Newburgh - This past school year Christina Stitchell was unsure of whether she had a place to live. On Wednesday night a huge smile covered her face as she firmly grasped her high school diploma in one hand, a balloon in the other.
"I just kept on praying good things would happen, and they did," said Stitchell, who moved into a home with her mother, brother and sister this summer. "When you pray and pray, you make sure your dreams come true."
Stitchell, was joined by 76 other Newburgh Free Academy Summer School graduates who received diplomas, Wednedsay night in the school’s auditorium. This year’s summer school graduating class was one of the largest in the school’s history. For the first time, the summer session was exclusively offered to seniors and potential high school graduates. Principal Silver Williams could not have been more pleased with the results.
"This is a special program; our goal was to see these kids graduate," explained Williams, in her third year at the helm of NFA’s Summer School. "My teachers went above and beyond what was expected of them; the students, too, worked very hard, overcoming a lot of challenges."
Some of those scenarios involved students who were parents. Others, held full-time jobs (including Stitchell). Still others had to contend with challenging home situations, involving huge responsibilities. Several were first time high school graduates in their family. Then there were transfer student issues.
"I came from Texas at the start of the school year, so I had to take a lot of Regents Exams as well as classes to be able to graduate in time during the school year," recalled recent graduate Savion Griffin, wearing a blue gown and cap. "I wasn’t sure what to expect from summer school, but I ended up really liking it; the teachers were great, and I liked the small class size."
The 77 summer graduates, added to the June graduation tally, helped make the 2010 NFA graduating class one of the largest in the last decade, according to Peter Copeletti, High School Principal. Copeletti offered the night’s Welcome, and assisted in the dispersal of diplomas. Opening Remarks were offered by Ralph Pizzo, Acting Superintendent of Schools.
After relaying some "Life Tips" to the class, including; take action, never stop learning, be persistent, stay positive, be innovative, share, play fair and lead a balanced life, Pizzo turned to the 77 students to the side of him and added, "This NFA Class of 2010 is not just a good class, but a great class." His words were met by a nearly packed auditorium of cheers.
For many of the graduates, the academic journey begins all over again in just a week or two. Stitchell is set to attend the Arts Institute in Manhattan, studying Web Design. Meanwhile, Griffin is off to the State University of New York, where he will major in Elementery Education, aspiring to be a teacher.
Following the Commencement, Principal Williams could be found shaking hands, hugging and chatting with the new graduates.
"I am just so amazed by what some of these kids have overcome and what they have accomplished this summer," said Principal Williams. "They really inspire me."
