Wallkill Valley Class of 2005

Parents, relatives, and friends of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School Class of 2005 gathered Thursday, June 16, to honor their graduates at a ceremony held at the school gym. The 167 graduates marched into the hall amidst cheers and strains of the familiar "Pomp and Circumstance" played by the school's concert band. National Honor Society President Mark Castiglione welcomed the crowd with comments on how much the world has changed. He reflected on how 9-11 became the defining moment of their freshman year. He also talkeded of the lessons learned through high school about becoming "compassionate citizens" and "learning from our failures." The theme for the student addresses was "The Past, The Present, The Future." Salutatorian Andrew Cranisky likened high school to a theatrical play with teachers and parents playing the roles of producers, directors, and enthusiastic audience "with an impressive run of four years." He encouraged his classmates to be "stars" in their own right. Senior Class President Jane Cunningham cautioned not to "dwell in the past, but approach each new venture with the knowledge we have gained." Valedictorian James Kyle Backman spoke on what lies ahead. The school choir sang "The Impossible Dream," the graduates' choice, in a stirring gospel-like rendition, and led the assembly in the Alma Mater. Mortarboards soared enthusiastically into the air as Graduation 2005 concluded.