By Glenn Rolfe

This story has been updated.

GEORGETOWN — Based on the accolades tendered by presenters at commencement Thursday, Sussex Technical High School’s Class of 2024 is extra-special.

“The Class of 2024, you have made your mark on our school,” said principal John Baugher. “As your principal, I need to thank you for continuing (to make) Sussex Technical High School ... one of the strongest academic and vocational schools, not only in the county but in the state. Your hard work and dedication to stretch yourself academically, socially, ethically during the four years at Sussex Tech was incredible.”

Another speaker, class president Deniz Saglam, offered wishful thinking to the 289 seniors.

“‘I wish.’ How often have we uttered these words?” said Deniz, who will attend the University of Delaware to major in biology. “From childhood dreams to adolescent hopes, these words have been a part of our vocabulary for as long as we can remember. ‘I wish I could go out this weekend. I wish I could make my parents proud. I wish I could ace this exam.’ Yet, as we stand here today, ready to embark on the next chapter of our lives, it is crucial to recognize that ‘I wish’ can be both empowering and misleading.”

She went on to emphasize that wishes, by their very nature, imply a sense of longing for something beyond their current reality.

“These sentiments, though genuine, can sometimes foster a passive mindset, one that waits for the world to change, rather than taking action to create change,” Deniz said. “We are architects of our futures. Our education, our experiences and our resilience have equipped us with the tools to transform ‘I wish” into ‘I will.’”

Tech faculty member Sarah Rose recalled the day she first met salutatorian Rebekah Cullen, who will attend Delaware Technical Community College for nursing.

“It was fall of 2020, and school had started. But, because of the COVID pandemic, we teachers would be meeting all of our new students not in the classroom but on Zoom,” Ms. Rose said. “Rebekah was a freshman that year, and I remember her face, smiling and eager, and surrounded by various deer mounts, antlers and all. She did her Zoom calls in the family room, you see. And she always had her video turned on.

“That one stuck with me, and so did Rebekah. Over the next four years, I would have the great joy of watching this young woman grow and mature and gain confidence that is one of the defining features of her character today.”

In her speech, Rebekah said to her classmates, “Together, we have traveled on a journey unlike any other. We entered Sussex Tech as freshmen during the times of COVID-19, adapting to virtual classrooms, navigating through Zoom calls, where, well, most of us kept our video screens blank, unlike myself. We faced uncertainties that seemed daunting at times.

“Yet, here we are, four years later, standing tall and resilient, ready to embark on the next chapter of our lives. But our journey doesn’t end here. It is merely just the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with boundless opportunities and endless possibilities.”

Valedictorian Alyssa Molock is headed to Vanderbilt University to major in medicine, health and society. While eager to pursue the next chapter, she said she leaves Tech with many fond memories.

“I would give anything for another laugh-filled lunch, Friday night football game or another fight to win the spirit stick at the pep rallies. I am truly going to miss these fond memories no matter how far I go,” she added.
She said this year’s class is well prepared.

“If you made it through four years of differential equations and English presentations, then life will be a breeze, or so I have been told,” Alyssa said. “After all, graduates, as we know, these last four years were not easy. We came in during the height of COVID, having classes on Zoom and then in person, walking through the halls with our masks on with no clue what the rest of (our) classmates’ faces looked like for two years.

“Now, we have grown into young adults, ready for whatever is ahead of us, whether it is college, military or a new career.”