Matanzas High School seniors celebrate graduation at the Ocean Center

Matanzas High School seniors turned their tassels and celebrated as the Class of 2024 Wednesday afternoon at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

Principal Kristin Bozeman addressed the students during the milestone event. Following is her speech in full.

"Good Afternoon Class of 2024.

"The song that your class chose for their graduation song is the classic Green Day hit 'Good Riddance (Time of your Life)' and while the research hasn’t been conducted, at least as far as I could find on Wikipedia, I’m reasonably certain it’s probably the most popular graduation song of the last 25 years. I’m also reasonably certain it may have been my graduation song when I graduated from high school. The song has two titles, "Good Riddance"/"Time of your Life" and I feel that this double title is one reason it makes such a great graduation song. For some of you, high school has been the “time of your life” but for others, you may feel more like “good riddance.” But whichever half of the title you relate to, this class’ time at Matanzas has been significant.

"The graduates sitting before me have made a tremendous impact through their many accomplishments and contributions during their time in high school.

"Collectively, this senior class documented 16,745 hours of community service and participated in over 30 clubs. If you were involved in at least one club during your time at MHS, please stand.

"Thirty-three graduates sit before us today earning both their high school diploma and their Associate of the Arts Degree from Daytona State College. If you are graduating today along with your AA, please stand.

"Thirty-nine graduates sit before us today having completed the requirements for the AICE Diploma Award. If you are an AICE Diploma Award recipient or candidate, please stand.

"One hundred and thirteen graduates from the class of 2024 earned one or more Career and Technical Education industry certifications, career related, valuable credentials that they will take with them into careers after high school. If you earned one or more industry certifications during high school, please stand.

"One hundred and thirty-seven members of the graduating class achieved honor graduate status, designated by earning a GPA over 3.75. If you are graduating today cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude, please stand.

"During the four years this class has participated in athletics, our school has brought home 19 district championships, seven regional championships, one team state championship, and three individual state championships. In addition 16 of our graduating seniors have signed letters of intent to participate in athletics at the collegiate level. If you participated in athletics during your four years at MHS, please stand.

"During your time participating in our performing arts programs, this class has over 200 individual and ensemble ‘superior’ ratings, dozens of selections to all-county and all-state honor ensembles, and has performed at prestigious statewide and national competitions and performances as far away as Virginia and New York. In the visual arts, Matanzas High School artists swept multiple local competitions this year, bringing home first-, second- and third-prize medals and overall best in show awards. If you participated in the visual or performing arts during your time at Matanzas, please stand.

"I also want to recognize members of the Class of 2024 who have chosen to serve our country in the U.S. Military after graduation. If you will be serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard or Merchant Marines after graduation, please stand at this time to be recognized.

"As we celebrate your accomplishments, it is also a time to recognize and celebrate the people in your lives who have supported you to this point. Would the parents, legal guardians, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends and chosen family of our graduates please stand to be recognized.

"We also know that the education that you received at Matanzas would not be possible without the dedicated faculty and staff who helped you in ways both big and small throughout your high school journey. Would the faculty and staff of Matanzas High School please stand to be recognized.

"I’d like to share a special thank you and recognition to a few educators at Matanzas High School who are also, in some ways, a part of the class of 2024, as they are completing their years of service in education in retirement this year. Ms. Sylvia Zeigler, Mr. Jay Triplett and Ms. Tracey Morris retired in December, and with us today would Ms. Noel Bethea, Mr. Tony Benvenuto, Major Tom Hall and Mr. Fred Terry, please stand to be recognized.

"I would like to take a moment to bring special recognition to one of these educators. Mr. Fred Terry has served Flagler Schools as a teacher, coach and administrator since 1989. I never had the heart to tell Mr. Terry that 1989 was the year I entered kindergarten. Mr. Terry is humble, faithful and loyal, and while many students may have encountered him as the one in charge of making sure students followed the rules, he has the biggest heart, and has truly made a difference both at Matanzas and in Flagler Schools. Thank you Mr. Terry.

"While I hope that your time in high school has been 'the time of your life' so far, I know that these four years will pale in comparison to the future that you have ahead of you. As the song says, 'So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why, it’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time.' As we heard from the stories of our student speakers, your lives have given you many tests and lessons so far, tests that you have persevered through, and lessons you have learned. While our student speakers had the opportunity to tell their stories, I know that sitting in this audience, there are 430 individual stories equally rich, and equally powerful.

"Your graduation song begins with the line: 'Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.' As you face the biggest fork in the road of your life so far, I want you to know that all of the community of Matanzas High School loves and supports you, you are always welcome back at 'The Ship' and as you move into the next phase of your lives I can think of no better words to send you off with than those you have heard every day since you arrived at Matanzas High School: Make good choices, hold yourselves accountable, and ALWAYS strive for excellence.

"Congratulations Matanzas High School Class of 2024."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Matanzas High School graduation photos live from the Ocean Center