Invoking themes from “The Wizard of Oz” and Thomas Edison, Unionville High School Principal Paula Massanari challenged the class of 2014 to dream of a better place, persevere and cherish the gifts they’ve already received.
The 91st commencement ceremony of Unionville High saw 335 graduates get their diplomas to start out on the yellow brick road to adulthood.
“Dream big and turn those dreams into reality,” Massanari said during the June 4 ceremony at the Bob Carpenter center in Newark.
But she also advised them to heed Edison who said the keys to such success were to work hard, persevere and to use common sense.
She also told the graduates to choose friends wisely, “those who will stand beside you as you venture off to your own Emerald City of work, college or the military.”
Her advice was for the grads to stick to their own path and to not let anyone pull them off and to remember that Dorothy, the lion, tin man and the scarecrow already had what they needed, as do Unionville graduates.
“And remember there’s no place like home. Unionville will always be your home,” she said.
The guest speaker at the commencement was UHS Educator of the Year Cody Stafford, a second-year teacher in the social studies department.
Stafford invoked the concept of persistence when he told the class of the three lessons he’s learned as a teacher.
One is that they must be patient and persistent.
“Seeing you struggle was rewarding because as you suffered, you were persisting,” he said.
He added that they should always seek to give back to others and to listen.
“As long as you listen, you’ll learn…But listen not only to those you agree with, listen to those that you don’t.”
Superintendent of Schools John Sanville did not invoke images of any tornadoes, but did refer to a school year that saw an excessive number of days lost due to snow and floods.
" I see wide-open skies and broad opportunities, welcoming winds that will bring changes, and sunlight that will illuminate and warm the paths before you. Yes there will be clouds – but remember that they offer cover and insulation and then drift away. There will be storms – big and named and small and anonymous - that may be inconvenient - but you are prepared and capable of handling them," Sanville said.
After the graduates were called up to receive their diplomas, after the caps were tossed into the air and after the group recomposed itself, Massanari gave them one last charge: “Treasure the gift of your education.”
Among the graduating class were Chadds Ford Township residents…
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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