The Lyons Township High School class of 2024 began its first year apart but, on Wednesday, they graduated together, held together by the bonds of a shared experience and a storied institution.
When the students were freshmen, rather than fill the halls of the South Campus, the COVID-19 pandemic moved students and teachers online to virtual study and ended the normal welcoming traditions of high school. But to hear the graduate speakers tell it at Wednesday’s ceremony, the class was none the worse for wear.
“We have built a forever community,” said Keira Petrusha, the class president. “A community that will always be here with open arms for years to come.”
Jill Grech, the president of the board of education, said it seemed to her the class seemed eager to make up for lost time after the campuses opened up.
“The minute these halls opened and the classes, games, and clubs came back you embraced your LT-ness with a grace that was humbling,” Grech said. “We know it was hard. It was extra hard for some of you. but you did it, and you’re here.”
Unity and a sense of community have long been important to LTHS students and graduates, who regularly return for homecomings and reunions. Jack Micaletti, the student council president, urged his classmates to rely on that connection going forward.
“Always remember that no matter where we are we will always be bonded by this amazing LT community,” he said.
But in the immediate future, the majority of students face the job market, college and university classrooms, the military and other new, unfamiliar pathways. Superintendent Brian Waterman expressed confidence in their ability to navigate the unknown.
“I am so excited to see what you accomplish when you leave Lyons Township High School,” Waterman said. “My hope for you is the lessons you learn will help you navigate an ever-changing society one that requires strength and kindness. … My hope is that you carve a path with passion and drive and helps you accomplish all you were meant to do.”
And, Grech said, the district wished them something arguably more meaningful than professional or social success but personal satisfaction.
“I do bestow my deepest hope that once you leave LT, you find not just a happy life but a fulfilling life,” she said.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
