The Stone Bridge High School 2005 graduation ceremony was marked by an evening of remembrances.
Valedictorian Nadia Minai recalled being the youngest class two years in a row. The students started high school in eighth grade rather than ninth, because of overcrowding. Their nickname may have been “Munchkins” in the early years, but their distinction Friday night was of being the first graduating class to spend all of their high-school years at Stone Bridge. Principal Jim Person called the seniors a “class loaded with leadership.”
Minai recalled the thrill of winning in the last 20 seconds of a ball game and spending hours cruising the roads in Ashburn and blasting music. After a walk down memory lane, she turned her focus to the moment. “Let us give all we can to future generations,” she told her classmates. “So much potential is at our fingertips.”
Minai advised her peers that life will be different in 20 years. “They may forget what you said, but they won’t forget how you made them feel,” she said.
She thanked her friends for laughter, her family for support, and her mom who has been with her every step of the way. She dedicated her speech to her father, “who is smiling down on me right now.”
STONE BRIDGE launched 376 graduates in a commencement exercise Friday night at the Patriot Center, George Mason University, in Fairfax.
Class president Thao Ngo told the seniors that their high-school experiences and relationships will carry them further than their TI-83 graphing calculators. She and Stephanie Copperman wowed the crowd with a song, “For Good.” The lyrics included, “I believe I was changed for the better because I knew you. … I’m changed for the good.”
Person said a lot has happened in the past five years. “Consider for a moment all those world events, many of them world disasters.”
The one constant was “you,” he said. He said the Class of 2005 could be characterized as one that came together in support of one another, particularly in times of tragedy. The seniors had a flair for the dramatic, he added.
The graduates earned $800,000 in scholarships and won state championships in cheerleading, girls’ soccer and the debate team.
SEAN O’KEEFE was the keynote speaker. He is chancellor of Louisiana State University, a former NASA administrator and father of graduate Lindsey Se Yeon O’Keefe. She was a member of the National Honor Society. He gave five pieces of advice.
* Value continuing education. “I urge you to continue the process of learning, no matter where you are going or what you are doing.”
* Make service a part of life. “At least give a thought to the armed forces at some point in your life,” he said. “There is no finer way to serve your country.” He also recommended other service careers, such as teaching, nursing or public administration.
* Love the U.S.A. “In simple terms, be a patriot. … Get out and vote. Be aware of the issues. … America is a great nation with a solid heart and an instinct for greatness.”
* Pay attention to health and fitness, as they are directly related to success.
* Be an optimist. “It’s far too easy to see the darkness in the world, and it can seem overwhelming at times. It is better to light a single candle than howl in the darkness like a dog.”
Sean O’Keefe said he has a friend who came back to America after serving in the Peace Corps. His friend said he had learned to look at half a glass of water as neither half full or half empty. “That means we get a shower tonight!” he said.
Sean O’Keefe reflected on his friend’s outlook on life. “Now that’s really an optimist.”