Speaker: Shoot for the future

By Jon Moffett

Togetherness seemed to be a theme among members of the close-knit class.

LOWELLVILLE — Remember the past, live in the present and shoot for the future.

That was the advice given to the graduates of Lowellville High School on Sunday during Lowellville’s 119th Annual Commencement.

Guest commencement speaker John Cavalier challenged the Class of ’08 to embrace all phases of life. “Don’t forget your friends — your past,” advised Cavalier, president and owner of Cavalier Mobile X-Ray in Youngstown and a Lowellville alumna (Class of ’74). “The first thing I did when I was asked to speak was think of my friends and memories.”

Time management, making the right choices and meeting new people were also subjects noted by Cavalier. “In the course of life you will meet many people ... give them a chance,” he said.

Cavalier recommended not to let failure ruin the opportunity to succeed, and to take risks. “Never let a fear of failure rule your life. We all make mistakes ... you need to take chances in life.”

Cavalier also cautioned the class not to forget the reason they were there. “Remember, your parents hold your hands for a while, but they hold your hearts forever.”

Salutatorian Jessica Bestic summed up her entire high school years with one statement: “We learned that there is more to life than memorizing the periodic table, or how to write a term paper. [High school] taught us how to interact with others.”

The three valedictorians represented the phases of time. Zachary Matisi, the first valedictorian, spoke on the past. Matisi recalled his youth and how much simpler life was.

“I remember a time when everything seemed to be so easy,” Matisi said in his speech. “Every decision was already made for you.” He gave examples of how his clothes for the next day would be set out the night before and how his schedule was set. “I would go to school, come home and do a little bit of work and then maybe play around the house with my brother.”

Vince Travaline, the second valedictorian to speak, spoke briefly on the present. “Don’t just wait around for tomorrow. The present is how you prepare for the future. Learn from your past.”

Samantha Russo echoed that statement. Russo, the final valedictorian speaker, cautioned her classmates on waiting for things to happen. “Most of our life is spent waiting on the future, like ‘I can’t wait until Homecoming,’ or ‘I can’t wait until this weekend’... how do we know that the best times are ahead? We don’t. We just have to move on.”

Russo also offered her fellow classmates one last piece of advice: Dream big. “Set your goals high, but not so high that you can’t achieve them.”

Outside of the speakers, the most common theme expressed by members of the class after the ceremonies was togetherness. Graduate Candace Kamensky said, “We’re very close-knit. Lowellville is very close and everyone here knows everyone.”

Kamensky plans to attend the Mansfield branch of Ohio State University to study biology.

Fellow graduate John Wellendorf agreed: “We’re all very close. [Lowellville] is a pretty small school. There are no cliques or groups like other schools. We all hang out.”

Wellendorf will attend Muskingum College in the fall. He plans to play football for the Muskies and double-major in pre-law and political science.

Cecelia Haren took the togetherness theme one step further and said, “We’re kind of like a big family.”

That sentiment may have been the most evident at the awarding of the diplomas. Senior Scott Mincher, who uses a wheelchair, was pushed across the stage by fellow graduate David Minnie Jr.

“We’re all pretty close, and we’re there for each other,” said graduate Cody Vocature. He will attend Youngstown State University in the fall.

When asked what his best advice for his classmates would be, Vocature replied, “Keep in touch.”