Posen?s 66th graduating class receives their diplomas

by Peter Jakey– Managing Editor

Posen High School conducted its annual graduation exercises Friday, and proudly sent 29 graduates into the world with the basics necessary for continuing education or a place in the workforce after school. It was warm in the Posen gymnasium with humid temperatures hovering around 80 and people fanning themselves with graduation programs. It did not deter parents, family, and friends from filling the westside bleachers to witness a moment many of the graduates had been waiting for for a long time. Strains of the graduation processional cued the Class of 2007 to enter the gym and walk down the center aisle for all to admire. After Father Paul Grala, associate pastor from St. Casimir Catholic Church opened with an invocation, salutatorian Thomas Hentkowski addressed his fellow graduates, thanking his family for their encouragement and support.

?YOU HAVE been there for me through the years, and no matter what, you have always pushed me to succeed,? said Hentkowski at the podium. ?You have always taught me that school is incredibly important.? ?I love you all dearly, and I vow to you at this moment that I will continue to succeed because of the morals and values you have instilled in me.? Hentkowski thanked educators and wished his classmates ?the best of luck.? He said it was ?reassuring? seeing familiar faces around the halls every day. ?We may have complained that Posen is so small; however, when we go our separate ways, the closeness of this community is something we will dearly miss,? he said. Class valedictorian Jason Romel reflected on the ?strong bonds of loyalty and friendship? that grew over the years. ?Being a small class of 29, we all shared at least one memorable experience with one another,? said Romel. Romel remembered highlights from his elementary school days.

?WHAT REALLY is amazing is that those 13 years of us being together have come and gone,? said Romel. ?Many of us entered kindergarten as strangers to one another, and we now leave with the blessing of those very strangers being our friends. ?From swinging on the swings at recess, snowball fights, trips to the office, or tag ? boys versus girls of course ? it is only now that I realize how precious even the smallest memories are to me.? He thanked his parents and the graduates? parents as well. ?Without all of you, this group of 29 fine young men and women would not be here before you ready to undertake the challenges that you have helped prepare them for in the future. You should be extremely proud of their accomplishments.? He wished nothing but the best for his fellow graduates with whatever future endeavor they decide to undertake. ?Our progress has brought us here tonight, and tonight will become one of those moments that we will cherish forever,? he said.

Tiffany Oliver presented a video presentation with pictures of some of the graduates spanning elementary school to the sandy beaches of Florida for the ?07 senior trip. Board of education president Ken Wozniak handed out diplomas and shook the hand of each graduate.

THEN, JUST as those bumps in the road of life pop up, there was a minor glitch in

the ceremony as the pianist played a few cords, which prematurely started the recessional. Romel already was to the end of the center aisle when assistant administrator Dru Milliron called them back, ?Graduates ? please return to your seats.? In concluding remarks, Milliron said ?it is my sincere hope that Posen High School has given you knowledge to assist you in attaining your goals,? he said, ?not only what is in a textbook but other things in life as well?like compassion, common sense and the ability to reason and to look at life. Lessons in life are the mistakes you make and your ability to learn from them.

?I wish each and every one of you strength, happiness and fulfillment as you go out into the world to see what life has to offer,? said Milliron. With that, the class received their diplomas and walked out into a new page of their lives.