Graduation 2024

The students of the Pelham Memorial High School Class of 2024 closed the books on their time in high school students at a moving ceremony held on June 22, 2024 on Franklin Field! In all, 227 students were awarded diplomas at the ceremony, which began with the presentation of colors by American Legion Post No. 50 and a beautiful rendition of The National Anthem sung by seniors Madeline Lyons, Matthew Michailoff and Ava Pursel, accompanied by the PMHS band.

Speeches were shared by Class of 2024 members Isaiah Graves, Isaac Lief, Andrew Scott and Sienna Giuseppi, as well as PMHS Principal Mark Berkowitz and Dr. Cheryl H. Champ, Superintendent of Schools.

The W.W. Fairclough Prize was awarded by PTA Council President Krystal Howell to the three top academic students: Avery Goodman, Isaac Lief and Samantha Gregware. Memorial Tablets were presented to Laura Shelton and Erik Fontanella by Dr. Champ.

In his remarks, Mr. Berkowitz shared some of the many achievements members of the Class of 2024 have earned, including four Finalists and four commended scholars in the National Merit Scholarship competition, a top 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search scholar and three students participating in the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair. He also noted that the Class of 2024 included award-winning debaters and actors, an all-state choral member, 2 all-state athletes, an academic all american, track & field record holders and a U.S. Rowing Youth National Champion.

Mr. Berkowitz then relayed his interaction with a PMHS Class of 1959 graduate, who returned for a tour of the high school. He shared the reverence this alum had for his school and how his time at PMHS helped as he went on to a successful career.

“Not every school has such a rich throughline, connecting past to present,” Mr. Berkowitz said. “But Pelham Memorial High School does. There will be times in life where you just have to pay the bills. That is the reality of adulthood. But if you are lucky enough to pursue a career that gives you purpose, and you take the time to develop relationships filled with love, and you make a commitment to engage in civic life on behalf of others, these stone blocks will enable you to construct a life of meaning.”

In his speech titled, “Be the Captain of Your Team,” Isaiah Graves reflected on his time as a three sport athlete and the lessons learned during that time. In speaking about playing a half of a season in lacrosse, he shared that despite trying the sport for the first time, he was glad to have taken a risk outside his comfort zone.

“The thing I learned from playing lacrosse for half a season is the importance of ripping the duck,” Graves said. “I have no idea what that means and to be honest I had to look that up, but it sounded cool to say in a high school speech. . . In lacrosse, ‘ripping the duck’ describes what you are about to do or what you want someone to do. What I did, or wanted to do, was take a chance in a sport I didn’t know. So, to my fellow graduates, take a risk and even if it’s not a perfect fit, you gain more than you lose.”

In his speech called “Hustle, But Not Too Fast,” Isaac Lief spoke about what it takes to get ahead and achieve your goals, but also about considering what those goals are and should be.

“Hustling is about the input, the vision, the work, the perseverance, not the output, the reward,” Lief said. “Now that our high school movie has come to an end, it’s time to think about how you want the next chapter of your saga to look like. As with all great things in life, there’s a dichotomy: to achieve happiness you need to strike a balance between hustling towards a goal and enjoying the process. But at the end of the day, the solution is simple: hustle…but not too fast.”

In “The Cringe,” Andrew Scott spoke about the embarrassing or “cringey” moments throughout life that the students may wish to forget. In his speech, however, he reminded his classmates that these moments are what make them who they are and encouraged them to be their true selves as they move on from PMHS.

“As much as that fear of being cringe comes at you in full force, embrace it. Live in it,” he said. “Even if you quit jazz band after eighth grade, never forget the cringe. Even if you missed the easiest goal of your life in freshman year, never forget the cringe. . . It has made you who you are.”

In her speech “Unboxed,” Class of 2024 President Sienna Giuseppi recalled how the now graduates’ began their time in high school virtually during the pandemic and how they gradually grew out of their boxes to become more well rounded individuals.

“As we leave behind the confines of Pelham Memorial High School, I urge each of you to keep breaking out of the boxes you find yourselves in,” she said. “Whether it’s a dorm room, a new job, or any new environment, leave your door open. Make connections with everyone you meet. Don’t just dip a toe into your interests – dive in headfirst. Let your passions overflow and spill out of any container they might be placed in.”

