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Fitch graduates encouraged to show what they’re made of
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
AUSTINTOWN
Potential.
That’s the word that comes to mind when senior class president Adam DelDuchetto thinks of the 2011 Fitch High School graduating class.
It’s not important who had the highest grade-point average, who was captain of the football team, or who can afford to go to the most prestigious university, he told his fellow classmates Saturday morning in the high school gymnasium.
“All that matters, in the end, is that you give it your all in everything you do,” he said. “If you do that, the sky’s the limit.”
He also encouraged them to “show everyone what the class of 2011 is made of.”
Doug McGlynn, Fitch principal, thanked the parents, grandparents, guardians and staff members who have helped the students.
“Always remember those individuals who have touched your lives and nurtured you,” he told the graduating class.
Adrianna Caruso, a graduate, will miss many of those people.
“It’s hard knowing that once you’ve been with all these people for four years, all of a sudden you’re not going to see more than half of them for a while, if ever again,” she said. “Every high school student gets excited for this day, but in their heart they know they’re going to miss everyone that is here.”
But she’s excited for the future. Caruso will attend Youngstown State University to study early-childhood education.
She’s looking forward to being in a new environment and meeting new people.
Scott Miller also is looking forward to college.
“I can’t wait for college and to keep going with my life,” he said.
Miller also will attend YSU. He plans to study music education to pursue a career as a band director in a school.
“It’s definitely what I love to do,” he said. “So I just can’t wait to do it.”
But he enjoyed his time at Fitch.
“The band program was definitely one of the best experiences of my life,” he said. “And all of the teachers and classes were just great.”
Classmate Tina Liu said she’s sad to leave.
“I feel like it’s also bittersweet at the same time,” she said. “It’s like a new start to a new stage of life.”
Liu will study neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh and then wants to go to medical school.
During her time at Fitch, she was involved with the speech team, National Honor Society, concert choir and more.
“I really, really enjoyed the speech team,” she said. “We became a really big family together.”
DelDuchetto, Miller and Liu are three of the six class valedictorians. There were 363 graduates.