130 graduates receive diploma’s at Community High School’s 50th commencement ceremony on June 2
The annual Community graduation ceremony took place at Hill Auditorium again this year.
Dean Marci Tuzinsky thanked the graduates for their time at Community and what they did to shape the school. She also encouraged them to have success in life and that each graduate is the one to define what success looks like for themselves.
Tuzinsky highlighted that this is a special year for Community as the school celebrates both its 50th anniversary, and the 100-year anniversary of Jones School. She thanked students Navi Fields and Ireland Johnson for their work with Cindy Haidu-Banks, Joslyn Hunscher-Young, Janelle Johnson and Brian Williams in studying the history of Jones and the hidden history of Ann Arbor’s African-American community.
Then Community High School graduates shared favorite quotes from books, movies, songs, television shows and poems; thanked family, friends, and Community staff; shared favorite memories, and more as they each had 30 seconds to share their parting thoughts.
Charlie Beeson shared an ode to the Community front lawn that has been used as a staging area for renovation work at the building. “For one year you were free and perhaps I ignored you, but then the summer came and I haven’t seen you again,” Beeson said. “Since that day in June your death cast a gloom throughout the whole school, at least I presume, I mean I can only speak for myself. But hey, you did not die you came back alive, like a phoenix from a tomb. They still wouldn’t let me walk on you though, I tried. One day I’ll come back and to see you at your peak, hopefully they don’t kill you again, like they did for me.”
Bruno Hohn used his 30 seconds to compare his time at Community to making a pie. “You know when you’re making like a cherry pie and you use instant tapioca, to make it all come together so it’s properly gooey inside and not just a bunch of cherries and liquid when you cut it open?” Hohn said. “Community High School is like my instant tapioca, except it’s not instant, it’s more of a four-year long tapioca that turned me from the mess of cherries and liquids that I was in middle school into the pie I am today. I’m now properly gooey, thanks.”
During the commencement ceremony several students were presented with special awards.
The Jill Award – Ellie Strumba
The Community Resources Award- Raffi Avedissian and Rita Ionides
The Judith DeWoskin Writing Award- Nadya Matish
The Dean Al Gallup Scholarship- Navi Fields
The Bruce Bartman Memorial Scholarship- Ria Lowenschuss
For more photos, go to the AAPS Facebook Page. You can watch the complete CTN Broadcast of the Commencement Ceremony here.
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