The members of the Herndon High Class of 2016 Student Council lead the procession in and gather on the stage. Photos by Erin Murphy/The Connection
Herndon High School said farewell to its 2016 graduates in a graduation ceremony held at the George Mason Patriot Center on Thursday, June 16.
Following introductory remarks by the Class of 2016 Student Council, Principal William Bates awarded the Faculty Award to student Jeremy Levine. The award was voted on by faculty and administration and awarded annually to the student who is considered the most outstanding student The criteria include academic success, contribution to community, contributions to the school, character and leadership.
“This year’s recipient is an exceptional young Hornet, who consistently pushes himself academically and has one of the highest GPAs in this year’s graduating class. As a member of the Junior and Senior council, this leader has supported the class of 2016 from float building to prom. He has even been the emcee of the Herndon Idol show. He is the recipient of the William and Mary award through his participation in SGA. As a captain of the track team, he completed his high school career with his personal best time of 4 minutes 25 seconds in the 1500,” said Principal Bates.
Levine introduced the guest speaker, Chief Meteorologist for NBC4 Dough Kammerer, who graduated from Herndon High School in 1993. His speech encouraged students to embrace the clean slate being handed to them along with a graduation diploma, a chance to be the person they want to be and discover their own lives.
“Find your passion. Make sure every day you wake up and love what you’re doing. Make sure that everything you do moves you one step closer to achieving your goal. And don’t let anybody ever stand in your way. The only person that can stand in your way is you.”
Principal Bates recognized students who chose to support the U.S. through military service, either through acceptance into a service academy, or participating in ROTC, as well as all the veterans and active duty members in the audience. Also recognized with rounds of applause were members of the National Honor Society, distinguished scholars with GPAs of a 3.7 or higher, as well as Honor Graduates who were recognized by name for earning a 4.0 or higher throughout their four years of high school.
Retiring Herndon High faculty were also recognized including: Dr. Beverly Parker Lewis, Mrs. Janie Odlen, Mrs. Lila Jimenez-Herrera, Mrs. Bernice Robillard, Mr. James Hagerty, Mrs. Sherry Amado, Mrs. Debbie Anderson, Mr. Joe Sheaffer, Mrs. Kathy Thomas and Master Chief John C. Maness.