Skyline High Schools’ 379 graduates in the class of 2018 were encouraged to take a moment to celebrate their graduation, and to take the time to enjoy future successes at their Commencement Ceremony.
Principal Cory McElmeel says the sweetest moments in life are when our passion meets persistence, our challenge leads to reward, and our hard work transforms our dreams into reality. He says however too often we move too fast and are often encouraged by society to move even faster. Adding technology into the mix McElmeel believes is one of the reasons for the anxiety and mental health issues facing communities today. “We need to get better at slowing down, to reflect, honor our accomplishments and savior our sweet triumphs,” he said.
To highlight McElmeel’s point he shared the poem “The Dash” by Linda Ellis that highlights the important part of an individual’s life is what happens during the dash between the date of their birth and the day they pass. McElmeel says what really matters in our dash are the people, our family, friends, peers, and others that we remember fondly. “Make the most of and be proud of your dash,” McElmeel says. “Go off, change the world in the most amazing ways and savior every moment.”
Sharing the class message Olivianah Baugh admitted the class of 2018 is part of what’s being called the world’s first multi-tasking generation, but she insists they are living in the moment and soaking up everything at graduation. She believes in the class of 2018 and knows they will handle life’s challenges because they reached a high level of excellence and became their best versions of themselves at Skyline. “Change is inevitable, but change is exciting,” Baugh says. “Change will force a new person from within ourselves to emerge and we must not fear this. We must embrace it with unbridled enthusiasm because our futures are bright and brilliant.”
Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Swift concurs that Skyline’s class of 2018 is well prepared for their future. “I have to share that as we have observed you over your time at Skyline, in your amazing academic achievement, arts, athletic and extracurricular pursuits and in your service to others,” Swift says. “It is abundantly clear to me and to all of us gathered here today that you emerge from a mighty and powerful place, Skyline High School and the Ann Arbor Public Schools and you have absolutely everything it takes.”
As a sign of the how well positioned Skyline’s class of 2018 is for future success, 22 percent of the graduates finished high school with a 3.9 GPA or higher. Over half of the class had a GPA over 3.5.
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