Salisbury's Clarke High School graduates ready to move forward

Clarke High School seniors gathered at Mitchell Field on the morning of June 27 to celebrate their accomplishments and receive their much anticipated diplomas. As the graduates were taking in their final moments as a Ram, they made the most of their last time together as the class of 2021.

Words of wisdom were shared by school and district administrators for the graduates, who were encouraged to approach the next chapter of their lives with gusto.

Then Dr. Kenneth Card, Superintendent of Schools at the East Meadow School District, gave the graduates some advice on how to cherish their accomplishments. “We must cheer for each other as if our life depended on it,” he said. Then he gave them a challenge. “How will you change our world today?”

Graduate Lola Reese, who will attend Clemson, said she will miss her high school days. “What I will miss most about Clarke is the small sense of community,” she said, “knowing everyone, and all my peers always coming together for big events and school spirit.”

Valedictorian Justin Gou, who will be attending Cornell University, encouraged fellow graduates to follow their dreams. “Don’t stop at what is offered to you,” he said. “Strive for more, strive for better, and strive for a life worth living because after all you only get one.”