GARDEN CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

On The LineOn The LineGRADUATION 2018 www.gardencity.k12.ny.us Vol. 19 • No. 4

Garden City High School’s 84th Annual CommencementCongratulations to the Class of 2018!

Only the beaming smiles of the graduating seniors and their proud parents outshone the boys’ gleaming white tuxes and the girls’ beautiful white summer dresses at Garden City High School’s 84th Annual Commencement held on June 23rd. While the weather kept the ceremony indoors, spirits were lifted high with the elegance of the event. This year’s Graduation Ceremony

was marked by a special kind of bittersweet joy; a swelling sense of pride and hope for many bright futures as the Class of 2018 sat together one final time before dispersing far and wide to pursue their passions and dreams. Many thanks to the

dozens of behind-the-scenes staff who worked diligently to make this year’s ceremony so successful. Congratulations to our graduates and best wishes for a successful future from the Board of Education and everyone in Garden City Public Schools!

To view more images from Commencement 2018, click on the Photo Gallery tab on the high school’s home web page: www.gardencity.k12.ny.us

Class of 2018Valedictorian Brandon Gong & Salutatorian Kaylah Bozkurtian

Salutatorian Kaylah Bozkurtian began her speech asking for a round of applause for the

Class of 2018

Class President Thomas Flanagan spoke of gratitude, tolerance & acceptance during his

“Presentation of the Class Gift”

Julia Maloney Scholarship winner Emily Burns spoke from the heart with words of

encouragement for her classmates

Valedictorian Brandon Gong shared his message of pursuing one’s passions -

read his speech on page 2

Keynote Speaker science teacher James Dunleavy encouraged seniors to stay

informed & involved as they move on in life

Past Board of Education Trustee Laura Brown awarded a diploma to her son Kieran

Board of Education President Angela Heineman awarded a diploma to

Maximilian Schwenk Hannah Moran was awarded her diploma from

Board of Education Vice President Tom Pinou Board Trustee Robert Martin awarded a

diploma to Catherine Conway

Julia Beckmann received her diploma from Board Trustee William Holub

Board Trustee Stefanie Granville awarded a diploma to her son Matthew

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www.gardencity.k12.ny.us

I want to start by thanking Mrs. Heineman and the members of the Board of Education, Dr. Groveman and Central Administration, and Mrs. McLaughlin and the High School Faculty and Staff, for an education that will last a lifetime. And to the Class of 2018 – congratulations! We made it! I would also like to thank the most important people here today – parents, siblings, relatives, and friends. Let’s all make some noise for our families! I think I speak for all of us when I say that we would not be in these chairs today without your love and support. To that end, while I have this podium, I want to acknowledge my own family, because they have always been there for me, and I haven’t had too many opportunities just yet to pay back that enormous debt. Mom, Dad, and Jan – I love you all so much. It has been 1,392 days since we first set foot in these halls. Back then, our lives were much simpler. We

