The Bishop Diego High School Class of 2022 graduated Friday at the Eva Jane McDonald Memorial Field and celebrated their athletic, artistic and academic accomplishments from the past four years.
The evening began with a processional by Lily Simon, an invocation by Aria Nafziger and the national anthem by Emily Whitney. Following the preliminary events, board president Karen Regan and Principal Tim Flanagan introduced the graduates and acknowledged their accomplishments.
Robert Forouzandeh, Esq., board chair and managing partner of Reicker, Pfau, Pyle & McRoy, gave the commencement address, acknowledging the Class of 2022 for persevering through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That pandemic still follows you like a curse to this day. But human nature, your grit, your perseverance and your various support systems have allowed you to adapt and evolve to this new world,” Forouzandeh said. “And that’s allowed you to still succeed and get you to where you are today.”
Forouzandeh encouraged the Cardinal graduates to follow their calling and adhere to the values taught to them at Bishop Diego.
“You follow in the footsteps of all of those Cardinals who graduated before you regardless of which walk of life you pursue, whether you’re an artist, an athlete, an engineer, a lawyer … follow that calling and stay true to the values that you learn here at Bishop Diego,” Forouzandeh said. “Service, faith, sacrifice for the greater good family, dedication and always leaving 110% on the field — whatever that field of life is for you.”
Forouzandeh concluded by reminding the graduates that they are from a school “of 270 students [who go] into battle on sports fields against teams that are 10 times bigger and comes out with victory, time and time again,” and encouraging them to bring their values to the world around them as they enter adulthood.
“We as a society and we as a country need you, need you now more than ever. You are our future and you will be our salvation. We are counting on you to do better than we did to fix what we have broken and to solve what we have failed to solve,” Forouzandeh said. “The task is daunting, but use the values and the knowledge you have learned here to accomplish it. This is what your parents, your families and your teachers have trained you to do. All you have to do now is go out and execute and stay true to our shared beliefs and our shared values.”
Flanagan introduced and congratulated valedictorian Maddox Stretz and salutatorian Alexandra Taner for their accomplishments.
“Throughout her time at Bishop, Alexandra has demonstrated her impressive artistic ability, passion, curiosity, sharp wit and strong sense of justice,” Flanagan said. “While she is a well-rounded student, everyone who knows her recognizes her deep commitment to the field of art and animation, which so far has resulted in multiple AP Awards for Excellence in art, as well as first in show at this year’s evening of excellence.”
Taner took the stage to thank and acknowledge members of the Cardinal family who created a positive impact on her during her time at Bishop Diego. She added that she appreciated the connection she was able to build during her senior retreat.
“This retreat provided us with invaluable insight into each other’s hardships and the realization that we’re all facing personal challenges and fears that we are struggling to overcome. Learning about each other in this honest and open environment allowed us to connect with one another in a way we never had previously,” Taner said.
Taner said the skills she and her classmates used at retreat are ones necessary to bring with them after high school.
“Knowing this going forward, we see the need to maintain understanding minds and sympathetic hearts. What we have gained from Bishop Diego over the last four years will serve us well in our future endeavors. Congratulations to my fellow classmates. We can finally say we did it,” Taner said.
Flanagan described Stretz as someone who “excelled both in the classroom and on the athletic fields” and is a “well rounded Cardinal.”
Stretz took to the stage to encourage his fellow classmates to take the values they were taught at Bishop Diego and use them to make a true impact.
“We can either find ourselves blending into the masses or use the guiding principles that have been given to us to make changes for the better to make our mark and mostly the world a little better than we found it. When we have done that, we can find peace and meaning in our lives,” Stretz said. “We need to use their opposition as fuel for the fire that burns inside us and pushes us to success. All else will become insignificant. We have accomplished our goals and can bask in the conquests and victories of our lives.”
After Stretz’s speech, students were called one by one to receive their diplomas. Families cheered and threw confetti as students stepped onto the stage.
Afterward, members of the Bishop Diego Class of 2022 threw their graduation caps into the air, exiting the field as high school graduates.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Atmika Iyer can be reachd at news@noozhawk.com.