BY SUSAN BRYANT

sbryant@tnonline.com

Families and friends watched as almost 200 seniors graduated at Northwestern Lehigh High School’s 66th annual commencement ceremony June 2 in Tiger Stadium.

High school Principal Aileen M. Yadush opened the ceremony by addressing the soon-to-be graduates and their loved ones.

“Tonight, we gather together to celebrate the achievements of these young men and women of the Class of 2023, as well as to honor the dedication and support of their families and friends who have helped them along during this long but exciting educational journey,” she said. “Seniors, as we take a few moments this evening to celebrate your accomplishments from kindergarten through 12th grade, we suggest you take time to reflect upon those years proudly acknowledging that you have taken on every new transition with confidence and passion that has led you to this very moment.

“As you listen to your fellow classmates this evening, your next transition begins today.

“Today, you start a new phase in your life, one that extends beyond the walls of Northwestern Lehigh High School.

“As with every change you will encounter, our hope is you create new memories as you experience life in your own way and pass on what you have learned along your journey to those who will come behind you.

“Congratulations, Class of 2023, and welcome to your graduation ceremony.”

Class President Elijah Johri discussed his time in the Northwestern Lehigh School District.

“Now, I want you all to take a good look at your neighbor. Look at every single neighbor you have,” Johri said. “Think about the times you’ve shared with this person.

“They could be a friend, acquaintance or maybe somebody yet to make it an exciting experience with.

“Now think about the good deeds they have done. That’s the beautiful thing in my eyes about Northwestern.

“It’s a place where we didn’t just pass each other by, we actually had the drive to make a change in ourselves and look at the world differently, as somewhere we can all respect each other, and somewhere we can grow into the people we’re meant to be.

“This was a place in which I, as a freshman, was able to be friends with seniors, which, believe it or not, felt very strange at the time.

“But when I became a senior, I was friends with freshmen without even thinking twice about it.

“I think that’s a magical thing in which we’re able to establish friendships with whomever we want.

‘It’s because of this wonderful small school that we were gifted with.”

He offered a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. to provide some encouragement for their stride into the new world.

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the final step,” said King.

“That is all we can do at times, just see what the next piece of our life is,” Johri continued. “Take that step, conquer it, and keep on stepping until we reach the destination we were determined, one step at a time.

“If I can end with one message for all you here today, it would be this, never stop pursuing happiness ...

“So, keep your chin up as you stride back into the world, knowing that you’ve grown stronger and you can chase your dreams just as you have made mine come true.

“Thank you all. I love you all and I will miss you all dearly.”

Samuel Mauro began the first student address titled “Rise,” by quoting Zig Ziglar.

“The past is your lesson. The present is your gift, and the future is your motivation,” Ziglar said.

“So, what does this mean?” Mauro asked. “As you sit here today, you’re probably reminiscing about the past 13 years of your life.

“From our first day of kindergarten to the book fairs to the third-grade musicals, to the intense rivalry between Northwestern and Weisenberg leading up to the fifth-grade finale.

‘Then we graduated to middle school, where we set aside the rivalry and came together as one student body.

“Whether it was through sports, band or any other club, our two schools united as we gained new friends and created new bonds that would last throughout high school.

“We’ve learned a lot throughout these years, and I don’t just mean that mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

“I mean valuable life lessons. We have learned how to connect with people and create valuable, meaningful relationships.”

He said the class of 2023 has learned how to fight through adversity.

“Our years in high school have shaped us into young adults acting as the foundation of our characters,” Mauro said. “Through all of this we have learned to laugh, to cry, to persevere, and to celebrate. We have grown into ourselves, and we have our past to thank ... “

“It is crucial to live in the present and not the past. The present is where you improve yourself, it is where you work to accomplish your goals. And finally, the present is where you create the memories that you can look back on in the future.

“That is why Ziegler refers to it as a gift. Every day we have to spend bettering ourselves is the greatest gift anyone can ask for.

“The future? As Ziglar says, the future is your motivation, the future is where your dreams lie.

“Every day when you wake up, you have the opportunity to look at what you can do to make the most of your life, to keep yourself motivated by what you know you can become. Keep chasing the best version of yourself. Strive to be great while doing what you love with whom you love. As you all move on in your lives, so many opportunities will present themselves. Raising up and taking any of these opportunities is what separates those who are simply alive and those who live.

Maci Fisher’s presentation was “He believed in All of Us.”

“I remember sitting in my kindergarten classroom at Weisenberg Elementary School, completing a project called ‘My First Book.’

“I was instructed to copy the letters of the alphabet exactly as I had seen them.

“At the time, I couldn’t imagine these symbols correlating with one another to form words, thoughts, sentences or expressions.

“But, 13 years later, those very letters are what I am using to compose my final remarks about high school.

“I believed in my teacher.

“I remember sitting in our sixth-grade orientation as the Class of 2023 for the very first time.

“I had no idea of the number of different relationships I would form with all of you.

“We met, we shared ourselves. We became middle school classmates. We became friends. Tonight, we sit together one last time as the Class of 2023.

“I believed in the journey, and I believed in each of you.

“Today, I stand before each of you with one simple request. Please never stop believing. As you embark on your next journey, whether it’s college, trade school, the workforce, or the Armed Services, I ask each of you to simply believe in yourself ...

“If you think back to the beginning of this speech, I used the word believe in a sentence. I said he believed in all of us.

“Over the last few days, I asked each of you to sign a blank card with your name on it but I didn’t tell you why.

“Some of you asked, yet I only responded with just believe me, and you did.

“I’ve attached that card with all of our names to this helium filled basketball balloon. Wyatt New-hard, our former friend, and classmate loved to play basketball. He also loved being a part of our class.”