were nervous about being on time for class. We were nervous about embarking on subjects like Biology, Geometry, and World History, yet still blissfully ignorant of the dangers that Chemistry and Physics posed in the not-so-distant future. I stress the passage of time because by most estimations, we’ve lived about 1/5th of our projected life spans. It seems like a lot. But truthfully? We haven’t really lived at all. No, for the past 18 years, we’ve led lives that had been largely scheduled for us, especially on weekdays. We woke up in the morning, knowing that we had to be at school by 7:40 a.m.; we were required to do our nightly homework and study for our final exams. But at the same time, we basked in the security of knowing that we had food and clothing and a safe home because our parents and community have provided us with that. For all of our lives, we were told how to live and abide by others’ expectations. But now, we suddenly stand on the precipice of complete, unbounded freedom. Within the confines of the law and public health and safety, we can now do – quite literally – whatever we want. Suddenly, we’re empowered to follow our dreams. And that well-earned deliverance of freedom is both exciting and yet intimidating. In fact, more often than not, people don’t follow their dreams. All the time, we hear the stories of friends and relatives, reflecting about “what could have been”- opportunities lost due to fear of intellectual risks and paths not taken. It’s that risk-averse sense of practicality in our heads, you know. And yes, it’s the very same sense of reason that tells me that I could not possibly make a living out of dribbling a basketball. But sometimes that conventional practicality takes itself a bit too seriously. It curtails our imagination and prevents us from taking those beneficial risks. It limits us to seek out what is comfortable and familiar, rather than daring to try new adventures. Many of us think that we know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. And while having that clear and set direction sounds appealing, doesn’t that mean that our lives are still being scheduled for us? Are we restricting ourselves from tasting the freedom that we have earned, after these 18 years? We are only given one life. We haven’t had the opportunity to truly go out, live in another place, and develop our own identities. Explore our own thoughts. Formulate our own perspectives and opinions. There’s an anecdote that my piano teacher used to tell me, about Yo-Yo Ma and his sister in their youth. They performed together, sometimes alongside professional orchestras, with Yo-Yo Ma playing masterfully on his cello. But the real deal back then was his sister, on the violin – she was said to be even more talented than her famous brother. Time passed: Yo-Yo Ma earned millions of dollars and performed for presidents, and his sister became a medical doctor. She opted for what society generally perceives to be the more reliable and financially sustaining career, despite her prodigious and undeniable musical talent. Years later, Yeou-Chang Ma, who became a successful physician, was said to have regretted not pursuing her passion for music as a full-time career. But sometimes we don’t get “do-overs” in life. We are only given one life, and this graduation marks one of the junctures where we begin to make decisions. Don’t be afraid to take your dreams and aspirations seriously. I leave you today with a quote from Mark Twain. He once said that the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. Now, one of these days has already passed, 18 years ago. But I sense that for most of us, the second has not. So I challenge us all to venture out and discover that mission, passion, and sense of purpose – and to live the unscheduled life to do so. There is so much to this world that we’ve barely been able to see, so much possibility that we’ve barely been able to touch, so many roads that are just now appearing on our horizons. Allow yourself to be led astray by desire, and you may very well find that society is better for it. Let us live lives that are free of regret because we made those honest choices that our hearts told us to. And remember - the past is merely the present that has already gone by, sweet and nostalgic, but ultimately unchangeable. We may cherish it, mourn it, and celebrate it (as we are doing now) but in doing so we should not lose sight of what lies ahead of us yet. Because ahead of us, lies the future, the present that is yet to come, the present that we can still design to match our innermost aspirations. Ahead of us, lies the future, full of endless possibilities and above all else, the wonderful freedom of choice. Ahead of us, lie our lives, twinkling with expectation like stars in the night sky, waiting to be lived. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.

JUAN ABAD AGUIRRE UndecidedPAIGE ACCETTA Bucknell University PHILIP ACINAPURO Boston CollegeCAROLINE ADAMS Quinnipiac UniversityJULIA AFFRONTI Saint John’s UniversityJENNA AIOSA Fairfield UniversityTESS ALLEN School of the Art Institute of ChicagoJACQUELINE ANDREUZZI University of DelawareEMILY APRIGLIANO George Washington UniversityLOGAN AQUINO Saint John’s UniversitySTEVEN ASFAR Western New England UniversityLUKAS BAKER Union CollegeVALERIE BALDEO Hunter CollegeNICHOLAS BAMBINO University of RichmondNATALIE BARONE SUNY OswegoKATHRYN BASS Cornell UniversityTHOMAS BEAL SUNY PurchaseJULIA BECKMANN Harvard CollegeTHOMAS BERMEL High Point UniversityCAITLIN BIANCHI Saint Leo UniversityDAVID BLICKSILVER Hofstra UniversityANTHONY BOCCIA Ithaca CollegeASHLEY BOCCIO University of DelawareGIANLUCA BOGNANNO Rutgers UniversityPATRICK BOYLE High Point UniversityKAYLAH BOZKURTIAN Wake Forest UniversityLAUREN BRIVIO Texas A&M University

