Howland student speaker: Go slower

Howland Commencement

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By Jon Moffett

The class will be remembered for its sense of togetherness, students said.

WARREN — Jacquelin Slack urges her classmates to let life come to them at its own speed.

The Howland High School senior was one of the speakers for the school’s 89th commencement, held Thursday at W. D. Packard Music Hall here.

“Sometimes things take longer than expected,” she said, addressing her class. “But don’t be afraid to slow down.”

In her speech, she recalled a project she and her classmates did in the eighth grade. The project consisted of creating a timeline from then until they were high school seniors predicting what they’d accomplish.

Looking back on the project, Slack said not every goal in her timeline was achieved. And if others in the class of 2009 did not meet all of their goals, they should not be discouraged, she said, because they probably accomplished other goals they hadn’t thought of.

She encouraged her class to stay focused and remain determined.

Howland Superintendent John Sheets told those attending that the class exemplified excellence in academics, athletics and other extracurricular activities. He added that it is focus and determination that will always be remembered when thinking about the class of 2009.

“Remember that tough times don’t last,” he said. “But tough people do.”

Lori Kuszmaul, president of the Howland school board, said the class may not go on to be the best doctors or lawyers in their respective fields but to not be discouraged.

“Every one of you will have the opportunity to be even more important [than the best],” she said.

Though administrators praised the group for being focused, the students felt it was their sense of togetherness that made the class truly special. Graduate Brittany Flemming, 18, said after the ceremonies that the family atmosphere helped the class excel at all levels.

“We’re extremely dedicated, and we work through everything,” she said. Flemming will attend John Carroll University and study psychology.

Clay Cooper, 18, was a member of the Howland football team that went undefeated in the regular season, a first for the school. After the commencement, he said the team and the class were close, which helped create a sense of family.

“We’re just so close altogether,” he said. “Everyone knows everyone.”

Cooper will attend Walsh University in the fall and will play football and study to be a physician’s assistant. He said the one piece of advice he’d give his classmates is to savor their time in school.

“It goes by real quick,” he said. “And you’ll miss it. Trust me, you’ll miss it.”

jmoffett@vindy.com