Fisher then asked her classmates to stand and join her in a few moments of silence as they watched the balloon begin its journey.

“Now, none of us truly know where this balloon will end once I let it go, but I stand before you to tell you I believe this balloon is headed straight up to Wyatt.

“I believe it’s headed to where the earth ends, and the heavens begin.

“Wyatt, so loved this class. He believed in all of us, and we surely believed in him.

“So, as I release our balloon, please remember Wyatt, but also remember and appreciate anyone in your life who has believed in you.”

Haydn S. King then presented his address, “Our High School Story.”

“Through our years as Tigers, we were offered numerous opportunities to excel at what we set our minds to, through the classes we took, our participation in sports, the arts, and the various other clubs and activities our school offered us,” King said. “And through those meaningful experiences, during the course of the last 1,376 days, we wrote our high school story, a story where we made new friends, explored the great unknown, and had so much success.

“Nevertheless, we are a class that, for so much of high school, lived in the face of adversity. Each individual’s journey to get to this point today was unique.

“We lost half of our high school years together due to a global pandemic.

“We also lost one of our most incredible classmates in Wyatt New-hard.”

King said Wyatt’s positivity and perseverance in the face of challenges he was dealt, is something that will forever live on in the hearts and minds of his entire graduating class.

“It’s in his spirit we were able to make it through the tough times together as one,” King said. “If there’s one thing high school has taught me, it’s to not take anything for granted.

“Every day being with the people we love, doing the things we love is a day well spent ...

“Never forget the memories of the experiences we had together, because in the end, our high school journey was as rewarding as we could have ever hoped.

“Class of 2023, the pen now belongs to each of us to write our own story, and as we go through life beyond this point, the stories we write will all be different.

“We will go into education, medicine, science, technology, the armed forces and so much more. We will have our own families and live in different places and do different things. But no matter what the story is that we choose to write for ourselves, it will include one achievement that we will all have in common, graduate of Northwestern Lehigh High School, Class of 2023.”

After Angelina M. Klein and Carson C. Mesics recognized Honor Society members and Emily D. Bell recognized the Science National Honor Society members, Northwestern Assistant Principal Matthew Givler then honored the 58 senior award recipients who were recently chosen by the school district and Lehigh Career and Technical Institute.

He said this year awards were given for excellence in extracurricular activities and athletics, as well as for traditional and technical academic success.

“This year’s deserving Northwestern Lehigh seniors were gifted over $58,500 in scholarships and awards from the Northwestern Lehigh School District, faculty and staff, local businesses and national organization,” Givler said.

Todd Hernandez, school board president, and Jennifer Holman, superintendent of schools, also addressed the graduates, before handing out diplomas.

“On behalf of Northwestern Lehigh School District Board of Directors, it is my honor and privilege to welcome all of you to the Class of 2023 commencement celebration,” Hernandez said.

“When I was considering what to say, I thought about one of my favorite movies, ‘The Matrix.’

“Neo said, ‘I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how it’s going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin.’

“Commencement is not an end,” Hernandez continued. “It is the beginning. You’re at the threshold.

This is a day to celebrate you and your accomplishments, Class of 2023.

“And what better place than to be right here in our beautiful hometown and Tiger Stadium.

“What a difference four years can make. Your freshman year ended with an unexpected global pandemic and your sophomore year was anything but normal.

“Yet with the support of many people right here in the stadium, you persisted.”

He told the soon-to-be-graduates after they exit the gates of Tiger Stadium as alumni, they will almost certainly face difficult challenges.

“Finding strength in adversity can help you develop joy and success,” Hernandez said. “Stay humble, be kind, say please and thank you. And, remember the tenants of Tiger Pride from middle school, as you venture out to pursue your dreams, they will serve you well in life outside the halls of Northwestern ...

“Congratulations, Northwestern Lehigh Class of 2023. Hold the memories of your time in Tiger country close.

“And, May God bless all of you as you venture out in the world to begin ...”

Holman told the soon-to-be graduates they will cross the threshold from high school to adulthood when they receive their diplomas.

“Commencement at Northwestern Lehigh has always been a very special celebration of student achievement,” Holman said. “It represents both years of hard work and a future of great potential as Northwestern Lehigh graduates prepare to embark on a new and exciting journey beyond high school.

“Over the last 13 years, you have demonstrated you are driven by curiosity and passion, dedicated to the pursuit of academic excellence, and determined to make a positive impact on your community.

“We are incredibly proud of each of you and are excited to hear what the future holds for each of you.

“Whether you’re going on to higher education, into the workforce or the military, it’s important that you take time to think back to your school days and remember those who helped you get where you are sitting now. “

She closed by telling the seniors, as they receive their diplomas they can finally look forward to a future of unlimited possibilities.

After the presentation of diplomas, Yadush began her final farewell speech by talking about the cover of the Class 2023 Yearbook.

“I am fortunate enough to be the first recipient of the annual yearbook when they arrived from the printer,” Yadush said. “The cover as it is designed to do, always catches my attention first.

“It’s bright and colorful and always references something special about our school and our students. And of course, it always includes a tiger in some fashion.

“This year, in a colorful display of black, gold and orange, the tiger on the yearbook cover is glowing in flames with embers flashing around it.

“And the title is just like Fire 2023,” she said.

“This week, as I sat and reflected upon this last year that we spent with you, I quickly realized it was no coincidence this was the theme of the yearbook for this class and was in fact a very apt representation of what you have experienced.

“Class of 2023 as you venture off into the world beyond Northwestern Lehigh High School, move quickly toward learning and loving the things that matter the most,

“Offer warmth and comfort to those you meet along the way. And never, ever stop absorbing new knowledge and skills that will stoke the flames of your Tiger spirit. “Congratulations, graduates. Your high school principal will miss you.”