Wantagh says goodbye to the class of 2017

Gray skies did not dampen the spirits of the class of 2017, Wantagh School District officials said. Seniors celebrated a long-awaited milestone in the gymnasium during the Wantagh High School’s 62nd annual commencement. 

The Board of Education, administration and faculty led 281 graduates down the aisle and to their seats as the high school band, under the baton of Mindy Dragovich, played “Pomp and Circumstance.” After a salute to the flag by General Organization Co-president Francesca Sielaw, student conductors Elizabeth Goldrick, Dylan Hubert and Brittany Minutoli led the band for the last time in a performance of the National Anthem. 

Principal Carolyn Breivogel welcomed the graduating class and their guests and reminded the students. “Your character and name are your most prized possessions,” she told the students. 

Superintendent Maureen Goldberg, who is retiring in July, was brought to tears during the ceremony. In her speech, she used the metaphor of a ball of yarn to depict the milestones and twists the graduates and their parents will experience. 

“The greatest twist is the unraveling of the line into the real world,” she said. She also urged the students to cherish family and friendships made during high school and to remember how blessed their lives have been. 

Senior Class Co-presidents Katherine Goldrick and Julia Kiefer reflected on high school memories and noted how spirited the class was through the years. Wantagh Foundation for Educational Excellence Executive Director Ralph Spagnolo and Wantagh Dollars for Scholars president Gerald McCrink then presented select seniors with scholarships, continuing the tradition of honoring educational achievement, officials said. 

After Goldberg and Board of Education President Anthony Greco certified that the seniors had met the standards for graduation, students were called to the podium to receive their diplomas. They tossed their caps in the air in celebration.