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Boardman seniors told there’s growth in failure
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Mohammad Al-Tawil proudly shows his diploma during commencement Sunday in the Boardman High School gymnasium.
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
BOARDMAN
The superintendent of Boardman Local Schools told the 2014 graduating class that his advice to them might seem “a bit peculiar.”
“I’m going to ask you to fail,” Frank Lazzeri said at Sunday’s commencement. “Today I’m going to ask you to fail over and over again.”
Quoting from various sources and using successful people as examples, Lazzeri explained it’s OK to make mistakes.
“Just learn from those mistakes and move forward,” he said. “If we are afraid of making mistakes, we will never try anything new. This is important, so I will repeat it: We’ve all made many mistakes, but the key is to learn from those mistakes.”
Principal Jared Cardillo touched on the topic as well in the advice he gave the 368 graduates.
“Accept your humanity,” he said. “No matter how hard we try, how talented we are, or how high our standards may be, we will fail sometimes. Why? Because we’re human. Nobody’s perfect.”
He told the graduates it’s time to let go of their high school mistakes, and assured them he and the teachers already had.
Brittany Webster, 17, is ready to move on. She will study social work at Youngstown State University.
“I just want to help people, but I might change my major to nursing,” she said.
During her four years at Boardman High School, Webster concentrated on academics.
She said she believes she’s prepared for college, thanks to her senior-year teachers. They taught them about deadlines, writing papers and being expected to complete work on their own, she said.
“The high school years went by pretty quick,” she said. “This year, especially, went really quick.”
Her classmate Alex Thomas agreed.
“It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman,” he said.
At Boardman, Thomas was a member of the varsity soccer team and participated in the medical careers club, Key Club, science club and more.
In the fall, he will attend Kent State University and major in biochemistry.
“It’ll be nice to be on my own,” he said. “I’m excited about it.”
Thomas took advantage of the various chemistry and advance placement classes offered at Boardman and said he feels prepared for the work ahead of him at Kent.