Valley high school grads deserve to be singled out

Each and every spring, the rite of high school graduation across the Mahoning Valley and the nation stands as both a cohesive collective milestone and a deeply personal achievement.

Last month in this space, we focused on the former, congratulating several high schools whose Class of 2016 members contributed to distinctive collective honors. They included laurels for academic excellence, superlative attendance rates and life-altering accomplishments.

Among them were the Youngstown Early College, Mahoning County High School plus Boardman, Canfield, Poland, Columbiana, Hubbard and Springfield high schools.

Since that writing, Jackson-Milton High School, including its senior class, brought distinction to itself as the only secondary school in Mahoning County to win the state of Ohio’s new Momentum School Award for greatly exceeding expectations in student academic growth over a one-year period.

Graduating groups in those and other schools also share their respective identities emboldened in their collective class colors, class songs and class mottoes. Over the past two weeks and concluding this week, The Vindicator has been the sole media outlet in the region to provide comprehensive coverage of the majority of commencement ceremonies throughout Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

INDIVIDUAL FEATS ABOUND

Within those classes, however, are individual students whose unique and often heart-warming stories we also have singled out for attention and recognition.

Take Austintown Fitch High School co-valedictorian Dominic DiFrancesco who, like many other graduating seniors, pointed out that high school’s lessons transcended those he aced from textbooks and class websites.

“I’ve learned happiness lies in the relationships formed with others,” he told his large 418-member strong class at Fitch’s commencement earlier this week.

Take Ursuline valedictorian Christopher Metzinger who found himself in a pressure cooker to perform as well as his brother – the 2011 Ursuline valedictorian. Neck and pelvis injuries suffered from football motivated him even more to study harder and propel him to the top of his class. His is one of many stories among this year’s crop of graduates of transforming adversity into success.

Or take Cardinal Mooney graduates Haley M. Mitchell and Isabel R. Stoeber, both of whom shared similar interests and common bonds. Both carried their passion for community service into volunteer work for the Purple Cat, a nonprofit agency helping adults overcome physical and mental challenges.

They and many other grads this season embody the often understated civic- mindedness of many of today’s young people.

Finally, take Jacob C. Eisen, a Howland High School Class of 2016 member, who has set the bar high for himself and his fellow classmates. He offered a bucket list of lofty but realistic goals for himself and others including finding a cure for cancer, going to Mars, fixing the political party system and ending world hunger.

His ambitious philosophy inspires confidence among older adults of the potential for greatness evident among many who will inherit the world.

Eisen and thousands of other graduates in the region will be singled out yet again this week, as The Vindicator publishes its annual set of special graduation pages. They feature lists of graduates from many high schools in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Lawrence and Mercer counties. We congratulate all who made the list.

Here is the tentative schedule of when each school’s honor roll of graduates will be published in The Vindicator:

Today on Page A6: Boardman, Brookfield and Canfield high schools.

Tuesday: Bristol, Campbell, Youngstown Chaney, Columbiana, Youngstown East, East Liverpool, East Palestine, Farrell, Girard, Heartland Christian, Hickory, Howland, Jackson-Milton, Warren John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Catholic, LaBrae, Lakeview and Lordstown high schools.

Wednesday: Hubbard, Laurel, Leetonia, Liberty, Lowellville, Maplewood, Mathews and Mineral Ridge high schools.

Thursday: Mercer, Neshannock, Newton Falls, Niles McKinley, Poland and Salem high schools.

Friday: South Range, Southern Local, Struthers, Ursuline, Warren G. Harding, Western Reserve high schools.

Saturday: Austintown Fitch, Reynolds, Victory Christian, West Middlesex, United Local and West Branch high schools.