Sisters and brothers, moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends, filled the coliseum Saturday, watching with pride as the 459 Wildcats marched into the arena.
As the first student to speak at the ceremony, Shereen Imad Rabie in her prayer asked for passion for all attending the Temple High graduation ceremony - a passion for knowledge and success, passion for families and each other.
While the ceremony was one of joy and accomplishment for the students, there was a sense it was also a time of endings as the students leave each other and move forward in their lives.
“Father, help us to remember always to never cry because something great is over, but to smile because it happened,” Rabie said.
The top two students of the class of 2009 addressed the audience and their classmates. Salutatorian Benjamin Weinblatt readily admitted public speaking wasn’t his forte and valedictorian Erika Allen said she might start crying.
Weinblatt is the third generation of his family to be Temple High graduates. His grandfather graduated in 1943, his father in 1971 and Weinblatt is the third of his siblings to graduate from Temple.
“If I had graduated third I would be sitting comfortably not having to give a speech,” he said.
Class of ’09 graduates have already faced challenges, but there will be others, Weinblatt said. Having passed the necessary exams to graduate, doors have been opened.
“I truly believe that everyone sitting before me has the capabilities to accomplish everything they desire,” he said.
However, the individual will have to determine their own strengths and set realistic goals, and happiness will be the reward for accomplishing those goals, Weinblatt said.
“We can only reach our full potential by being truly passionate about the task at hand,” he said.
Allen, who admits to being emotional, said on her last day of school she tried to hold back the tears, but ultimately lost the battle in seventh period English.
“I should have never expected to make it through the day without crying,” Allen said.
Initially, Allen said she thought her classmates didn’t “get it.” This was the last time all of her classmates would be together. Many would never return to the crowded halls of Temple High School and they would never be high school students again.
Allen said she eventually realized that the end of high school wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“We may be individuals when we walk across the stage, but we will always be Wildcats and have shared the experience of attending Temple High School,” she said. “Why would I cry about that?”
Graduation is the celebration of completing the hard work, so far, Allen said. This is a day of honor with an exciting future ahead.
“There are formulas to find, promotions to obtain, records to be broken and inventions left to be discovered,” she said. “This day is just one milestone we have passed in our lifelong journey to become all that we can.”
The students’ high school principal, Jason Bullock, tasked the class to embrace their future and to use their talents to bring out the best in others.
Dr. Robin Battershell, Temple school district superintendent, then asked the students to move their tassels to the left side, signifying the completion of high school graduation requirements.
There was an eruption of applause, followed by the diploma presentations.
The first to receive their diplomas were the top 10 graduates - 1. Erika Allen, 2. Benjamin Weinblatt, 3. Lyssa Greger, 4. Andrew Minzenmayer, 5. Sarah Jo White, 6. Stephanie Scherer, 7. Kristen Kylberg, 8. Garrett Coles, 9. Caitlin Kennedy, 10. Ethan Henderson.
