Edgemont Celebrates the Class of 2013 and Superintendent Nancy Taddiken

The Edgemont High School 2013 graduation was a time to look back and forward for the departing seniors, their parents and School Superintendent Nancy Taddiken who retires this year after 32 years at the district. With clear skies and comfortable temperatures, the ceremony took place on the campus outside the school on the evening of June 20th at 6:30 pm and began as the Class of 2013 streamed through the breezeway in their royal blue graduation gowns.

Graduating senior Abhinav Jaiswal opened the ceremony, saying "Edgemont is where I made the best friends of my life... where I was supported by the most caring people in my life; my parents. I want to thank them and all the parents here from the bottom of our hearts and let them know how much we love them." He thanked his teachers, saying "Edgemont is where I have been mentored by amazing adults." He credited them with "patience, goodwill and generosity." He continued, "Edgemont is where I call home. It has been my home and it has changed me. We are Edgemont. And so to answer the question, Where is Edgemont? Edgemont is wherever we are and so soon, Edgemont will be everywhere."

Nancy Taddiken gave an eloquent and emotional speech paralleling her experience with those of the departing seniors. She said, "Many of you have been in Edgemont for your entire lives.... It may be harder to think that there may be a life after Edgemont....I've loved almost every minute of my time here. It's been my home away from home." Quoting Robert Frost, she said, "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in," and added, "What did I do to deserve such a wonderful home away from home in this special place called Edgemont."

She left the seniors with three final thoughts:

• How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
• You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.
• And quoting her late husband she said, "The greatest gift of all is to love and be loved."

She brought many to tears when she said, "I hope that each of you feels as loved as I have felt here in Edgemont," and was given a standing ovation.

Principal Ganeshananthan explained how riding his fixed gear bicycle helps him understand the road beneath his tires, realize a sense of risk and rewards, and provides a zen-like experience. He drew an analogy between his rides and the moments that magically come together for his students. ... "When you worked together to win a league championship, found the solution to a trig problem. .. or were on stage and became the part that you were playing." He ended by saying, "Things in life that are worthwhile rarely come easily. I hope that the road before you offers many more such magic moments. And that you cherish not just the reward but the effort that brings you there. "

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Thomas McCormack, President of the Edgemont School Board took the podium and gave a speech that was both comedic and serious. He provided eight pieces of "practical advice" for the upcoming years ahead to the graduating class in a clever, entertaining manner.

English teacher Michael DeVito told the group that "Graduations often extol the graduating institution and the graduating class." However he shared a lesson from Kurt Vonnegutt's Cat's Cradle where he "challenged the meaningfulness of false or arbitrary groups and feared the loss of self when identifying with a group." Instead, he urged the students "to find those people with whom we have a more genuine connection." He warned, "While we can't deny the beauty and significance of Edgemont, we cannot let that pride turn into chauvinism."

He continued, by offering the seniors "some ambiguity"

Embrace Edgemont; Celebrate it's meaning in your life. At the very same time, let it go.
Appreciate Edgemont and the important skills and character you have built here, and at the very same time recognize the limitations of these skills and character for they are still developing. Whatever Grand Falloon you join next will have its own set of challenges.
Remember Edgemont – we are all together for the last time. You are a Panther for life; at the very same time, forget it.

Student athlete Carolina Sguerra shared two important words she learned from her soccer coach; patience and composure when he told her, "Don't shoot the ball until it is perfect." Applying these two words to life experiences, she said, "No matter what the hand we are dealt we must always keep our heads up and remember that things happen for a reason. Practice patience and keep your composure and you'll never miss you perfect shots."

Emma Cantor shared her thoughts about living in the moment." She said, "It seems we are constantly rushing. We are easily distracted by the next thing. We rushed to pick classes, to get our driver's licenses, to visit colleges, to get into college, to graduate. But now we are here. This is the moment we have been rushing towards. To borrow from Elle Woods', "We did it." Here we are at commencement – this is just the beginning. Savor the moment. It is so easy to rush through life to something seemingly more important. I hope we are less concerned with where we end up then with how we get there. Stop along the way to take a breath. To be astonished and proud and grateful."

With that, students each received their diplomas and warm embraces, and threw their caps in the air in celebration.

Pictures by Mariela Melamed: Click here to see more: