43
Their day to remember
Chaney Commencement 2009
Video
Gallery
By Harold Gwin
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
While most of her classmates were shouting and congratulating one another, Chaney High School senior Jaslyn Huntley kind of stood off quietly to one side, a tear rolling down her cheek.
“Why are you crying?” she was asked.
“Because I’m so happy,” she replied, adding that she will miss the members of the Chaney Class of 2009.
Thursday was graduation day for the second class to come out of the expanded Chaney High School, and Huntley, who wants to study architecture, was one of those to walk proudly across the stage to get her diploma.
It was also part of a birthday celebration for two graduates — Heather E. Miller and her twin, Janine K. — who marked their 18th Thursday.
Janine hasn’t decided yet what she wants to do.
Heather, a co-valedictorian of the Class of 2009, has already been accepted as a student at Youngstown State University.
She led her classmates in a round of applause in recognition of their families and support networks who have been behind them through their school days, and urged her peers to look ahead.
“More waits for us in the future,” she said.
You can make reality of your dreams “if you put in the time and effort,” advised Glenn Caventer, also a co-valedictorian.
Everyone has different dreams and goals in life. Hopefully, what class members have learned over the last four years will help them realize their dreams, he said.
The day is “bittersweet,” said Jennifer Drombetta, Chaney’s third valedictorian.
It’s something that has been anticipated for years, but it also means saying goodbye, she said.
She challenged her classmates to make something of themselves and Youngstown.
“My goal today is to stop the rumor that the city of Youngstown has already reached its potential,” she said. “Go out and help others. Prove that good things do come out of Youngstown schools,” she urged, adding, “Don’t let the bumps in the road keep you from walking the path.”
Salutatorian Justin Kalinay said his years at Chaney changed his life dramatically.
He came in as a freshman with few friends and no confidence, he confided.
Getting involved in activities such as the Key Club and Book Club allowed him to transform himself and learn about helping others, he said, adding that each of the graduates has a story similar to his.
His experiences “helped me define my life,” he said.
“If the world is to change, it begins with you,” Yulanda McCarty-Harris, commencement speaker and director of equal opportunity and diversity at YSU, told the graduates.
Find common ground that can help lead to a world envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in which a person is judged by character, not color, she said.
She offered six core values for the graduates to follow: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Follow the Golden Rule and do unto others as you would have them do unto you, McCarty-Harris said.
Dean Edna Douglas gave the class some advice of her own.
Remember the values you’ve learned from your parents and teachers — respect, perseverance and integrity, she said.
One member of the Class of 2009 was awarded her diploma posthumously.
Ayesha D. Cowan became ill and died over spring break, said Sue Morgan, senior class adviser.
Ayesha had earned all of the necessary credits to graduate, and her diploma was presented to her mother in a private ceremony, Morgan said.
gwin@vindy.com