In her address, Dr. Champ also spoke on the impact that the pandemic had on the students’ time in high school. Reflecting on the opening line from Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” Dr. Champ noted that while the pandemic might have represented the worst of times, their graduation and lives to come are the best of times.

“Class of 2024, your story is one of ingenuity, creativity, dedication, flexibility, commitment to school spirit and tradition, resilience, adaptability, drive, involvement, connection, and service,” Dr. Champ said. “You leave behind a legacy of learning, growth, wellness, balance, community and belonging for the next generations of Pelham. This is your story and it’s a story of inspiration for the next generations of students who walk the halls of Pelham Memorial High School.”

Speeches

Be The Captain of Your Team

By Isaiah Graves, Class of 2024

Parents, Faculty, Administrators, and fellow members of the Class of 2024, welcome. Some of you know me as a four sport athlete. I participated in track and field, basketball, football … and half a season of lacrosse … so maybe that makes me a 3 ½ sport athlete. Sports have always been an important part of my life, but as I stand here, not in a uniform, but in a cap-and-gown, I realize everything that sports has taught me over the four years I’ve attended Pelham Memorial High School.

As a runner on the track team I learned more than just how to run around in a circle… Although, at times in our lives it will definitely feel as though we ARE just running around in circles. I learned to run TOWARD a goal. To stay focused on the finish line. And that it's more important to focus on what you're running towards rather than what you're running away from. Jimmy Dean once said, “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

On the basketball court I learned how important it is to always take your best shot. Even if you miss you always have the rebound. During summer league Coach Courtein would always tell me to aim high when shooting free throws. Little did I know that would mean more than just a foul shot. More than just making it to playoffs…. and especially more than us making it to the county center…..and that's a good thing because we didn't.

In football we learn not to let life’s problems tackle you, though it may feel like it at times … especially when a 200 pound linebacker is sitting on your chest, get up! The goal line is closer than you think! And don't get setback and lose hope just because you may have failed in one game. The season isn’t over yet!

And then there's lacrosse. (pause for ten seconds, as if you learned nothing from lacrosse) Just kidding. The thing I learned from playing lacrosse for half a season is the importance of ripping the duck… I have no idea what that means and to be honest I had to look that up, but it sounded cool to say in a highschool speech. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT actually rip a duck. In lacrosse, “ripping the duck” describes what you are about to do or what you want someone to do. What I did, or wanted to do, was take a chance in a sport I didn't know. So, to my fellow graduates, take a risk and even if it's not a perfect fit, you gain more than you lose.

It's not just about the game but more about what type of character the game produces within yourself. It's the stamina that has to be built and the connections that come with it, it's the wanting to do more, it's the desire to be more, it's the faith and determination to win not only in a timed sport but in a lifetime.

Now, no athlete succeeds without a coach. My first coach and my best coach was my mom. So Mom, if I had a big container of gatorade right now I would pour it all over your head. Metaphorically of course, I don’t want to ruin your dress. But I’d save a little bit of the Gatorade for

Mr. Kopstein

Mr. Beck and Mrs. Holmes

Mr. Schleifer

Mrs. Gruber

Mrs. Klapp

Callum Reen

Solazzo

Luke Green and Danny Green

Artie Viggiano Jr. and Sr.

Coach Courtien

And many more

These are the people who taught me to take risks and be my best self. I hope all of my fellow graduates will take a moment today to find the coach in their life, the person who brought them to this moment, and thank them.

I’m honored to have learned from these coaches and captains who eventually allowed me to become a team captain myself. I hope that what I learned from them I was able to pass the torch to someone else so the cycle can be repeated.

As Deion Sanders once said, to be a good captain you must “take the ultimate responsibility and sometimes that means making tough decisions. Don’t take those moments lightly, but don’t run from them either.”

Now, don't get me wrong, we don't all have to be captains. A lot of us can be role players. Many of us can be team managers. Most of us can be practice players. And some of us learn to be better players….. Better people by watching from the bench also known as benchwarmers. Whatever ur place is, know you will always be successful, if you do your absolute best.

