The class that started a rumor that a teacher had a fake leg, the class that smelled so bad that school officials had to lecture it on the use of deodorant, the class that comes from the town of Truck Night took its final bow Sunday, May 27.
Brookfield High School handed out diplomas to the Class of 2018 in a ceremony at the DeYor Performing Arts Center in Youngstown.
Those who spoke for the class talked about how far the students have come, and how far they have yet to go.
Dana Sydlowski
“Thirteen years ago, we started out on a journey that was only the beginning of the rest of our lives,” said Co-Valedictorian Dana Sydlowski. “Little did we know just how fast it would go and how many memories and friends we would make along the way. For 13 years, we have all been on the same path and the same destination. Now, it’s each of our turns to find a new path, to find that path that’s made for us.”
It’s OK to not know what path to walk down, said Co-Valedictorian Alexis Hammond.
“We still have the choice to be who we want and do what we want, because that is how we grew up,” she said. “Half of us will continue to make decisions and change our minds a million times — like myself — and others will decide what they want to do years down the road.”
There was a real sense of appreciation among the speakers that the road they started from lies in Brookfield.
“There’s always a place we can call home,” said Senior Class President Spencer Toro. “There’s always a place we can
Spencer Toro
come back to. As we move forward in life, we will learn with each step. We will meet new people, we will face new challenges, we will try new foods, but always remember what lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Alexis said she wouldn’t trade her time in Brookfield for the world.
Alexis Hammond
“We have all had the liberty of growing up in small town where everyone knows everyone,” she said. “We grew up with a sense of community and pride in our community that is not found in large cities. Our friends have come into our family over the years, simply because we can’t stay away from them.”
The speakers said the members of the Class of 2018 are ambitious and dream big. Co-Valedictorian Nicholas Varga said there’s no reason that has to change.
Nicholas Varga
“We may leave behind one of the biggest parts of our lives, but an even bigger part awaits beyond the horizon,” he said. “To my fellow classmates of Brookfield High School, graduates of 2018, I wish you all the answers that you seek. Don’t stop dreaming and believing in yourself. The future is ours for the taking.”
