The Saugerties High School (SHS) Class of 2023 graduation ceremony, like many others across the region, was a rain-soaked outdoor celebration of accomplishment, a cohort which saw its freshman year upended by the arrival of the global Covid-19 pandemic, yet somehow emerged stronger, and in some cases more philosophical, than before.
As attendees wiped dry seats in the packed bleachers and rows of folding chairs, a playlist of classic songs echoed across the athletic field, with neither Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers having any discernible impact on the weather. But while parents and friends alike struggled to figure out how to raise umbrellas without poking a neighbor’s eye, the mood was joyful and un-dampened by mostly light rain that only occasionally turned into a downpour.
While the public address system succumbed to the wet weather, the SHS band performed traditional commencement theme “Pomp and Circumstance” admirably as graduates navigated the wet expanse of grass in their Sawyer blue caps and gowns. As with seemingly every moment of their four years of high school, it was an entrance and finish to remember.
Valedictorian Amy Hoyt’s moving speech focused on change, the culmination of high school and what lies beyond. For many, it’s just like starting over.
“Here we are, finally graduating,” said Hoyt. “After years of hard work and difficult times, like studying for the SAT and AP exams, being berated by the College Board for not copying their images…and dealing with learning through Covid, we made it. In less than two months, I’ll be moving to a new city and meeting thousands of new people. And I know many of my peers are feeling the same way.”
Hoyt’s speech also touched on a phenomenon that may have resonated with many SHS alum in attendance, a shrinking familiarity with a campus that was once a home away from home.
“It is strange to think we will no longer be able to walk through the halls of Saugerties [High School] and be able to recognize everyone,” Hoyt said. “Even though it seems scary now, I know that once we all walk across this stage everything is going to be alright.”
Hoyt read a letter to her future self written when she was in the 7th grade, noting that she was perhaps more philosophical and had more legible handwriting than she did as a senior.
“‘My advice to you is to do what you love,’” Hoyt read. “‘Nothing else matters. It’s your life, and you’d better live that life to the fullest. I can’t wait to see what I become.’ Seventh grade me was kind of cheesy, but I believe in every word I wrote because doing what you actually enjoy is so important. I hope other people listen to my six-year-old piece of advice, and I generally hope the little 4’-10”, 7th grade me is proud of who she has become today.”
Hoyt, who will attend Northeastern University with honors to study computer engineering, advised that young people shouldn’t feel as though they have to have all the answers by the time they finish high school.
“Despite what people say, we do not need to have our whole lives figured out by the age of 18,” Hoyt said.
Salutatorian Palak Patel shared a similar sentiment, one which she discovered only recently while listening to a song released over four decades ago.
“One day, my two best friends and I went out for lunch before a baccalaureate service. As we were sitting and talking, a song came over the speakers: ‘Vienna’ by Billy Joel,” Patel said. “I’m sure many of you have heard the song before, but if you haven’t, it’s essentially a song about growing up.”
Patel referenced a specific line from Joel’s song — “Slow down, you’re doing fine, you can’t be everything you want to be before your time” — and said it offered wisdom from the distant past relevant in 2023.
“Growing up, I was constantly obsessing over my future, whether it was wondering about what grade I would get on an AP exam, or if I’d fail my driver’s test, which I did, by the way,” Patel said. “I always worried about the end goal. The quote, ‘It’s all about the journey, not the destination’ didn’t sink in with me until last week at that lunch. However, I’m glad I came to that realization at that moment, even if it came a week before graduation.”
Patel, who plans a pre-med educational track at Siena College in the fall, said high school helped her become who she is today.
“Looking back at my time at SHS, I realize that the journey served as more than a sequence of trials and tribulations,” Patel said. “It serves as a place to grow into one’s self, a place to meet new people and an opportunity to expand on new horizons. For me, SHS has been all of those things. Here, I had the opportunity to try new activities and clubs, become friends with those who I may not have otherwise, and gain experiences that have taught me lessons I will hold onto forever.”
Shaan Sekhon said he’d ruminated on his commencement speech almost from the moment he was elected class president.
I didn’t want to write this speech, I didn’t want to give this speech,” Sekhon said. “Nor did I want graduation to happen. Because the second I started writing the speech, it was the beginning of the end.”
On a singularly musical evening, Sekhon offered advice by way of a multidisciplinary Canadian performer.
“As Drake once said, ‘You only live once, that’s the motto: YOLO,’” said Sekhon. “As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, you should do it. Live without regret and make sure whatever you choose to do makes you happy.
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