The class of 2024 is full of many people that fit these descriptions and have displayed preparation, confidence, honor, loyalty, communication skills and lastly willingness to learn from others.. We have all had many coaches in our lives who have told us there is no I in team, but there is an I in “Pelicans”. Today we're all pelicans. Today we all play on the same team for one last time. Today, Pelicans, we fly.

The Cringe

By Andrew Scott, Class of 2024

There is a word that gets passed around quite often in the modern age: “cringe”. Despicable, isn’t it? “Criiiiinggge”. The word itself gives you that face that you wear every time you remember that moment when you were younger and did something really stupid and looked like a complete idiot. That was “cringe”. Although, I personally think that “cringe” gets a bad rep. Maybe “cringe” is good. Let me give you an example. I am giving you this speech now, in [current location], [current date and time], a speech that has been edited, peer reviewed, as flawless and refined as I could possibly make it. It sounds…well, it should sound perfect. However, instead of looking at me orating at you all now, I want you to think back to the person writing this speech in room 237, on May 3, 10:39 in the morning, just after waking up from only 6 hours of sleep to put on the first clothes he found, to drive down the Hutch and to park on Pelhamdale, to sprint past the intersection, to play violin at 7:35 AM, three minutes late, then to go from class to class to attempt to process insane calculus theorems and over-the-top quantum physics, and now, that kid, tired out of his mind, with disheveled hair, mismatched clothes, and baggy eyes, sits at a desk in a classroom filled with students that he thinks are wonderful, kind, talented, and certainly, incredibly creative. He now has to write an entire speech on why they are so amazing. Needless to say, it’s a bit hard for him. In fact, part of him is scared he may come off as “cringe”. So what does he do? He thinks back.

All the way back to elementary school, when he knew way, way too little, and was way, way too “cringe”. And what his brain decided to remember is the really, and I mean, REALLY terrible original story he had written in fifth grade that he had shared with his friends. In looking back, he figures how the writing was literally, literally abysmal. There was probably no grammar, half of the word choices made no sense, it carried no emotion to the audience, it did not leave the readers guessing, and the plot did not have holes because it did not exist. It was the essence of “cringe”. But even though his writing was just a tad bit less than optimal, the people around him were so supportive. That kid can tell you right now that they were NOT supportive because it was a work of art. Because it was not. They were saying it because they wanted creativity to thrive. And now, this kid took writing seminar, creative writing, he wants to write stories, plays, musicals, so much. And he shares all of his writing, even the shoddy, the “WIP, definitely need to be entirely changed” drafts, with this school that he writes in now.

The kid writing this speech then remembers middle school jazz band. Anyone who remembers middle school jazz band remembers how bad they were in middle school jazz band. For those who haven’t been to the school’s band concerts, players in the jazz band improvise, make up their own solos for some of the pieces, on the spot, without music. Mr. VB, the band teacher, had to get someone else to come into the school because the kids there were that bad at improvising. When that man came, he would set up a microphone near the drums and pianos in the corner of the band room, and the kids left their usual, row-by-row formation to crowd around this microphone and wait for whoever was brave enough, or foolish enough, to get up and try and play something from the soul. The drums start up, the piano joins along, and everyone. Sits there. And waits. For someone…else to get up. No one wants to be the first. To this day, that kid is still so thankful to whomever was the brave instrumentalist that got up and played first. No, it wasn’t good. But it was real. It was from that brave kid’s heart. Everyone in that room watched intently as he cracked or squeaked or somehow dropped his instrument on the ground or whatever awful things happened, and we all applauded him. Suddenly, another kid got up, and tried their hardest, too, and it was probably even worse. But we applauded them, too. The kid who is writing this speech even remembers himself getting up, and panicking so bad that he just ran away in the middle of a phrase. It was not good. But there was music not just played, but being made in that band room. Everyone embraced the improv. After that day, improv felt fun. The fear of getting up and playing for everyone was lifted like a curse, and now, if you were to go to a band concert, nearly every kid in that jazz band gets up and plays their heart out. Saxophones, trombones, flutes and trumpets all strut up to that mic. The middle school gym in this school, echoey as it is, is full of the most soul-filled music. Those kids are so much braver now than in that timid middle school jazz band.

