Oakton High Class of 2016 celebrates graduation at EagleBank Arena at George Mason University. Photo by John Esper/The Connection
Family members and friends came together on Saturday to celebrate the graduation of Oakton High students at the EagleBank Arena on the George Mason University campus. Despite the heavy downpours, the joy of the graduates could not be dampened. The students congregated in the halls of the arena to revel in their accomplishments together and to share their plans for the future, whether it would be going to college, into a trade school or on to the workforce.
The ceremony started with an introduction from Oakton SGA members Jay Leonard and Jacqueline Keene followed by a reflection by student Rania Khaldieh. Khaldieh spoke about how some people view the current generation as lazy and privileged with access to information and devices never before seen. She said that it is the goal of the senior class to show the older generation that this generation can be the greatest yet and that they can accomplish great things to lead the next generation into even greater success.
Following this reflection was a guest speaker, Mrs. Inge Pisano, the French teacher at Oakton High School. Her speech was full of props and jokes that garnered many laughs from the audience. Her speech was poignant in telling the students that she knows that the road ahead will be some of the most formative years of the students lives and that she expects the students to do great things and find their true selves while they do it.
After the ceremony, students, family and friends alike were packed in tight at the EagleBank while a huge storm raged on outside. Eventually, the storm subsided and the pack of people moved outside. Pictures were taken with students holding flowers and their brand new degrees, all with big smiles on their faces.