WEST PITTSTON — The sky was dark and the air had cooled, but the rain held off as the bright smiles and warm thoughts from graduating seniors filled Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium with endless amounts of positive energy.
Wyoming Area High School graduated 188 seniors Friday night, boys in green and girls in gold caps and gowns.
Class Vice President Albert Sciandra kicked off the speeches, saying it was the day that marked the end of their high school careers and their time at Wyoming Area.
“When I was younger, these four years of high school felt like it was taking 100 years to go by,” he said. “But looking back, it feels like it went by in just a few short months.”
Sciandra talked about the friendships he and his classmates will carry on, including the friendship of the late Eric Speicher, a classmate in attendance in spirit who died from a brain tumor in December 2013.
A green gown and cap was draped on an empty chair, to remind graduates their departed classmate was still there.
“He was not only one of the nicest, but one of the most genuine people I ever got to know,” Sciandra said. “I know he’s not here in person, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s here in spirit.”
After the reading of the class poem by Lacey Fassett, class president and valedictorian Peter Butera thanked family members for helping him on his road to graduation and encouraged his classmates to thank those who helped them as well.
“Every one of us graduating have those special people in our lives that care for us everyday, and love us unconditionally,” he said. “To all of you here today, we cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us.”
From there, Butera’s speech took a turn, saying the lack of a real student government combined with the authoritative attitude of some teachers, administrators and board members prevents students from developing as leaders.
Before Butera could finish, his microphone was cut off, much to the disdain of the audience and his classmates, but he was given a standing ovation as he returned to his seat.
Katrina Stravinski, salutatorian, took the stage next and encouraged her classmates to not only dream big but dream bigger and look towards the future,
“Each and every student here has the potential to make a difference in our community and in the world,” she said. “Graduates, this is a time to look to the future and also reflect on the memories we made throughout high school. Remember that you can obtain anything and everything, and nothing is impossible.”
After performances by the high school chorus and the class song, “Look to the Sun,” Wyoming Area Superintendent Janet Serino and school board president Elizabeth Gober-Mangan, offered remarks of their own, telling students Wyoming Area will always be their home.
High school principal Jon Pollard held a personal connection with the graduating class, as its members were first-sixth grade students when he served as principal of the Secondary Center.
“This group was my first group of sixth-grade students when I arrived at Wyoming Area, and in a moment of serendipity or irony, I have the privilege of sending this group off twice,” he said.
Pollard encouraged the students to try new things in life and to always give it their best shot.
“Remember to read good books and watch bad movies,” he said. “Listen to music, because it is one of the most common ways to bring back memories. Don’t forget to suggest something crazy. Remember, at some point, there was a meeting where someone said ‘Hey, let’s make a movie about a tornado full of sharks.’”
After Pollard’s speech, the students were called one-by-one to receive their diplomas and be cheered on by fiends and family in the audience.
Some students waved back, some danced their way back to their seats, and some did a quick dab.
After Pollard introduced the graduating class of 2017, the students made their way to the center of the football field and threw their caps in the air to officially close the book on their journey at Wyoming Area.
