Milford High School seniors reflected on their four years of closing chapters, the importance of education, the fear of change, and humility at the Milford High School 2024 Graduation on Sunday, June 2.
Milford High’s graduation ceremony took place on the football field where 287 diplomas were awarded to the graduates. The commencement started off with welcoming remarks said by Principal Joshua Otlin. The Spanish translation was read by senior Analayevka Jimenez Baez and the Portuguese translation was spoken by senior Arthur Gabriel de Lima Gomes.
Rhea Mathew, the president of the graduating class all four years of her time at Milford, began her speech with her signature“Gooooooood Morning MHS” as this is how Mathew started off everyday for the morning announcements. As we have become accustomed over these past 8 months with that very long, yet friendly, greeting everyday, it will be dearly missed by the students and staff.
“Embrace your challenges, view them as opportunities to grow and reflect on those who made big impacts on your lives,” Mathew said. She continued with encouraging others to be the light in this world by spreading kindness.
Mathew closed her inspirational speech with, “Today is a milestone in our lives. As we are here to celebrate our graduation, we’re not just closing a chapter but stepping into a new beginning filled with endless possibilities.”
Next up was the salutatorian, Brooke Phillips, who will be attending Wheaton College. Phillips explained that she and her classmates’ lives were changed on the first day of school, because the power of knowledge taught so much.
Phillips leaves her fellow graduates with this wise message: “Seek educational opportunities for yourself and to never stop learning, the whole world will become your classroom now and it will have the most important lessons you will ever learn.”
The Milford High School Concert Choir sang “Seasons of Love” conducted by music teacher Sarah Rhode and accompanied by sophomore Camila Costa on the keyboard. It was a fitting song choice during this graduation as it is about the different ways we measure love and gave pause for the graduates to reflect upon their memories.
The student speeches ended with Liam Blackwell who was the Class of 2024’s valedictorian. Blackwell shared thoughts about entering high school during a pandemic which was an unpredictable start to high school; however, the seniors never gave up through this challenge and it won’t be their last.
After thanking faculty and staff, Blackwell concluded his message with, “Use what high school taught you as a cheat sheet in your future, a good base to help on difficult problems, but something to add to as you gain more experience.”
Principal Otlin gave the farewell address to the graduates. He shared some reflections that often we may think we automatically have all the answers, yet most often we are wrong and that it is okay.
Otlin left the class with these words of wisdom, “When you find yourself in those moments of despair and darkness, remember that there is one way back into balance and back into the light, we need to love one another.”
