The skies parted around 4 p.m. Sunday just in time for the 220 members of the Class of 2024 to march into Newell Stadium for an uplifting, rain-delayed graduation ceremony.
The speakers thanked those who helped the class get to this day, while the valedictorian said she looked forward to not being a bird leaving the nest, but a bull shark heading out into the open ocean.
Thousands of parents, siblings, family and friends packed the stands for the 4 p.m. ceremony, cheering and clapping during an efficient graduation that went off like clockwork despite the morning’s passing showers that delayed the start of things from 1:30 p.m.
The delay led to a mix of sun and clouds with the graduates sitting in white gowns in neat rows of folding chairs after they had marched in and made a half lap around the stadium.
The procession of city officials and faculty and the presentation of colors was led by the NJROTC Color Guard while graduate Malia Rose Andrews gave a stirring rendition of the national anthem.
Those in attendance were treated to performances by the High School’s Concert and Jazz bands and the chorus directed by Cole Lundquist.
Members of the class and other speakers spoke of their hope for the future while Valedictorian Thea Anne Cunningham traced life cycles in nature for inspiration.
She spoke about how salmon return to the rivers where they hatched; how locusts undergo a second transformation in which they grow wings; how albatross chicks take their first flight out to sea and do not touch down on solid land for five years; and how bull sharks who when they are young live in low salinity rivers and estuaries for four years before heading out into the open ocean.
They eventually return to fresh water, which takes effort because they have to compensate for the lack of sodium in their bodies, she said.
“As I’ve been preparing to graduate, I’ve heard a lot of people compare me to birds,” Cunningham said. “People say that I’m leaving the nest or ask my parents how they feel about being empty nesters. No offense to the bird lovers in the crowd, I think I’d rather be something more intriguing than a bird, so for the time being, I’d like to think of myself as a bull shark.”
She said in the next few years, it’s going to be easy for members of the class to judge themselves where they are in their lives.
“But, what I hope that nature can remind us is that all of us are going to have a unique journey and that’s not only OK, but actually really natural,” she said.
“It is safe to say that the beginning of our high-school years was not how we imagined it to be,” said Salutatorian Seville Tran-Harrison referencing the class starting high school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We all experienced disruptions in all different levels and many of us who came into high school with a plan had to readjust and try harder to get to where we are today.”
She described a close, determined class, and urged her classmates to “dream big.”
In his greeting, Mayor Greg Verga asked for a round of applause for the custodians and maintenance staff who pulled the ceremony together after the rain delay.
“I’m sure there have been obstacles and challenges along the way,” Verga told graduates. “It may not have always been easy. You all started your freshman year in the middle of a pandemic, but you rose to the occasion and have met those challenges head on to come out on the other side stronger.”
School Committee Chair Kathleen Clancy congratulated parents and family, before conveying well wishes from her colleagues and herself.
“As a parent of a recent graduate, I know this is an emotional day, a bittersweet time to reflect on your child’s growth from their younger years and their transformation into young adults; a time to hold onto sweet memories but more importantly a time to let go and watch them soar on their own.”
As far as the Class of 2024’s legacy at Gloucester High goes, William Tanner Lowthers, the class treasurer, described the class gift as the installation of TV screens throughout the school for daily announcements.
Secretary Brooke Abigail McNiff on behalf of her classmates thanked class advisors Carol Finacey and Rayanne Menery Sammataro.
“Throughout our high-school journey they have been the guiding lights and compassionate hearts that have made our senior year truly unforgettable,” McNiff said.
Superintendent Ben Lummis spoke about his mom, who passed away last September, describing her as someone who was empathetic and saw the light in everyone.
“She was able to let a person know that she cared about them,” he said, “that they were loved and she saw the strength, confidence and the goodness in them. It was the gift my mom had and very often because she saw what was right in them, they began to see again what was right in themselves.”
Lummis said he was pointing this out because it was likely that many teachers, friends or family members have done the same for the graduates.
“They have seen the light inside of you and they have helped you bring forth your gifts so others could enjoy them,” Lummis said. He told the graduates that “you also have the power to light up someone’s life.”
Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@northofboston.com.