KIERAN BROWN Fordham UniversityJAMES BUCKLEY Kenyon CollegeQUENTIN BUCKNOR SUNY GeneseoEMILY BURNS Siena CollegeALANA CAMPBELL Fordham UniversityPETER CANNIZZARO Indiana University ISABEL CARA American UniversityNICOLE CASTORO University at BuffaloEMILY CERISE SUNY PlattsburghJOYCE CHEN New York UniversityMARGARET CHIANG Pennsylvania State UniversityJULIA CHOI Duke UniversityCONOR CLARK Binghamton UniversitySIOBHAN COEN Marist CollegeDELANY COMERFORD Goucher CollegeLUKE CONNOLLY Villanova UniversityCATHERINE CONWAY Boston CollegeANDREW COSTIGAN SUNY GeneseoCONNOR COWIE Hobart and William Smith CollegesPATRICK CREAVEN University of Notre Dame DEANNA CREIGHTON University at BuffaloLIAM CURTIN University of DelawareTESS CURTIN The University of AlabamaANTONELLA D’AMELIO Marist CollegeGABRIELLA DEGIS Lehigh UniversityNICOLE DEIGNAN Elon UniversitySAMANTHA DELACRUZ University of Scranton

Where They Will Be Attending

Brandon GongValedictorian

Commencement Speech

LAUREN DELUCA University of DelawareANDREW DESANTIS Bentley UniversityMATTHEW DESIMPLICIIS Ithaca CollegeHANNAH DEWEY Pennsylvania State UniversityMARK DIPIERRO Loyola University MarylandCAROLINE DOLAN Providence CollegeEDWARD DOLAN Binghamton UniversityCHRISTOPHER DONOHUE Cornell UniversityMATTHEW DONOHUE James Madison UniversityKALEIGH DONOVAN Villanova UniversityJOHNATHAN DOROTHEOS The Cooper Union LIAM DOUGHERTY Rochester Institute of TechnologyMADELINE DOWD University of California, Los AngelesLAUREN DURAND University of GeorgiaCOLE DUTTON Lafayette CollegeAHMAD ELRAKHAWI Rochester Institute of TechnologyHARRISON ERNST Lehigh UniversityBRIANNE ETIENNE SUNY Maritime CollegeABIGAIL FAIR Binghamton UniversityCHRISTIAN FAULISI Saint Joseph’s UniversityOLIVIA FERRARO Syracuse UniversityANDREW FERREIRA Binghamton UniversityLIAM FERRIS Fordham UniversityGABRIELLE FERRO Ithaca CollegeRYAN FERYO University of South CarolinaMATTHEW FLANAGAN University of RichmondTHOMAS FLANAGAN Lafayette CollegeLUCAS FRANCO University of MarylandELIZABETH FULLHARDT Saint John’s UniversityROBERT FURMAN Benjamin Franklin Institute of TechnologyJULIA GABERLAVAGE Mount Holyoke CollegeELLEN GAINE Quinnipiac UniversityMEGHAN GALLIGAN Villanova UniversityZILIANG GAO SUNY AlbanyRYAN GEORGE Clemson UniversityGEORGE GERMANO Ohio State UniversityCHRISTINA GIANNONE Providence CollegeLIAM GLYNN SUNY DelhiRACHAEL GLYNN Marist CollegeGARRETT GOING Roger Williams UniversityBRANDON GONG Harvard CollegeMATTHEW GRANVILLE Georgetown UniversityALEX GRASSO College of the Holy CrossBRIAN GREENE Elon UniversityCALUM GRIBBIN United States Marine CorpsAIDAN GRIFFIN University of MiamiJOHN GRIFFITH Marist CollegeTHOMAS GRLIC Adelphi UniversityKIERA GUARINO Fordham UniversitySARAH HAEFFNER Gettysburg CollegeLAUREN HAGAN Villanova UniversityCLAIRE HAGGERTY Fairfield UniversityXIAO HAN School of the Art Institute of ChicagoMICHAEL HANDAL Fairfield UniversityAJDIN HAXHIMURATI UndecidedARTHUR HAZARIAN Fairfield UniversityCARA HEANEY Binghamton UniversityCAROLINE HEGARTY University of VirginiaKEELIN HEGARTY Loyola University MarylandKELLY HIGGINS University of Rhode IslandALEXANDRA HILDRETH College of Charleston SUZANNE HOLOBIGIAN Sacred Heart UniversityKLEA HYSENBELLI Tufts UniversityBRIAN INGEGNO Sacred Heart UniversitySALVATORE INGRASSIA Bentley UniversitySTEPHEN IOVINO Dartmouth CollegeGRETA JAYE Saint John’s UniversityALAN JIAN University of California, BerkeleyCHRISTOPHER JORDAN Saint Lawrence UniversityTYAIRE JOSEPH Pace UniversityEVAN JOZKOWSKI Duke UniversityROBERT KALLEM Saint Michael’s CollegeJULIA KAVAL Pennsylvania State UniversityJULIA KAVAN Brown UniversityHOPE KELLY Johns Hopkins UniversityROSE KELLY College of the Holy CrossALLYSON KRAFF Albright CollegeMORGAN LAFONT Swarthmore CollegeGRACE LARIVIERE SUNY CortlandPATRICK LEGGETT Villanova UniversitySEAN LEGGETT Quinnipiac UniversitySOPHIA LEITER University of MichiganMICHAEL LIBEROPOULOS University of VirginiaANNALISE LOBIONDO Syracuse UniversityROBERT LUCANO Hofstra UniversityCOLLEEN MACLAY Molloy CollegeKYLE MACLEOD College of the Holy CrossCAROLINE MADIGAN Bucknell University

