Anna Ustun is headed to Virginia Tech with sister Emily. Photo by Mike Salmon.
Mount Vernon — It’s on to another chapter in the lives of West Potomac High School graduates,
as they crossed the stage at George Mason University on June 21, with smiles and waves as family and friends looked on.
“It’s off to the great, maybe not so great world of adulthood,” said Martha Gallagher, the senior class president, sharing the stage with school officials, Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck, state Sen. Scott Surovell and Del. Paul Krizek. “Soon enough our class will be made of world leaders, engineers, teachers and more,” Gallagher said.
Dale Rumberger, the interim principal, spoke highly of Gallagher, noting that
he wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up in the White House someday. “By knowing members of the graduating class, I have been changed for the good,” he said, before the West Potomac High School music department started playing “For Good,” by Stephen Schwartz.
It was then graduate speakers Liz Brodie, Melany Bohorquez and Xavier Kimes turn at the microphone. “Stop counting for a moment,” said Brodie, “and realize how far we have come,” she said. Xavier Kimes counted though, noting that there were 1,440 minutes in a day to “take time to enjoy ourselves,” he said.
The Outstanding Faculty award went to Dana Hubbard and the Outstanding Student went to Darlyn Arleny Matamoros Umana.
Rumberger remembered when he transitioned into adulthood, and shared a few words his father had for him years ago. “Don’t mess up, he didn’t get
much deeper than that,” he said. On July 5, Rumberger will no longer be the interim principal at West Potomac and Tanganyika Millard will take over as permanent principal.
As the band went into “Pomp and Circumstance” again, it was time for the 545 students in the graduating class to shake hands and get the diploma before the parties, beach trips and summer jobs begin.
Charles Baker is heading down to the Florida Keys to work at “Dolphins Plus,” a family business working with dolphins. “Pretty much be assigned one dolphin, feed it and train it all summer,” he said.
Senior class president Martha Gallagher is going on a European trip with some of the faculty, while Anna Ustun will work at a children’s camp in West Virginia teaching wildlife before heading to Virginia Tech in the fall, where her sister Emily goes.
“We’ll be conquering the world together at Virginia Tech,” Emily Ustun said.