their classmate further added to the gravity of the day, lending an air of catharsis to an already-emotional event. As the students tossed their caps and walked from Flahive, it was clear that the time they had spent in Westwood had left an indelible mark on them all - one that they would carry with them for the rest of their days.
Hometown Weekly wishes to congratulate the members of the class of 2019 and wish them the best of luck as they begin the next chapters of their lives.