That kid thinks back to so many different memories. All of the watercolor, sharpie, at-home art projects he’s seen from extremely proud artists, all of the over-the-top celebrations over what, at the time, felt like incredible athletic feats. All of the Friday Night Lives, the Pelham Children’s Theater. All of the clothes, the songs and the dances, the clubs and the fairs. All the moments that the people in his grade look back and think “oh my gosh that is so cringe please do not talk about that”. It is all “cringe”. But look at where we all are now. Graduating high school with flying colors. Each person as creative as the next.

As we all start to head off into new places in the world, we are bound to run into new communities. Communities that do not know who we are, where we came from, and all the “cringe” things we did way back when we were younger. Some people take that as a challenge. A challenge to keep a perfect reputation of never being embarrassing, never making a single mistake, never being “cringe”. That boy writing that essay in that room has felt cringe before. He knows how bad it feels. But he concludes his first draft of that essay, and soon he will show it to his teacher, and later, under a tent, and even after, as you leave this high school behind, he will implore you to be cringe. As much as that fear of being cringe comes at you in full force, embrace it. Live in it. Never forget the cringe. Even if you quit jazz band after eighth grade, never forget the cringe. Even if you missed the easiest goal of your life in freshman year, never forget the cringe. Even if (as a random example) you have never taken an art class and decided to start drawing for your physics teacher on all of your exams, and you know that, in the very, very near future, you will immediately feel incredibly cringe about what you have done. Never forget the cringe. It has made you who you are.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024.

Graduation Speech

By Dr. Cheryl H. Champ
Superintendent of Schools

Thank you, Principal Berkowitz. Can we please give one more round of applause to our student speakers?

I am always humbled and intimidated to follow our students each year. They are our district vision personified and truly inspiring.

Good morning, friends, families, faculty, staff, members of the Board of Education and, most importantly, the distinguished Pelham Memorial High School Class of 2024. I am honored to be here today to congratulate you and to share a few brief comments on this momentous day, for this most esteemed group of graduates.

The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens begins, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Published in 1859 that timeless opening sentence still rings true and is strikingly reminiscent of your high school story.

As much as I hesitate to dwell on the dark days of the pandemic, the reality is that this phenomenon is part of your educational and personal journey. To disregard it is to cast away something significant, that undoubtedly will be part of you for years to come.

When you entered high school masks were mandatory. You toted tri-fold plastic barriers back and forth according to your schedule.

My Cohort A friends - please raise your hands! OK - now Cohort B?

The illness, quarantines, logistical changes, remote and hybrid school, all of this weighed heavily on each of you as you roamed the halls – 6 feet apart, two to two-and-a-half days each week.

It was the worst of times. (PAUSE)

There were some perks though - you were of course the only freshman class to get open campus privileges!

In all seriousness, despite these immense challenges - you showed an amazing, and frankly inspiring ability to adapt.

As we moved from Hybrid back to a regular schedule with distancing and masks, to finally getting back to a normal educational setting, you persevered.

You worked hard to create bonds of belonging and connection with your teachers and peers, through screens and literal layers of separation in your early years of high school to re-learning how to interact together in person. And you accomplished that, too, with some of the highest participation rates and best quality work ever in performing ensembles, arts classes, athletics, clubs and service organizations. You literally built and rebuilt the connections and sense of belonging that are the heartbeat of Pelham.

Academically, if I’m being honest, you were the class that we worried about the most - given all that you’d gone through. But, again, in the face of adversity, you demonstrated one of the greatest comebacks anyone could imagine. In doing so, you set new records of accomplishments for our school in the academic, extracurricular, and co-curricular realms – even if we did have to do some extra work cutting back on some of the COVID-era (AIRQUOTES) “Collaborating” that became a bit easier to get away with in a virtual world.

Resilience, adaptability, and drive, learning and growth - these are the hallmarks of a Pelham Memorial High School Student. Class of 2024 you zigged and zagged, bobbed and weaved and found a way against the odds. You truly exemplify those ideals and I am so proud of you.

