Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Salem High School held its 2023 commencement ceremony last Friday, June 9 at the Salem Civic Center. During the ceremony, 303 graduates crossed the stage.
“This is a class you couldn’t hold down…COVID sent them home during their freshman year, only let them come a couple of days sophomore year, made them wear masks their junior year but here they are as seniors together after a superb year ready to celebrate with all of you this outstanding day,” Scott Habeeb, principal, said. “We’re here to celebrate them collectively. We’re here to celebrate them individually. But this is more than just a celebration of students because they did not get here today on their own. This is a celebration for the entire community.”
Macy Johnson, the SCA president, shared some remarks from the graduating class. She said she’s excited to see what the class will accomplish in the future.
“Class of 2023, we’re all in a unique place right now. As we sit here today, we’re experiencing a huge change,” she said. “Instead of high schoolers, we will be graduates and adults and with this comes a huge change in perspective. Looking back now, all of those hours of studying have gotten us to where we are now.”
She went on to note that the class was moving on to bigger, better and tougher things.
This year’s graduating class included 50 “Distinguished Scholars” who maintained a 4.0 grade point average or higher.
Prior to students walking across the stage, Habeeb recognized Rhonda Carr, an instructional assistant at the school, who is retiring after 24 years. “She is wonderful. She is exactly the epitome of what every child needs, which is someone not there for their own glory, not there for recognition, but there because they absolutely love kids and are willing to lay their life down on the line to make sure that our kids have the very best,” he said of Carr.
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