The Frederick High School community on Tuesday proudly said goodbye to the seniors in the Class of 2011 and sent them off on their way in life with cheers and applause.
And as she wished them good luck, principal Denise Fargo-Devine said her 286 graduates this year stood out with their openness, their ability embrace each other’s differences, as well as their achievements inside and outside the classroom.
“You have left your imprint and your future is bright,” Fargo-Devine told graduates and their families at the school’s formal graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
The event, which took place at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, celebrated the seniors in the Frederick High School’s Class of 2011.
Coming from 49 cultures and speaking 28 languages, the Frederick High School graduates in the Class of 2011 are one of the most diverse groups of seniors in Frederick County.
And for the four years they spent at their school they developed a strong sense of unity and learned to respect and embrace their cultural differences, said school counselor Brenda Brown.
Frederick High School’s graduating seniors were eager to work with special education students in the Frederick High School Learning for Life classes, Brown said. And graduates also took part in numerous clubs promoting tolerance and acceptance, such as the G.L.O.W. student club, which promotes understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues or Connections - a unique student club, created in the aftermath of the Columbine High School shootings to prevent student alienation and foster understanding among students of all backgrounds.
“We have a very accepting group of young people,” Brown said.
But when it came to academic and athletic achievements, Frederick High School graduates this year were not afraid to reach out for the stars and make their dreams come true, said Fargo-Devine when she introduced her graduates.
More than 90 percent of the graduates at the school this year will continue their education in a two-year college, four-year college or a technical school. About 3 percent of the graduates will start employment and about six percent will enter the military, Fargo-Devine said.
While many of the college-bound graduates will enrolling at colleges in Maryland, there are also others who will be heading out of state to institutions such as the Massachussetts Institute of Technology or the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.
Altogether, the Frederick High School graduates this year have earned more than $3 million in scholarships, grants and financial aid, Fargo-Devine said.
Besides that however, the graduates in the Class of 2011, will be leaving behind numerous other achievements in arts, drama or awards and certificates from the Frederick County Career and Technology Center, she said.
The same is true for athletics and as graduates leave this year, they can still remember cheering for the Frederick High School girls basketball players, who became state champions for a first time this year. The Frederick High School’s girls swim team on the other hand won the state title for a second year in a row.
And as they leave their school and head into the future, Frederick High School seniors said they will carry many happy high school memories and valuable lessons.
Senior Sian Hau, who is originally from Burma, said her time in high school was bittersweet, because while she made friends and prepared for the future, she also had to take classes in English, a second language for her.
“I always felt welcome,” she said. “But it was hard.”
Four years later, as she walked the stage and picked up her diploma, Hau said she was happy with everything she has learned. This fall, she hopes to enroll in the Frederick Community College nursing program.
Mark Mellon, another senior who will be going to the Metropolitan College of Denver, said he also will miss the atmosphere of openness and acceptance at Frederick High School.
Earlier this year Mellon was among a group of Frederick High School seniors, who advocated publically for renovations to their aging school. And though graduates could not see that project being completed, their experience with the supportive staff and excellent teachers at Frederick High School still taught them a valuable lesson, he said.
“We learned to appreciate everything we have,” he said.
mraycheva@gazette.net
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