Keystone graduates reminded to be authentic

CARLISLE TWP. — Graduating Wildcats were reminded to be real and authentic as they move beyond Keystone Schools. Superintendent Dan White marked his final commencement address with the district with a passage from Margery Williams Bianco's "The Velveteen Rabbit." "'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.'" White quoted. "... Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." He reminded graduates to be true to themselves and others in a world often focused on appearances and superficial achievements. "The end of one chapter is merely the beginning of another, and your story is just beginning," he said. White recently accepted a position to lead Revere Schools next school year. Salutatorian Addisyn Rodachy said high school was far from easy, she said, whether from an academic or social perspective. And while it may not be the "real world," the majority of those walking across the stage on Friday were not sheltered from hardships, she said. She remembered the fable "The Fox and the Grapes," in which a fox tried in vain to get a bunch of ripe grapes from a vine, and when he was unsuccessful sulked off in disgust, alleging the grapes were sour and not worth his effort. The moral, she said, was a question: "If we think that something is not worth having, is it because it is, or is it only because we are unable to achieve it?" She reminded her classmates to never give up, and that she sees the brightest futures ahead. Valedictorian Rylan Norris told his fellow Wildcats to welcome upcoming challenges with bravery and resolution while remembering hard work, integrity, compassion and accountability. "This world needs our special talents and abilities and I'm confident that all of us will be successful," Norris said. Class President Ella Olic wished each graduate happiness and reminded them to live life to the fullest. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.