GRACE MAGE Southern New Hampshire UniversityBRENNAN MAGGIO Bentley UniversityJILLIAN MANLEY Rensselear Polytechnic InstituteJOHN MARCELLINO Stevens Institute of TechnologyLAUREN MARCOUX Five Towns CollegeRYAN MARESCA Columbia College JILLIAN MARINO Hofstra UniversityMEGAN MARSHALL Providence CollegeNATALIE MARTIN Virginia TechMAGGIE MCANDREWS University of South CarolinaMICHAEL MCAULEY Bentley UniversityJOSEPH MCDONAGH Union CollegeSARAH MCDONALD SUNY PurchaseSHANNON MCDOUGAL College of the Holy CrossMICHAELA MCGOVERN Villanova UniversityKERRY MCHUGH Lehigh UniversityJACK MCKERNAN Fordham UniversityWILLIAM MCLAUGHLIN Muhlenberg CollegeJULIA MCNALLY Bucknell UniversityCONNOR MCNEILL Fordham UniversityKEVIN MCNIFF University of New HavenJACK MCSHANE Ithaca CollegeCOLIN MCVICAR Marist CollegeJENNIFER MEDJID Boston CollegeMIKAYLA MEHLING The Ohio State UniversityPETER MENOUDAKOS SUNY Maritime CollegeISABELLA MERCANDETTI University of PittsburghGABRIELLA MERINGOLO Georgetown UniversityLAYNE MEYER Fordham UniversityMARK MICHON Saint John’s UniversityJOHN MIGNONE Binghamton UniversityVICTORIA MISERERE SUNY OneontaSHEILA MOHAN Sacred Heart UniversityERIN MOLLOY Binghamton UniversityKIERNAN MONACO University of DelawareMORGAN MOODY Molloy CollegeSTEVEN MORALES Binghamton UniversityHANNAH MORAN Adelphi UniversityJACQUELIN MORRIS Iona CollegeLIAM MULDOON University of UtahKATHERINE MULVIHILL University of DelawareJORDAN MURRAY Villanova UniversityBRADLEY NAEGELE Rutgers UniversityALEXA NALLAN University of RichmondAMANDA NASTASI Fordham UniversityJULIA NEESER Pennsylvania State UniversityLAUREN NELSON Fordham UniversityFAITH NIX Fordham UniversityCOLBY NOLAN University of California, Santa BarbaraSEAN NORTON Bucknell UniversityVICTORIA NUZZOLO Messiah CollegeCHISOM NWAEKE SUNY Buffalo State DANIEL O’CONNOR Duquesne UniversityJOHN O’HARE Stony Brook UniversityKELLY O’KEEFFE Marist CollegeJOSEPH OSTAPOW Clemson UniversityOLIVIA OSTROWSKI Lehigh UniversityMILLER OVERBECK University of GeorgiaADDIE OVEREND Tulane UniversityREGAN PADALA University of DelawareABIGAIL PAISLEY University of South Carolina MICHELLE PARENTE University of RichmondKIERAN PASKEWITZ Hobart and William Smith CollegesJESSICA PEDONE College of William and MaryJOSEPH PERRINI University of MiamiFLORENTIA PETRIDES Sacred Heart UniversityANGELA PHILIPPIDES University of MarylandKYLE PLETCHER Texas A&M UniversityIAN PLUMMER Union CollegeMELODY POMPAY United States Coast Guard AcademyTHOMAS POOLE High Point UniversityTHOMAS POWDERLY Indiana University AVA PRIME Cornell UniversityALEXA PYATSKY Manhattanville College MARENA RAMIREZ Northeastern UniversityKAITLYN RANDAZZO Sewanee - The University of the SouthKATHERINE REILLY Loyola University MarylandSEAN REILLY Boston CollegeMARGARET RICEMAN University of WisconsinCAROLINE RIEGER Georgetown UniversityDESTIN RIVERA University of ConnecticutMARC ROBAYO Nassau Community CollegeSEAN RODE Binghamton UniversityMICHAEL ROMANO SUNY AlbanyALEXANDER ROSADO Saint John’s UniversityNIEYKA ROWE Gap YearASHLEY RUBIN University of AlabamaJENNA RUHL Clemson University

