Brentsville District High School held an inspirational graduation ceremony at Jiffy Lube Live for the Class of 2012 on June 9. The ceremony emphasized individualism while encouraging graduates to follow their bliss.
Dr. Robert Scott, principal of Brentsville District High School from 2007-2011 and published author, served as guest speaker.
Scott encouraged students to pursue their own passions, and related an anecdote of a former student named Michael who wanted to create rides for Disney. After Michael’s graduation, his mother called Scott concerned that Mike spent all his time in the basement, working with Legos. Asking if she should be worried, Scott was unsure how to respond.
Today, Scott told the audience that Michael creates rides and attractions for Walt Disney in its Hong Kong, China Park.
Scott encouraged graduates to chart their own course, so they will always love what they do. He referred to his career as a writer with a hint of self-deprecation, saying, “It happens to half literate teachers too.”
But he also advised that success requires hard, saying, “Great aspirations are easy; great accomplishments are not.”
Salutatorian Alan Komisarcik gave his speech emphasizing the motif of being true to one’s self and bravely pursuing one’s own path to success.
Komisarcik told a story about his first day of high school. Trying to be inconspicuous, he preferred to walk several times past his classroom, rather than entering and asking if perhaps he was in the wrong location.
On his graduation day he advised his classmates not to be fearful of their future but to take risks.
“So what if I stand?” he asked. “I challenge you to stand out.”
The last speaker, class Valedictorian Benjamin Cumberland, told the audience he was expected to give “A powerful uplifting speech, but I’m not one to follow the crowd.”
Instead he offered a top ten list that enumerated memorable aspects of Brentsville District High School.
Starting with number eleven, Cumberland said, “Brentsville math,” but swiftly apologized to his math teachers. Throughout his speech Cumberland mentioned the one-way hallways, inspirational teachers and the smell of cow pies.
Wanting a word of wisdom to leave his classmate with, Cumberland told the audience he met Senator Mark Warner the other day, and asked him for advice on what to say at the end of his graduation speech.
Warner told Cumberland to remind the crowd to, “Call your mother.”
After Cumberland’s speech, graduates received their diplomas.
Graduates were greeted by and received handshakes from local elected officials, including Chairman At-Large Milton John, Brentsville District Supervisor Wally Covington, Brentsville School Board Representative Gil Trenum, as well as Principal Katherine Meints.
The graduating class of 2012 was the last consolidated class to graduate from Brentsville, as students from previous classes have been redistricted to Patriot High School, which will have their first graduation in 2013.
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