NEWARK — “Develop your talent and abilities to their full potential, and then invest in the lives of others,” Principal Mark McDaniel told the class of 2010 during commencement exercises for Utica High School.
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His other advice was, “Talk to those smarter than you, talk to those more insightful than you are. … Laugh at yourself — everyone else does.”
Salutatorian Emily Hare hearkened back to the time of recess, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
“Inevitably, we grew, and knew it was time to move forward,“ she said from Newton Elementary School to junior high. “In high school, we began to discover our gifts — or what isn’t our gift.”
“Today we look forward to another journey,” she told her classmates. “Whatever that destination is, our future is now the present.”
Salutatorian Austin Boggs told the graduates that in life, it is inevitable that they will fail at something.
“It’s how you deal with it that matters,” he said. “You can take the easy way out and quit, or you can pick yourself up go on with life, and play the hand you are dealt.