www.gardencity.k12.ny.us

Angela HeinemanBoard of Education President

Tom PinouVice President

Robert MartinTrustee

William HolubTrustee

Stefanie GranvilleTrustee

Alan Groveman, Ed.D.Interim Superintendent of Schools

Catherine Knight, Ed.D.Coordinator of Public Information

Non-Profit OrganizationU. S. Postage

PAIDGarden City, NY 11530

Permit No. 22

ResidentGarden City, NY 11530

Inspiring MindsEmpowering AchievementBuilding Community

KEVIN TIERNEY Elon UniversityKATHERINE TOLLNER College of Charleston RYAN TRABOLD University of South CarolinaJAMES TRABULSI Elon UniversityCHRISTINA TRIMBOLI SUNY CortlandJOHN TYNAN Drew UniversityDEAN VAN NOY Baruch CollegeALEXIS VARANO Cornell UniversitySYDNEY VOTRUBA Loyola University MarylandSARAH WALKER Fairfield UniversityCATHERINE WALLACE Quinnipiac UniversityRYAN WALSH University of Massachusetts - AmherstDEANNA WEISENBURGER Stony Brook UniversityMELISSA WHITNEY James Madison UniversityOWEN WIELAND Saint Michael’s CollegeJENNIFER WISE University of DelawareSEUNGMIN WOO Brown UnviersitySAMANTHA WU Fordham UniversityTYLER WUCHTE Fairfield UniversityGABRIELLA YEPES University of FloridaANDREAS YIOUPIS Farmingdale State CollegeKALIE YUEN Bucknell UniversityCONNOR ZAROU University of ConnecticutSHIRLEY ZHANG Pace UniversityRYEEM ZIA New York University

MICHELLE SALAZAR Nassau Community CollegeMATTHEW SAUCHELLI Purdue UniversityCATHERINE SCHICK Duke UniversityMICHAEL SCHWANTNER SUNY GeneseoMAXIMILIAN SCHWENK Tufts UniversityANDREA SCISCENTE Marist CollegePAUL SEKAS Binghamton UniversityAIDAN SERKES Loyola University MarylandHAILEY SHAFRAN College of Charleston JEAN SIMMONS Fairfield UniversitySPENCER SINGER Elon UniversityJOHN SKAHILL Loyola University MarylandLAUREN SKRAMKO University of MarylandMEGAN SLOVENSKY SUNY PlattsburghMACKENZIE SMITH Trinity College, DublinTYLER SOUTAR Boston CollegeALEXIS GRACE SPERA Fordham UniversitySTEVEN SPIRAKIS University of RochesterKYLE STEINBACH Providence CollegeVIRGINIA STEINER Iona CollegeANN SULLIVAN Gettysburg CollegeNOELLE SWEENEY Vanderbilt UniversityANDREW TANG Georgetown UniversityDEREK TANG Boston CollegeANDREW THOMPSON Binghamton University

Garden City Public Schools56 Cathedral Avenue Garden City, New York 11530www.gardencity.k12.ny.us; GCUFSD

Congratulations to Garden City High School’s Class of 2018!