Hoover High Class of 2021 graduates after year of uncertainty

Hoover High School on Monday night celebrated the graduation of 665 members of the Class of 2021 whom Principal John Montgomery said “have lived and learned in an uncertain time.”

When they began their senior year, they had more questions than answers, partitions between desks in an attempt to block the spread of COVID-19 and online Google Meet lessons.

But as health conditions improved and vaccines became widely available, they were able to end the year with some traditional events such as the beauty walk, senior field day, a senior awards program, a prom and a graduation ceremony with thousands of people in attendance.

“We may be tired, but we have made it here together,” Montgomery said. “And with our strength in numbers, intellect and determination, we cannot lose.”

While COVID-19 led to limited opportunities for students to compete and perform, the Class of 2021 continued to shine and persevere, Montgomery said.

More than 400 seniors were offered academic, athletic and talent-based scholarships totaling almost $46 million, and they accepted $17.1 million of those scholarships, school officials said. This senior class was accepted to 232 colleges in 35 states, the District of Columbia and two foreign countries, officials said.

The Hoover High Class of 2021 had eight National Merit Finalists and five students accepted into early medical school programs, and Montgomery noted that 11 showed bravery, patriotism and a willingness to sacrifice for their country by enlisting in the military.

Almost 100 seniors were able to document at least 40 hours of community service in a year when opportunities to serve were incredibly difficult to find, Montgomery said.

The diploma they received Monday night signifies much more than just completing 12 years of education, he said. It shows they are ready to take on the challenges that face young adults in today’s world, he said.

“It is not an end. It is a beginning,” Montgomery said. “I think that this beginning allows you to consider what you can become and to choose where you can make an impact … Remember as you go forward that we have high expectations for you. Trust in your heart and your mind and be unafraid of what lies ahead.”

'CAME OUT STRONGER'

The Class of 2021 had 142 seniors with a GPA of 4.0 or greater, and 27 of them were given the title of valedictorian.

Claire Jun, one of three valedictorians who spoke at the graduation ceremony at Buccaneer Stadium Monday night, also touched on the uncertainties that surrounded the past year or two.

“Because of the pandemic and uncertainty that it has brought into our lives, we’ve learned to live in the moment, cherishing every moment as if it’s our last,” Jun said. “Although we lost the traditions of our senior year, we’ve learned to make new ones that will be remembered for the coming years.”

Jun said this class learned to adapt to new and unfamiliar routines. “We were spurred outside of the traditional timelines and learned to forge our own, dotted with fear, stress and uncertainty,” she said. “We leaned on each other a little extra this year, and I actually grew comfortable in my kn95 mask. However, in the end, we came out stronger.”

Jun said each member of the Class of 2021 helped shape the class to become better. The athletes taught others about physical and mental toughness, while the artists showed others how to express themselves, she said. The musicians instilled the idea that practice makes perfect, and the advocates enlightened others in a year that called for much change and reform, she said.

“Don’t forget your place in the vibrant mosaic that is our senior class,” she said. “Through the power of singularity within diversity, we must look forward and shine our colors through the prism of the real world.”

Ria Shah, another valedictorian, said that a year ago, when she realized that COVID-19 would ruin her summer and senior festivities, she felt hopeless. That was compounded when her entire family tested positive for COVID-19 in November and her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, she said.

Loss was a familiar theme, as people, opportunities and closure escaped the grasp of her and her classmates, she said.

“All this time I dwelled on what I had lost, so obsessed with predicting when everything would return back to normal that I missed out on what could have been and should have been a fulfilling year,” Shah said.

But she gained wisdom and hope from her grandfather, who taught her to make only friends because life is too short to have enemies, she said.

“The courage and humility he radiates will forever inspire me,” Shah said.

CARPE DIEM

Shah encouraged her classmates to think ahead to the end of their lives and how they will have wanted to live once they get there.

“Take that answer and start living true to it right now,” she said.

She encouraged her fellow seniors to “seize the day” and take advantage of the present moments.

“Call your grandparents and tell them you love them,” Shah said. “Strut confidently into the middle of a dance circle. Hold your hand high and ask the questions your peers are afraid to. Tomorrow is never promised, so ask her out today. Talk with people who disagree with you. Celebrate the small things as much as the big ones. Use your voice and actions to inspire meaningful change. Turn the ‘I should have’ into ‘I did’ so that your fantasies become reality.”

Krishin Yerabolu, another valedictorian, said the Hoover High Class of 2021 was made up of people from many different groups and walks of life but was successfully able to connect with one another.

This was especially impressive considering the incredible divide that exists in America today, Yerabolu said.

Turning on the TV or watching the internet today, people might believe there are two separate worlds, he said. That’s because each side quickly points out the faults of the other and misses the things they have in common, he said.

“By doing this, the idea of a ‘more perfect union’ will never be advanced,” Yerabolu said.

He encouraged his classmates to remember that each of them are part of one body.

“All of us live in America, which is a single country with a solitary flag, and we possess an original creed: e pluribus unum — out of many, one,” Yerabolu said.

Senior Class President Ainsley Staie encouraged her classmates to “give light” into the world by loving others and being positive and kind.

“You never know how one positive gesture, or smile or kind word can impact someone,” Staie said. “I believe our class an do anything they put their mind to and that we can use our ideas and inner light to make this dark place, the injustices, viruses, inequalities and hatred of this world diminish. These things are no longer powerful when we shine our light over them.”

She also challenged them to call home after they leave home and keep the anxieties of their loved ones at a manageable level, to be true to themselves and to set goals.

“Focus on reaching your goals and see that they can unfold and become reality,” Staie said. “Remember what your purpose is and what your priorities are. Only you and you alone are responsible for your success.”

See the full Hoover Sun photo gallery from the Hoover High Class of 2021 graduation ceremony.