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Schools

Turning Tassels and Imagining Futures

Brecksville-Broadview Heights graduates celebrate with family and classmates at a State Theatre ceremony.

As many know, graduation is an ending but also a beginning. High schoolers are forced to forge a new path away from schools and sometimes away from family.

“College,” said Tess Stevens as class speaker Saturday. “It seemed almost like a swear word to me.”

 This warm June Saturday afternoon brought hundreds of excited  graduates and families to the State Theatre. On Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, black robes and tasseled hats were all the rage.

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So was the topic of futures.

Jolaina Jesser, first of two class speakers, noted that a movie script has to make sense, but life doesn’t. Her graduation plans include attending Boston University to double major in film production and French. Using film metaphors for life, she inspired her audience of classmates and families before the roll call to receive diplomas.

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“In the inevitable hard times,” Jesser said. “We have to think of ourselves as forests destroyed by wildfires: not hopeless, not in despair, but in one of the most hopeful moments, where promise of a new and better life is imminent, and we are in repair.”

Tess Stevens discussed her maturation from coloring to calculus and Scooby Doo to Snooki, which brought a few laughs from her classmates. With her goal to attend Ohio University for journalism, she told everyone, “We all have to leave something.”

When the announcement came to move the tassels from the left to the right of the students’ hats, a great cheer went up. Hats flew up in the air like helicopters and the roar of celebration was almost deafening.

Brecksville Broadview Heights seniors finally did it.

Following the ceremony, parents searched for their children in the haze of people in the lobby. And the graduates had plenty to say.

“It felt like it was a magical moment,” Michael Stephenson joked. He was all smiles with his friends, but got serious when he said he wanted to get into air traffic control at Kent State University.

Ashley Andersen thought the best part of the ceremony was when kids threw their hats in celebration, while Erika Stunek loved the satisfaction of turning her tassel.

Andersen will be at Kent State University for special education. Stunek will be at Ohio State University for nutrition.

“Get involved, don’t regret anything and just do whatever you want,” was Stunek’s advice for future graduates.

Her friend Lindsay Frognowski, a future Miami University student, felt the conclusion to high school satisfied her the most.

Her advice: “Just stick with it. It will get better.”

Billy Thompson stuck with it. His mom, Betsy Thompson, couldn’t be happier.

“He finished!” she exclaimed when asked why she was most proud of her son.

Graham Armstrong’s mom, Ellen Brown-Armstrong, is proud of his hard work both musically and academically. His love of “blowing things up” and taking things apart are why she knows engineering at Ohio State University will be perfect for Graham.

All of the relieved parents and excited graduates had one thing in common—hope for the future. And Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Principal Joseph Mueller had something to say about how to stay strong for that future.

“Buck up, stay strong and believe in yourself,” he said. 

See the roster of the Class of 2011.

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