ALJ High School Commencement Ceremony
Clark Public Schools
On Thursday, June 22nd, 2023, Arthur L Johnson High School held its sixty-seventh commencement ceremony. The event was attended by Board of Education President Steven Donkersloot, Vice President Thomas Lewis, Board of Education members, Clark Superintendent Edward Grande, Garwood Superintendent Christopher Kinney, family members, teachers, administrators, and other community members.
Assistant Principal Katrina Poskay served as master of ceremonies for the event. Senior Class President Julia Ranski led the Pledge of Allegiance and Marina Milara sang “The Star-Spangle Banner”. The processional leaders included Julia Ranski and Victoria Szaro, Student Council President.
Salutatorian Samantha Domenick stated, “The people you spend your time with are important. While some friends come and go, others stay and so do the memories. Leaving high school I know the connections and relationships you develop make so much more of an impact than any grade or lab result.”
Brian Morris then performed a flute solo to “Somewhere Only we Know.”
Julia Ranski, Senior Class President reflected on her experience at ALJ and sharing her many memories, “Cherish the people and places you see because nothing will ever be the way it is again.”
Board President Steven Donkersloot spoke about the bittersweet sentiment of the event. He encouraged graduates to think about the words of Martin Luther King “You don’t have to see the whole staircase just the first step.” He congratulated the students and thanked parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, and staff for the efforts in supporting these graduates.
Superintendent Grande shared the honors and accolades of the Class of 2023 mentioning that this class received over $12 million in scholarships. He asked students to “be true to yourselves and your life dreams and make those dreams reality because you will be leaving here tonight with the foundation to do just that.”
ALJ Select Choir under the direction of band director Erik Krebl, sang “Over the Rainbow/It’s a Wonderful World.”
Tara Oliveira, principal of ALJ, addressed the graduating class about the “power of moments. Moments have the power to shape us profoundly. They teach us about resilience, about adaptability, and about making connections. They remind us of the importance of being fully present and embracing the here and now and savoring each experience.” 3 graduates, also joined Oliveira’s speech. Nicole Lenkiewicz reflected on her time at ALJ and how friendships and memories will always remain alive. Vincent Goodman talked about his father encouraging him to get outside of his comfort zone. Matthew Froden then discussed the power of “weathering the storm” with his fellow graduates.
Students were awarded diplomas by Board of Education members. Names were announced by Victoria Szaro and Timothy Ford.
Valedictorian Brian Morris talked about the importance of taking advantage of opportunities. “Wherever you go, don’t live a normal life. Live to be the very best person you can be and whatever any of us choose to do, I hope that none of us let any opportunities pass us by.”
Ms. Poskay concluded the ceremony wishing the students “Blessing, peace, protection and happiness on all of the adventures that lie ahead of you. You will always be Crusaders and this will always be your home.”
Photos by Clark Public Schools