It’s probably no secret that I am a huge theater fan.

Earlier this year, I saw the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along – which while terrific in its own right, came nowhere near eclipsing the talent of Sock’n’Buskin’s Into the Woods or Peter and the Starcatcher.

Merrily We Roll Along chronicles the tumultuous relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends - writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. While the story sadly shows how success eventually corrupted their relationship over time, the lyrics of this song from their earlier days paint a picture of belief and optimism. I share them with you as an offering, with the hope that Pelham Memorial High School has prepared you for a successful life ahead.

That song is Our Time by Stephen Sondheim:

Something is stirring, shifting ground

It's just begun

Edges are blurring, all around

And yesterday is done

Feel the flow, hear what's happening

We're what's happening

Don't you know, we're the movers and we're the shapers

We're the names in tomorrow's papers

Up to us man, to show 'em

It's our time

Breathe it in

Worlds to change, and worlds to win

Our turn, coming through

Me and you man, me and you

Years from now, we'll remember and we'll come back

By the rooftop and hang a plaque

This is where we began

Being what we can

It's our heads on the block

Give us room, and start the clock

Our dream, coming true

Me and you pal, me and you

I hope these words speak to you of the friendships that you have made and the opportunity that you all have to launch from here and make a real mark on the world.

What you’ve been through, the scars you wear are the things that have made you stronger.

Stronger as friends

Stronger as people

Stronger as students.

You’re the embodiment of the ideals we cherish as a learning community and I know that you are ready for the next verse that lies ahead.

Class of 2024, your story is one of ingenuity, creativity, dedication, flexibility, commitment to school spirit and tradition, resilience, adaptability, drive, involvement, connection, and service. You leave behind a legacy of learning, growth, wellness, balance, community and belonging for the next generations of Pelham. This is your story and it’s a story of inspiration for the next generations of students who walk the halls of Pelham Memorial High School.

As we prepare to celebrate your graduation - know that after all you’ve been through - The best of times have arrived - and the traits you possess mean even greater things lie ahead.

Congratulations and best wishes for much success in the future. This is your time.

Hustle But Not Too Fast

By Isaac Lief, Class of 2024

We sit in a darkened room staring at a piece of stretched canvas. As lights flicker from a projector we are taken to a galaxy far far away, or to a wizarding world, or to an Emerald City. And yet, as fantastical as these images are, “Cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves,” said Oscar Winning filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Consider your favorite movies. For me they’re inspirational ones that explore the pursuit of one’s dreams amidst adversity like The Pursuit of Happyness, Moneyball, and Good Will Hunting. Now think about why you enjoy these movies. Presumably, there’s something in the plot or characterization that you find appealing, something that you would like for your own life. Like the character Tom Wingfield from The Glass Menagerie who goes to the movie theater night after night to immerse himself in stories of action and adventure, movies serve as an escape from reality, a reminder that the world out there is so much bigger and more fascinating than we think. But the fundamental problem of this manner of thinking is that this escape is only temporary because after a brief 2-hour getaway, we must always return to our ordinary lives. Thus, there are two solutions: either watch more movies or, the trickier option—live your life like the main character of your favorite movie. Easy enough, right? In reality, it's simpler than you might think: just hustle…but not too fast.

First, the hustle. As with movies and life, we must realize that both are short, so a sense of urgency is paramount. Steve Jobs achieved this with the powerful and grounding daily practice of looking into the mirror and asking himself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” His answer: hustle towards a goal. Every main character has one, whether it be defeating an antagonist, winning over a girl, or the most elusive: achieving one’s full potential. Before all else, you must determine your goal and then pursue it. The Farrely Brothers, the famous American filmmakers who directed Dumb and Dumber, aptly captured this sentiment with a philosophy anything but dumb, positing that, “Life is like going the wrong way on a moving walkway. Stand still and you go backward. Walk and you stay put. To get ahead, you have to hustle”. In order to embody this notion over my time in high school, I kept a quote on my lockscreen for two years saying, “Hustle, verb: the only controllable pillar of success.” So that was my goal: I hustled by trying to spend every second productively, even using my hour and half commutes to Manhattan every weekday for fencing practice to do everything from homework to SAT sections to memorizing the introductions for my debate competitions that weekend. Over the past four years, each and every person in this class has hustled towards a goal in their own right: practicing a sport, memorizing lines for the play, polishing a research presentation, rehearsing an instrument, working a job, studying for a test, or just making it through a week. No one has achieved anything great without hustling and the Class of 2024’s endless list of accolades speaks volumes to this notion.

