Suffield graduates told it's OK to be unsure of next steps
Jun. 11—The nearly 200 students in the Suffield High School graduating class of 2022 were reminded Saturday morning that their next steps don't have to be perfect, or without some recalculations.
"You're 17 and 18 years old, so guess what, you aren't supposed to know exactly what you should or should not be doing in the future," said Board of Education member Melissa Finnigan.
Finnigan said she learned that lesson her sophomore year of college, as an electrical engineering student. She was given an assignment to build a calculator, and the day she turned it in the machine started smoking after solving a basic math equation.
"At that moment I thought my life was over. I pleaded with the professor to just give me a passing grade. I thought I would have to quit school. But guess what they allowed me to do? Change my major. Can you believe it," Finnigan said.
Valedictorian Sarah Whitehouse provided a more recent example.
"Considering I'm the one standing up here, it may look like I have everything figured out," Whitehouse said. "I can assure you that is totally not the case. As of only a month ago, I thought I was going to one school, and then I committed to another, then I withdrew and committed to another."
Whitehouse said she has no idea what she wants to do, who she wants to be, or what path she should ultimately take to live the best life she can, but she's begun to see that's okay.
"Yes, the future is terrifying. It's fluid and dynamic, and ever surprising. But we have been prepared," Whitehouse said.
"You don't have to always make the right choice the first try. It's okay to change direction. It's okay to change your job, or major, or even where you want to live. You're at a point in life where nothing is permanent and absolutely anything is possible," Finnigan told the graduates.
Assistant Superintendent and interim high school Principal Michelle Zawawi added to the idea by encouraging each graduate to live life on their own terms. That's the only way to go through the world, she said.
Zawawi also reminded them that their accomplishments so far weren't made alone, however.
"Your journey up to this point has not been traveled in isolation, but guided by the gentle hugs, the wisdom, and the dreams of your teachers, your parents, guardians, grandparents and families. Their unwavering support for you is priceless," said Zawawi.
"School is important, but the most valuable part of school is the relationships you make along the way," she added.
Salutatorian Emily Brydges shared a similar sentiment.
"Suffield is knowing all your classmates and probably a little too much of what is happening in their lives outside the classroom. Suffield is your teacher raising an eyebrow on the first day of school because they recognize your last name from having an older sibling in class," Brydges said. "Suffield is showing up to support your friends at senior nights and drama productions. And most of all, Suffield is a place where we take care of one another," she said.
Superintendent Timothy Van Tasel concluded the speeches by telling the graduates that he sees them as "authors of promise."
"There is an energy I know exists within all of you that is ready to influence more, change more, and create more. I see it in your positive attitude. I see it in your confidence. I see it in your optimism," he said.
"I am proud of you, and I'm excited for your futures," Van Tasel said.
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