JOHNSTOWN — Northridge High School held its graduation ceremony on Sunday afternoon in a packed gymnasium at the school.
The graduating seniors walked in pairs through the aisle with female graduates wearing white and male graduates wearing green — the colors of the school — while the concert band played “Pomp and Circumstance.” After the seniors made their way to their seats, the band struck up “The Star-Spangled Banner” before student body president Megan Howard introduced principal James Hall.
In his brief remarks, Hall recognized the parents of Northridge graduates and students, and also the members of the graduating class who have enlisted in the military.
Anne Cox, vice president of the Northridge Board of Education, recognized the salutatorians and valedictorians of the graduating class, as well as two international students who were graduating from Northridge.
Cox also presented some figures about the Northridge Class of 2008, and said that 44 percent of the graduates were planning on attending four-year colleges or universities, and had received more than $475,000 in scholarships and grants. She closed her remarks by recognizing the faculty, staff, community and the families of the graduates.
Valedictorian Allen Aston, who is also a National Merit Scholar and will be attending Ohio State University in the fall, related the story of taking his driver’s license exam. He said he failed his first exam, but the second time he took his exam, he passed the driving portion easily. Aston said this proved the common saying: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again.” He said this lesson was important to not only the graduating class, but to all people.
Valedictorian Gabrielle Tan said she did not want to dwell on the past and the good times, but encouraged the class of 2008 to actively live life, not to just exist. Tan also said everyone was born to make a difference in the world.
Tan spoke of her father, who emigrated to the United States from Cambodia when he was 18 and didn’t speak English. She said this was a lesson to her and others, and demonstrated the need to take risks in order to achieve success. Tan closed her remarks by saying that failure is not easy, but not trying is worse.
After the graduates received their diplomas, the concert band played the Northridge High School Alma Mater, then a recessional.