However, despite the importance of the hustle, it’s equally important to not get lost in the work—to nonetheless enjoy and appreciate the process. Fundamentally, you can’t base your happiness off the result, and that’s because our expectations of happiness or disappointment are always more extreme than the actual outcome. We’ve all felt like if we just got this one thing—won a game, performed well at a competition, aced a test, got into this one school—that we’d be happy. But in reality, the short-term satisfaction derived from these moments of achieving a goal went away like that (snap). On the bright side, the expected disappointment of failure is also far worse than the reality. Case in point: losing the Olympics. Too soon? Anyway, so what’s the solution? Never try hard at anything because regardless of the result it is, ultimately, insignificant. Absolutely not. Instead, you have to enjoy the process, the day-to-day struggle of working towards something about which you are passionate, regardless of the future result. Stop rushing towards some arbitrary valuable endpoint but instead, learn to enjoy the expenditure of energy that may or may not result in your perceived definition of success. Ironically, in one of my favorite movies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris said just the opposite: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” So is it still possible to hustle and enjoy the moment? Well in practice, hustling has nothing to do with speed but rather with drive, what pushes you. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t achieve your goal within a year, 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years, but as long as you're working towards that goal and doing meaningful work. It took director Richard Lanklater 20 years to shoot the movie Boyhood, but does that mean that he wasn’t hustling. No, because hustling is about the input, the vision, the work, the perseverance, not the output, the reward. Looking back at our time in high school, we spent so much time waiting for it to be over that we forgot to enjoy the little things: the nervous excitement of the first day of school, politely laughing at a teacher’s unfunny joke, or just walking to classes with friends. While high school may be over, this is just the beginning. At the end of the day, you want to look back on your life and have minimal regrets. Whether that’s taking advantage of opportunities, spending time with loved ones, or just trying something new, choose the path of least regret.

Now that our high school movie has come to an end, it’s time to think about how you want the next chapter of your saga to look like. As with all great things in life, there’s a dichotomy: to achieve happiness you need to strike a balance between hustling towards a goal and enjoying the process. But at the end of the day, the solution is simple: hustle…but not too fast.

Unboxed

By Sienna Giuseppi, Class of 2024 President

We arrived at this school in boxes. Usually, one would emphasize that this is simply a metaphor, but our unique freshman year experience meant we literally started high school in tiny virtual boxes, sprawled across the screen. Our very first day of school was not spent making a pit stop at Dunkin' Donuts in the morning or even exploring the halls of the high school, and our boxes of pencils remained sealed as we sat with a muted mic, enclosed within the four walls of our home.

Very few people, I think, would want to return to this period of isolation, as time spent confining ourselves within a box simply is not enjoyable. Over the past few weeks many of us have ordered prom dresses, graduation shoes, or unnecessary dorm essentials delivered to our homes in boxes, but boxes are meant to be opened.

Eventually, we made it out of our virtual state, but we remained boxed in by plastic dividers. But if there's one thing we've learned over the past four years, it's that boxes cannot contain us forever.

Branching out has been a repetitive theme in my high school career; From 0 period orchestra classmates to late night field hockey teammates, every one of you has had an impact on my life. Just like all of you, I've learned to not just be a musician, or an athlete, an artist, or a researcher, but instead to allow my interests to overflow any container I put them on. Highschool has been a time where we are meant to meet new people, try new things, and allow ourselves and our hearts to grow bigger and bigger.

