Long Beach High School graduates march on

“Unlike a book, we cannot skip through the pages of life to see how long the next chapter will be,” class of 2018 valedictorian Dillon Razler told his classmates on June 22. “But these past four years have taught us to expect and prepare for them. Luckily, as Long Beach High School graduates, we have been given all of the paper and ink we need to write our own stories.”

Long Beach High celebrated its 95th commencement at the middle school’s Veterans Field. The 327 graduates entered to “Pomp and Circumstance,” played by the high school band. Student Organization President Diana Weiss led the Pledge of Allegiance, which was followed by the national anthem, performed by the band and choir.

The class included 71 International Baccalaureate scholars, two National Merit Commended Scholars and a Scholar Artist. Advanced diplomas were awarded to 152 students, and 49 received advanced diplomas with honors. Eighty-eight percent of the class will attend college this fall.

Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher encouraged students to follow their passions, to live their lives with courage and, most important, to be people of service. “Tonight we honor your accomplishments and talents,” Gallagher said. “You have your entire life ahead of you, and you should aim to achieve all that you dream of, but remember that using your gifts only for your own benefit may leave you feeling hollow and without purpose.”

Valedictorian Dillon Razler, who will attend Cornell University this fall, noted his classmates’ achievements on the field and beyond. He commended Jacori Teemer for being the first Long Island wrestler to win five state titles; the boys’ soccer team, for winning a conference championship for the first time in 17 years; the girls’ volleyball team, for beating Massapequa in the county finals; and the hockey team, for winning the county title for the second time in four years and making it to the state semifinals.

This year, senior Elijah Rodriguez won his first state wrestling title, and four graduating seniors, including Teemer, signed letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the college level. Seniors Chrysalis Mandell and Lucia Techera earned Gold Keys for their writing talents.

Razler stressed to his classmates that they should always believe in themselves, and that if they do, they will find success. “When Jacori won his first state title as an eighth-grader, he told a reporter that four more were coming. Would he have said that if he hadn’t believed he could do it?” Razler said. “Confidence in all that you can do is key, and the mentality that you can do whatever you set your minds to will bring you all very far in life.”

Principal Jeffrey Myers thanked the class of 2018 for making his first two years at Long Beach High School an easy transition. “If you love what you do for a living, you won’t work a day of your life . . .,” he told them. “And thanks to the class of 2018, I haven’t worked a day in the past two years.”

Forgoing a speech, Board of Education Trustee Dr. Dennis Ryan serenaded the class with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

Most of the graduates were in middle school when Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, and many were displaced after the storm. Salutatorian Patrick Morris, who will attend the University of Virginia in the fall, reflected on everything the class went through together.

“In spite of what we once thought of as bad luck, we were always able to grow and bounce back from it,” Morris said. “We were always in it together as a grade. We learned how to navigate difficult times and actually came out stronger.”

Students at the high school also took a stand against gun violence this year, walking out on March 14 as part of a nationwide demonstration honoring the victims of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., a month earlier.

The speakers also highlighted the strength of the Long Beach community, and its ability to band together to rebuild after Sandy. State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a 1997 graduate of Long Beach High, reminded the graduates to always be compassionate, and that their strength is something no one can take away from them.

“Wherever you’re going next, remember you’re from Long Beach,” Kaminsky said. “Don’t take crap from anyone.”