Tears were shed and laughter shared as students representing the class of 2016 made their way into the theater for the last awards ceremony they would ever attend as Heritage students.
“Tonight you will sit here and celebrate your friends. You will celebrate your parents who helped get you here, and you will celebrate your teachers and guidance counsellors,” Upper School principal Mrs. Elise Blum said at the opening of the ceremony. “Tonight is about your relationships with others more than it is about your achievements.”
During typical awards nights students names are read off a list as they are honored for their year’s accomplishments, but the seniors’ ceremony went a little differently. A teacher from each department described that department’s selected student, and audience members had to guess who the award winner was until the very end of the description. After academic awards were distributed, special awards and scholarships were announced honoring top scholars, athletes, Silver Knights, national merit scholars, AP scholars and special scholarship winners.
Later, valedictorian Jared Shulkin and co-salutatorians Matthew Robbins and Ashley Westerfield were introduced. The ceremony concluded with Mrs. Blum and Social Studies instructor Mr. Mark Gruskin announcing senior Matthew Robbins as the outstanding senior student award winner.
Before dismissing the senior class for her second to last time, Mrs. Blum addressed students on a personal level. “Fame, wealth, achievement may all pale in comparison to care and compassion,” she said. “It is the people and the relationships that matter because it is the people and the relationships you will remember.” Although seniors will likely not return back to campus any time soon, they will reunite once again at tomorrow’s graduation ceremony.
