REVERE — On a cloudy, breezy Tuesday night, the 443 graduates of Revere High School and Seacoast High School lined Harry Della Russo Stadium — decked in either navy blue or white — and listened to speakers praise their class not just for its resiliency, but also for the graduates’ advocacy for each other.
“Because of you, your resiliency, your advocacy for each other, we have a city that is growing faster than any other in the Commonwealth,” Mayor Brian Arrigo told graduates. “Be proud of who you are and where you’re from. You’ve earned every step along the way. Every single one of you who will walk on the stage tonight showed up … despite everything that the world was facing.”
Arrigo’s speech was followed by a poem, delivered by Revere High School’s Poet Laureate, Parker Legere, who, decked in white, spoke in the poem of the ways in which the class’ four years had been impacted by COVID-19.
Legere ceded the stage to the speaker who received the most applause Tuesday evening — Class of 2022 Assistant Principal Lena Marie Rockwood, a.k.a. “Doc Rock.” In her speech, Rockwood, who described herself as an “avid reader,” listed three words that came to mind when she thought of the class, “personality,” “tenacity,” and “achievement.”
“I would like you to think about these three words and take them with you as you continue in the next stage of your journey,” Rockwood said. “Let your personality shine, be tenacious and you will achieve anything you put your mind to, congratulations, and have a great night.”
Rockwood was followed by another figure who received thunderous applause from the crowd of graduates — Chris Freisen, the principal of Beachmont Veterans Memorial School, and the former assistant principal of Revere High School. Freisen, who now oversees an elementary school, said the words of Robert Fulghum’s poem, “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” ring true, even for the graduates.
“Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life. Learn songs and things and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday,” Freisen said, quoting Fulghum.
“Class of 2022 make your lives extraordinary. Do great things. Make your family proud. I’m proud of all of you,” Freisen concluded.
Alexia Serino — a student at Seacoast High, an alternative high school in the city — followed Freisen, and delivered a teary speech praising her three years at Seacoast as those that had the greatest impact on her life.
“Being at Seacoast has not only changed my goals and mindset on how I want to thrive in life, but it has shown me that it doesn’t matter where you come from in order to succeed,” Serino said. “Seacoast gave me that second chance to do what I can and prove that I can and prove that I am the smart independent woman I am standing here today.”
Nicholas Gerasev and Angela Huynh then delivered a co-salutatory address, ribbing each other throughout, and reminiscing on the competition they were locked in for four years to achieve valedictorian status — only for both to fall short.
“Now that we’re at the end of our high school journey, and the competition has ended, we’ve had a lot of time to reflect,” Gerasev, who will be attending Boston University in the fall, said. “What did we actually achieve? While I was fighting for my AP score in US history, what I actually achieved was a meaningful discussion of the failures and successes of our country and how we can improve.”
Huynh, who will be attending Tufts University, said her pursuit of academic excellence was largely shaped by an effort to embody the American dream as a first-generation Asian American woman whose parents grew up in post-war poverty.
“I put the pressure on myself to perform and break the cycle,” she said. But, “in hindsight, my grades were nothing compared to the self-discoveries I made along the way.”
Class valedictorian Jennie Pich then took the podium — exclaiming “I get to be tall for once!” as she reached the microphone.
In her speech, Pich praised her classmates for their adaptability amid the isolation brought on by the pandemic.
“The isolation was something that no one was prepared for … [but] I know many of you took the extra time at home to learn more about yourselves. I observed so much personal growth from you over the course of these last two years. And I felt so inspired by your tenacity,” she said. “In the face of so much hardship, you were able to make the best of a bad situation and thrive. I hope you are all giving yourselves credit.”
The final speech of the evening was delivered by Class President Shaimaa Bouras Saiah, who reflected on all the fun occasions of the class’ senior year — haunted hallways, a pep rally with dodgeball, potato sack races, and pies in the face, and the first RHS prom in three years.
“I am so proud,” she said.
Then, after each diploma had been presented, Principal John Perella took the stage and bellowed “class is dismissed,” at which point hundreds of navy blue and white caps flew into the air.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
