‘BITTERSWEET’ MOMENT
Troy High School celebrates its graduating Class of 2022
TROY, N.Y. » Troy High School celebrated its graduating Class of 2022 Friday night. The commencement ceremony was held on a warm, sunny summer evening on the school’s football field.
The Flying Horses adorned in yellow and purple caps and gowns were full of excitement with family and friends looking and cheering them on.
There were 237 graduates in the Class of 2022, 12 of the students were from the School12 program and more than 30 students attended Sunset either full or part-time. Among the graduates 145 earned Regents diplomas, 84 earned Advanced Regents diplomas, passing eight regents exams. Plus, there were 53 honors grads who maintained a cumulative average of 90 or higher over their four years in high school. Additionally, graduates earned more than 1,200 college credits through college in the high school program with many earning upward of 20 to 30 credits apiece.
“It is a class that has represented themselves and Troy High School extremely well over the last four years, both in and outside the classroom,” Troy High School Principal Joseph Mariano said.
“They have made me very proud with the decisions they have made and the many things that they have accomplished,” Mariano continued.
“I personally would like to thank them all for a tremendous four years,” Mariano added in congratulating the graduates.
Class of 2022 Valedictorian Lola Garrigue addressed her fellow gradu
“It is a class that has represented themselves and Troy High School extremely well over the last four years, both in and outside the classroom,” — Troy High School Principal Joseph Mariano
ates at the commencement ceremony. Garrigue graduated with a grade point average of 98.98. Garrigue will continue her education in the fall at Colgate University.
“Graduation. This, right here, right now, is the ultimate acceptance. There’s no going back. We will never again hear Pete shout hats and hoods, count the seconds until the bell rings or walk these halls as students. High school is over. This is a heavy idea but there’s beauty in it,” Garrigue said.
“The acceptance of an end is just the realization of a beginning. Grief is painful. Grief is hard. Grief means you had something to be grateful for. Whether you loved every moment or counted the seconds until the bell, I’m sure there’s at least one thing you will miss. One thing you are grateful for,” Garrigue continued.
She also waxed nostalgic about some of those fun times and moments.
“Here’s some of those memories. Color wars for spirit week, spirit weeks in general, lunch with friends, sports practices, music lessons, crazy conversations with substitute teachers, Wiffle ball, sea shanties, plastic babies, first loves, first heartbreaks, old friendships ending, and new ones beginning, pep rallies, stromboli days, homecoming on the tennis courts with Mr. Mo being an awesome DJ, Steve’s dance moves, whatever’s teacher room you go to during your free period, and the little freshmen version of yourself who has grown into the accomplished class before me,” Garrigue noted.
Additionally, she lamented on what was far from a normal four years of high school given the global health pandemic.
“Change is bittersweet. The bitter part of that is grief. I have one last lesson to share, which is that grief is not a linear process. Nor does it have a distinct endpoint. Rather it’s a cycle of waves that ebb and flow. Someone once said that the only thing constant in life is change. I hope you learn to take that change, recognize the bitter, find sweetness despite it and grow from that grief,” Garrigue said.
“To my classmates of 2022, I wish you a life of change, a life of bittersweetness, a life of greatness. Go out into the world and live,” Garrigue concluded.