As the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” played over a loudspeaker in the auditorium setting a march rhythm, Maine South High School seniors wearing robes of Hawks red streamed down the aisles of the Rosemont Theatre for their commencement ceremony Sunday.
Family members of 595 graduating seniors strained to catch photos or record moving images of their students with their cell phones. Graduating seniors had to pivot with the rest of the world when the height of COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Class of 2024 to spend their freshman year doing remote learning.
“I think they ended strong, that’s what I think about it,” Steven Isoye, one of two Maine South interim principals (with Mike Pressler), said to Pioneer Press.
“I think it’s incredible and we’ve had a great year with all of our students.
“In the end, what I have seen are these remarkable individuals who really are going to go on and do some amazing things in their future and they have figured it out,” Isoye said.
“I’m so proud of them.”
James Johnston, senior class co-president, was the senior selected to offer the student commencement address after an audition process in which all seniors were invited to try out.
Johnston chose to not focus on the past four years, but to speak of the future.
“It’s a celebration of the beginning of the next chapter in our lives,” Johnston said. “This is our moment.”
Johnston ended with a class cheer when graduates could together chant a shout out one last time as classmates.
“There’s one housekeeping item that needs to be accomplished here,” Johnston said.
“This is what Maine South is made of.”
He led them in a chant of: “Hey seniors, what’s your number, hey seniors, what’s your number? 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4.”
Ken Wallace, superintendent of Maine Township High School District 207, is retiring June 30.
To Pioneer Press, Wallace spoke of retirement as a milestone, saying, “It’s a little bittersweet.
“It has been amazing to watch for 19 years our kids graduate from our high schools and go out and do amazing things,” Wallace said.
“I’m super proud of all of the programs we’ve built to support our students to do really well when they leave us and that’s really the measure of, I think, really, the best schools, is how are kids doing after they leave you.
“And I think we prepare our students for success after high school about as well as anybody. So super proud,” Wallace said.
A few students decorated the top of their caps, or mortarboards. Jayden Pueyo of Park Ridge installed a crown on the top of the cap with the wording, “My crown never slips.”
“My statement for my crown never slips was just honestly, always having confidence and owning who you are,” Pueyo said.
“Your crown never slips because you never give up and you always go for your future and you live your best life,” Pueyo added.
“Everyone’s a queen or a king, whoever they are, in their own right.”
