Seniors bid Poland High farewell

The Class of 2007 graduated 233 students.

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

POLAND — One of the lighter moments Dino Cencia will probably hold onto long after graduation is how he and a few friends good-naturedly made fun of announcements over the public address system that mentioned students’ birthdays.

Beyond the humorous times, however, he will likely miss something more endearing.

“I feel great and proud of myself, and I can do whatever I want,” Cencia said shortly after receiving his diploma during Sunday’s commencement at Poland Seminary High School, 3199 Dobbins Road. “I miss and love my friends and I hope they do well in college.”

Cencia said he plans to continue with his part-time job at Panera Bread in Boardman. He listed working for Clear Channel Radio, performing computer work, attending Mahoning County Career & Technical Center and possibly becoming a disc jockey as his long-term goals.

A future at Ohio State University is in store for Cory Strait, who plans to major in mechanical engineering. Strait was at a loss to describe his feelings after seeing diploma in hand but will take with him a favorable impression of his last year in high school.

“My senior year in general was very fun, and there’s nothing I didn’t like about it,” he said.

The ceremony

Cencia and Strait were two of 233 graduates who make up Poland’s Class of 2007 and who were honored during the 90-minute ceremony on the school’s football field. The bleachers and nearby areas were filled with several hundred parents, friends and relatives for the event.

Before being given their diplomas, the students and audience heard a commencement address by Dr. Arthur Duran of Poland. The nine-member Senior Seminary Singers performed the Sarah McLaughlin song “I Will Remember You.”

Duran, a 1980 Poland graduate, stressed the value of balancing freedom with responsibility. Making wrong decisions is inevitable, but the most important lesson is to take responsibility in dealing with consequences associated with mistakes, he explained.

A new level of freedom also means the students will have more opportunities to make good choices and to learn from poor ones, he noted.

“The next stage will be a wonderful one for you,” Duran said. “Take your gifts to the next stage and make something [positive] of your lives.”

The ceremony also featured remarks by Superintendent Dr. Robert L. Zorn, performances by the Poland Seminary High School band and a message by the Rev. Rick Horvath of Poland United Methodist Church.