In a flurry of purple and white caps, the Mt. Hope High School Class of 2022 took their first step towards whatever life has in store for them next — and those who have guided them along that journey encouraged them to do so with the understanding of what it took to get there.

“No one in this stadium has gotten here alone,” said principal Dr. Deb DiBiase in her address. “Each of us is uniquely beautiful and has been molded by those who have loved us, those who believed in us, who taught us right from wrong; those who showed us kindness, and those who told us the truth even when we didn’t want to hear it.”

Dr. DiBiase shared a memory of her first interaction with the Class of 2022, back in December of 2018. She received an email from someone who she assumed was a parent, asking about starting a Science Olympiad team.

“On the day of the meeting, I went to the lobby to invite the parent into my office, and to my surprise, I stood before several 8th graders,” she said, later adding the email had come from Alice Grantham, a now-graduated senior. “They filed into my office with the utmost confidence and determination and sat down. The conversation that followed was surreal. The passion they displayed for science was nothing short of inspirational. They presented a well-thought-out plan including writing a grant for funding, finding an advisor, materials they would need and much more. They succeeded in getting the Science Olympiad team and it has been active and growing ever since.”

The Class of 2022 will forever be known as a class that was interrupted in the middle of their high school careers by an unprecedented pandemic, which abruptly put a halt to their sophomore year and robbed them of many of the normal high school experiences they would have otherwise enjoyed.

“But that did not stop you from moving forward,” DiBiase said. “You adapted and overcame the challenges.”

Dr. D’s three tenets of humankind
Dr. DiBiase instilled three values of what makes us all human, and therefore bonded together, in the graduates — including the idea of being “perfectly imperfect.”

“Many of us grew up with the belief that we had to be perfect. If we weren’t perfect, then we were doomed to fail and never make anything of ourselves. Well, the bad news is, we all fail. The good news is — we all fail! You see, failure does not define you. What does define you is what you do about it.”

Next, she discussed the importance of believing in the so-called “impossible,” referencing how mankind once thought a four-minute mile was an impossible feat until Rodger Bannister ran one in 1954. Since that time, hundreds of athletes have done so.

“So what does this mean? The barrier never existed, except in the mind, not in reality,” she said. “The impossible became possible. We have seen this time and time again throughout history.”

Lastly, Dr. DiBiase encouraged the graduates to find a way to be kind every day, as it might have a much larger impact than anyone expects.

“Don’t underestimate the power of a smile, a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, a compliment, or the smallest act of caring; each one of these can turn someone’s life around,” she said. “I believe there is more good than bad in this world and that kindness and love will always overpower hatred.”

Superintendent’s five tips for grads
Superintendent Ana Riley, while admitting that she had only been a part of the district since this past December, said that the supportive community felt at Mt. Hope made an early impression on her.

“I did get to meet one extraordinary young woman who made me feel a part of Mt. Hope right from my first basketball game,” she recalled. “I came in, there were no seats, there was a great crowd. And she waved me over and found me a seat. Thank you, Emily Almonte.”

Riley leaned on her knowledge gleaned from decades in the educational field and as a mother of six to impart some words of wisdom to graduates in the form of five simple things they should strive to do now that they have moved into the realm of early adulthood.

First and second was to exercise the body through some form of movement, and exercise the mind through reading. Third was to remain connected to the school community. “We want to know how you’re doing,” she said. “We’ll be here and we’re ready to help you.”

The fourth tip seemed particularly popular, as it garnered a round of applause.

“Don’t live on your phone, live in the world,” she said. “Look at people, smile at them. I think you’ll be surprised by some of the reactions you get.”

The final tip was to embrace the fact that, although being 18 years old may seem like a huge step, it doesn’t mean you have to let go of the support you have relied on to get to this point.

“Being 18 doesn’t make you an adult,” she said, getting a bit of applause from mostly parents in the audience. “But needing your family doesn’t make you a baby either. It’s okay to need them. Don’t forget to tell the people you love how much you love them. You’re never too old for that.”