On my parents wedding day, my mom told my dad, “today is the day I love you the least”. Now that might sound bad at first but trust me its not. Obviously that was a happy day, but that was the day she loved him the least, because their love would only grow more and more every day after. So class of 2024, I hope today is the worst day of the rest of your life. I hope you are the least happy, the least sure, and you feel the least loved as your surrounded by every one of your classmates and family members, because I only hope the interests, connections, and joy in your life only grows. Don’t keep your heart in a box. Let it overflow. Say hi to your peers today, tomorrow, and ten years from now, because before our shipping label said CEO or college graduate, it said Pelham Memorial High School.

And here is where we learned to unbox ourselves. When there was finally a return to normalcy, we were hesitant, unsure, and still slightly boxed in by the remnants of a digital world. Yet, we found ways to break free. We started joining clubs, playing sports, performing in theater productions, and attending school events. We began to understand that high school is not just about the classrooms and textbooks; it’s about the connections we make and the experiences we share.

By junior year, we were well on our way to unboxing ourselves. We faced challenges and pressures—AP exams, college applications, and the uncertainty of the future. But we also found strength in our friendships, leaned on our mentors, and discovered passions that made our hearts race. The boxes we started in began to tear and fray, unable to hold the expanding interests and growing confidence we carried within us.

As seniors, we truly came into our own. We saw victory, and defeat, but something I am most proud of is …

As we leave behind the confines of Pelham Memorial High School, I urge each of you to keep breaking out of the boxes you find yourselves in. Whether it's a dorm room, a new job, or any new environment, leave your door open. Make connections with everyone you meet. Don’t just dip a toe into your interests—dive in headfirst. Let your passions overflow and spill out of any container they might be placed in.

Even as we enjoy our last summer all together, dont stay boxed in your room, or digitally enclosed on your phone. Share dinners with your friends and family; when you walk out of the enclosement of PMHS, say goodbye to Mr. ____ at the front door, and continue to grow into a person bigger than yourself.

Over these past four years, many of us have peered out of our boxes, and some have left the cardboard behind altogether. We've learned to stretch our boundaries and expand our horizons. As we are shipped off and delivered to the next phase of our journey, remember to keep trying new things, meeting new people, and never letting your heart stop expanding. Don’t keep your heart in a box. Let it overflow. Say hi to your peers today, tomorrow, and ten years from now, because before our shipping label said CEO or college graduate, it said Pelham Memorial High School. And here is where we learned to unbox ourselves.

Our time at this school has been about more than just academics. It's been about discovering who we are and who we want to become. We've faced challenges and overcome them together, and we've grown in ways we never imagined. As we move forward, let’s carry with us the lessons we’ve learned here: the importance of community, the power of perseverance, and the courage to break free from the boxes that seek to limit us.

So, Class of 2024, as we stand on the brink of a new beginning, let’s promise ourselves this: to keep our hearts open, our minds curious, and our spirits unboxed. Let's embrace every opportunity to learn, to grow, and to connect.

Congratulations to each and every one of you. Let’s go out there and show the world what it means to be truly unboxed. Thank you.

Graduation Speech

By Mark Berkowitz
PMHS Principal

Students, Teachers, Families, Loved Ones, Friends:

It is with great joy that I welcome you to the Pelham Memorial High School Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony.

I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Andrew Van Bochove, the PMHS band and our national anthem singers Madeline Lyons, Matthew Michailoff and Ava Pursel for their dynamic performances.

Thank you to the Pelham Public Schools Board of Education, Dr. Champ and the Department of Facilities for your help in providing this beautiful graduation setup.

And thank you to the PMHS PTA for these lovely flowers.

Extraordinary thanks are due to every teacher, administrator and faculty member of Pelham Memorial High School & the Pelham Public Schools.

Your dedication to our students has allowed us to reach this day.

Parents, families, loved ones: Today, we celebrate you too.

Our Class of 2024 would not have reached this moment without your love, support and guidance.

Joining us today are friends and family who are themselves graduates of Pelham Memorial High School. We are so happy you are here.

Will all former PMHS Senior Class members please stand and be acknowledged. [clap]

And now, to the class of 2024:

Your Intellectual Achievements and Commitment to Service have inspired our entire school community.

Your athletic accomplishments have been record breaking.

Your visual artistry and musical performances have lifted our souls.

You have truly embodied our Pelham Memorial High School ethos: Excellence: Inspired by Tradition, Empowered Through Community.

