244 turn tassels at Eastern Wayne
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on June 12, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Eastern Wayne High School graduates high-five each other as the class celebrates the turning of their tassels during commencement on the football field Saturday morning.
When he turned his tassel at his graduation ceremony, Rodney Perry didn't feel like it was real.
"I knew I would make it here," he said, "But it just came so soon."
He was one of 244 students who graduated from Eastern Wayne High School Saturday morning.
Perry's biggest challenge was surviving his junior year.
"I had a lot of AP classes," he said. "I didn't have much free time during my junior year."
He plans on majoring in biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Han Wang was nervous when she first turned her tassel, but that quickly turned into excitement -- about her future and the challenges that will come her way.
Her family immigrated from China, but the cultural differences didn't hinder her in any way during her years at Eastern Wayne.
"My teacher Jennifer Breeze taught me the most things in the school," Ms. Wang said. "And she wrote my recommendation for college, too. And my music teacher, Bess Sawyer, really taught me a lot of values."
She will always remember the friends she made at the high school.
"They're nonforgettable," she said with a big smile.
Miss Wang will attend Case Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, to study math.
During the graduation ceremony, valedictorian Ethan Quinn said it marked the end of the students' high school careers.
"Now I know that it is cliché to say even though one period of our life is ending today, another one is beginning, but it's true," he told his classmates. "Whether the next step for you is college, the military, a job or even digging ditches, make sure to work to fill your life with experiences. Do not simply let high school be the end of the stories you have to tell."
Quinn encouraged his classmates to "Climb a mountain, visit another country, build a house, help those in need, do anything that will help fill your life with adventure. Many of us will go on to do great things for society, and it is this mindset that will get us there.
"Challenge yourself after today to be like the people I have discussed, and work so that your lives are not limited to the times you have had these past four years. Let the next step of your life be one that leads you to experiences of all kinds."
Salutatorian Collin Nix told the graduates that they all will take away from high school experiences they will treasure for years to come.
"Each experience is a building block in a strong foundation that will enable you to succeed," he said. "From here, we will all take different paths towards the unknown future, developing unique skills and talents as we grow and mature. We all have within ourselves the ability to succeed without limitation if you believe in yourself, and look for opportunity."
Nix challenged his classmates to remember they are all Warriors, to work hard and find life's opportunities and accept the challenge.
Victoria Williams hopes to find her challenges at East Carolina University, where she will study for eight years to become a nurse practitioner.
"It felt amazing to turn my tassel," she said. "I'm just glad to be a graduate, and I can't wait to see what life throws at me."
She said she'll definitely miss all the friends she made in high school, and she will never forgot everything they've done for her.
"I want to thank all of my teachers for getting me where I need to be," Miss Williams said. "And my mom, of course. And I want to thank God for getting me here."
Aaron Roberts hopes to find many opportunities in the United States Navy.
He was at Eastern Wayne just two months before graduation, having transferred from South Brunswick High School.
"I made some friends here," he said. "They welcomed me when I got here."
Roberts said his biggest challenge was just getting through high school.
"You have to keep your grades up," he said. "I had a lot of support from my family so I was able to do it."
Roberts said it felt good to turn his tassel.
"I feel free," he said.