Oakdale High graduates celebrate accomplishments, look to future successes

Frederick County School Board President Karen Yoho placed an owl, the mascot of Oakdale Elementary School, on the lectern at Knott Arena at Mount St. Mary’s University before addressing Oakdale High School’s class of 2024.

This class contained some students who were the last Yoho taught at Oakdale Elementary School, she said.

“I can tell you I am thrilled to be here today to share in your joy,” she said.

Photos: Oakdale High Graduation

This year’s class of 406 Oakdale High students graduated Thursday, reveling in school’s academic, athletic and artistic achievements.

Oakdale High School was the only high school in Maryland honored in 2023 as a National Blue Ribbon School, Principal Bill Caulfield said, and the students had a lot to show for it.

Caulfield tried to remain composed on stage, but he said he always gets emotional during graduations.

One of the student speakers, McKenzie Mollica, said her class wasted no time stacking up awards and accolades once they returned to school in person after the COVID pandemic.

And as the senior editor in chief at the high school’s paper, The Oakdale Post, she got to see students in a different light, and see how they each contribute to the school.

“We are unique. Every student here has a personal strength ...,” she said.

Kyra-Kay Efon Angeh, another student speaker, emphasized the need to support others and be supported.

The graduates are their own worst enemies when it comes to being hard on themselves, she said. But everyone could choose to trust, have faith and have confidence in others to support them — it’s what their teachers did for them.

“We’ve got the potential to achieve something great if we invest our energy in supporting one another. ... If we rely on each other, we will forget our own fears and limitations,” she said.

Favian Santana Roman also emphasized that point as a way to get through high school. Santana Roman transferred to Oakdale his junior year, he said, and he got involved to make friends and quickly got accepted into the community.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to other people or ask for help,” he said. “Sometimes that’s really all you need. ... It’s really important to make connections with whoever you can.”

Oakdale also provided new opportunities for students to discover new experiences they love.

Jeffrey Lucio-Velasquez was part of a culinary program at the school for two years, he said.

“Greatest experience of my life,” he said. “It was an opportunity for me and it was something that I wasn’t really interested in and so I got into the program and I found love for cooking and for food.”

Umarr Serry and Madison Thomas said they will miss hanging out with their friends.

Serry and Lucio-Velasquez would often play basketball when they had the time.

“Going to the basketball court and playing basketball, that’s the best time for me. I had a lot of fun,” Serry said.

Serry, Thomas and Lucio Velasquez offered advice to the incoming freshman class. One tip wast to not procrastinate. It sounds simple, but it’s important, they said.

Gabriella Nelson said incoming freshmen should remember their worth.

“Who you are as a person is far more greater than that grade in that class, whether you got into leadership or not, whatever it is,” she said. “Stay true to who you are.”