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Seated among the class of 2024 are Four National Merit Scholarship Finalists and Four National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholars.

One of our students was named a top 300 scholar in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.

Three of our students represented Pelham Memorial High School and our region at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair in Los Angeles.

Also featured in the Class of 2024 are award winning Debaters and Actors, an All State Choral Member, Two All State Athletes, an Academic All American, Track & Field record holders and a U.S. Rowing Youth National Champion.

Several members of the Class of 2024 will be competing for their college or university in sports such as Baseball, Fencing, Football, Lacrosse, Rowing, Rugby, Soccer, Track and Volleyball.

In the Fall, members of the Class of 2024 will attend colleges and universities across the United States. Several will be attending colleges or universities outside of our country in locations such as St. Andrews, Scotland, Sorengo, Switzerland and Paris, France.

This year 64 of our students demonstrated their commitment to civic knowledge, skills, mindset and experiences. They are the first Pelham Memorial High School students to pursue and earn the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness.

Will these civic minded students please stand up to be acknowledged.

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There is a well known leadership story. Perhaps you’ve heard it before.

Three workers are employed cutting blocks of stone. When asked what they are doing, the first says “Cutting stone.” The second replies, “Earning a living.” The third says, “I am building a cathedral."

This third stone cutter has a vision that connects his daily work to a higher purpose. He is working to create a future that will inspire hearts and minds for generations.

I have often thought of this story in the context of our own stone masterpiece, Pelham Memorial High School. Constructed as a living Memorial to those who died in service during World War I, each of us who enter its halls are called upon to pursue the highest ideals of scholarship and service.

Last Spring (2023) I received an email from a Pelham Memorial High School graduate.

“Dear Mr. Berkowitz: I graduated from Pelham Memorial High School in 1959 and have wonderful memories of my time there! I was a miler on the track team and captain of the cross country team. I was also in the Knight & Lamp Honor Society. PMHS prepared me very well for the future.”

“After graduation,” he writes, “I went to Cornell, where I studied Chemical Engineering. I spent my career with several companies in the chemical industry, eventually becoming a senior executive. Since retiring, I have served on company Boards of Directors and am currently on the Board of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.”

He continues: “I have a great deal of gratitude for the way PMHS helped to prepare me for the future. I plan to be in Pelham on Friday May 12 and it would mean a lot to me to visit PMHS. If you are in the office, I would love to stop by and say hello.”

Like the third stone cutter, this PMHS graduate had worked for a higher purpose. Now in his early 80s, he was returning to Pelham to see the high school and community that had prepared him so well for the years beyond.

I wanted to make his return feel special. I wanted to show him that we care about our students, while they are here, and well after they graduate.

Prior to his arrival I asked some members of our Pelican Yearbook staff to locate the 1959 yearbook. When he arrived, I greeted him with his yearbook, where a post-it was placed on the page of his senior portrait. As we walked the halls of the high school, we located a plaque bearing his name. It was on the Honor Roll just outside of the auditorium. In addition, we found two separate photographs in our hallways where he was featured. They had been mounted to our walls as part of the 2021 Centennial Celebration poster series.

Not every school has such a rich throughline, connecting past to present.

But Pelham Memorial High School does.

Graduates of the class of 2024, as you head out into the world of college and career, I encourage you to build upon the stone foundation of your Pelham and PMHS experiences by pursuing a higher purpose, just as that 3rd stone cutter and this Class of 1959 alumnus have done.

There will be times in life where you just have to pay the bills. That is the reality of adulthood. But if you are lucky enough to pursue a career that gives you purpose, and you take the time to develop relationships filled with love, and you make a commitment to engage in civic life on behalf of others, these stone blocks will enable you to construct a life of meaning.

Your efforts will provide joy in the days ahead, as well as stability and support through the inevitable challenges of life.

And when you return to Pelham Memorial High School, next year or many decades into the future, I hope that you too receive a warm welcome back.

And should you request it, a tour of the building as well.

Class of 2024, on behalf of your teachers, faculty and the Administration of Pelham Memorial High School, we are incredibly proud of you.

We wish you continued success in the years ahead.

Congratulations!