LYNN — Superintendent Dr. Catherine Latham handed out her final set of diplomas at Lynn English High School on Friday.
“In 1963 she graduated here from English High School, her very first celebration of such,” said Principal Thomas Strangie. “Fifty-five years later, she celebrates her last graduation with us.”
Latham, who has been Superintendent of Lynn Public Schools since 2009, received a standing ovation from the graduating class as the band welcomed her with music.
“It has been an honor, a privilege, and a pleasure to be the superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools,” she said through tears.
“You have completed the first leg of your journey through education and it’s the most important one,” said Latham. “It’s the foundation that will be the base of everything that will follow. As you continue beyond this, remember not only to work hard but to be kind and pleasant and to put effort into getting along with others.”
Students in Lynn are the best at being kind to others, she said. They celebrate being different than others and celebrate diversity.
Mayor Thomas McGee had similar words of advice he borrowed from his father, a Lynn English graduate.
“I just want to share a couple of words that inspire me from my dad,” said McGee. “He was the Speaker of the House for Massachusetts and he lived it. If you go out and help one person today—that’s what he liked to say—you can place your head on your pillow at night and you know that you’ve had a good day. He lived his day like that and it inspired me in the way he lived his life.”
Regardless of the paths they choose, McGee encouraged the students to reach out and help someone each and every day.
“Lift each other up, take action to make Lynn the city you want it to be. It’s up to you to define our tomorrow,” he said.
Valedictorian Meghan Turner told her classmates that we live in a society that loves to put number on things, like Social Security, IDs, and financial value.
“We seem to believe that by putting a number on a thing or a person we can capture its value,” said Turner. “I believe there’s nothing more dangerous than falling into that type of mindset. In a world of numbers, no one ever wins.”
She pleaded with her classmates not to devalue themselves based on someone else’s definition of important.
“Outside this room are amazing opportunities and incredible experiences,” said Turner. “But also some losses. Unfortunately, we will never know the outcome until we set sail. And yes, we could avoid the pain by never taking that step. But we could also could avoid happiness. I ask you people to live loud and dream big.”
