WALL TOWNSHIP — Seventy-seven students of the Communications High School [CHS] Class of 2023 caught a first glimpse of their future selves at the career academy’s 20th annual commencement, held Tuesday afternoon in the CHS cafeteria.
Decorated caps, donned by creative students bursting with barely-concealed excitement, nodded toward their future chosen places of study, ranging from universities as far as Barcelona to as close as Monmouth University.
“Congratulations to the Class of 2023. They’ve been an amazing class and I’m really excited to see what these 77 amazing kids will do with their lives,” said CHS Principal James Gleason.
CHS students entered to the sounds of “Pomp & Circumstance” to commence the graduation ceremony.
Lillian Chen, vice-president of the Class of 2023, introduced the Marine Academy and Science Technology color guard, which presented the colors prior to the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance led by Jessica Skolnick.
Five CHS Chorus Club Seniors performed “The Star Spangled Banner” at the ceremony.
Amanda Riordan gave the student address, where she recounted her last four years at CHS with genuine gratitude.
“I love my peers, my teachers, our activities, our weird traditions, our unique culture … Most importantly, I loved the memories that I made here … working through our struggles together is what shaped each and every one of us to who we are today,” she said.
Ms. Riordan voiced the isolating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the class of 2023, describing the freshman year pivot to virtual as one that pulled her classmates apart from one another and a cohesive learning experience.
“At its core, CHS brings students together,” said Ms. Riordan.
Their sophomore year, said Ms. Riordan, was the year of “hybrid horrors;” although CHS students were able to navigate these strange social gaps through online group messaging and planned outdoor meetups.
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