The sun shone overhead as Julia Zulker made her way across the stage, the last of the 246 students to do so. Diploma now in hand, she pumped her fist high into the air as celebration, cheers from the crowd erupting all around her. The Class of 2019 had made it; she and her classmates were now official graduates of Barrington High School. 

Though it may have been a beautiful day for those gathered at Victory Field for commencement this past Sunday, June 9, it was also a bittersweet one for many of the now-graduated seniors. For Josephine Kuo, it seemed not long ago that she was just making her first friend, back during those carefree days of elementary school. 

“The only worry I had was having to play catchup to the kid in the next classroom who already knew his times-tables,” she said.

Yet time refused to stop, and soon enough she and her classmates found themselves plowing on through the awkward years of middle school before finally landing in the halls of Barrington High. It was there, Josephine said, that she was challenged the most, sometimes feeling as if she was never going to get by. Though her strength and determination were surely tested, she remains grateful for those tough times, right alongside the ones she remembers with joy. 

“These different memories are pieces of a puzzle that complete us; they shape our thoughts and define our actions—we shouldn’t regret a single one of them,” she said. 

For student Amelia Pappas-Horii, looking back through her four years at Barrington High School brought forth a different emotion, one that took her some time to place. 

“The heavy emotion that had blanketed me this entire year was nostalgia,” she shared. 

Though graduation was certainly something to be excited about, Amelia said, there were aspects about high school that she would definitely miss. The friendships she cherished, the teachers she respected, the growth that blossomed within herself—each of those moments would hold a special place in her heart.  

“Home is where we were simply happy, and for me, this is Barrington—more specifically, Barrington High School,” she said. 

Even though they cannot turn back the clock, Gabriela Martin was just as eager to discover the different paths she and her classmates will eventually take as they move forward. By looking at their shared past, at all the time, energy and passion they had put in as students of Barrington High, she had no doubt that the Class of 2019 would go far in making a difference in the world around them. 

“I am confident that my dream looks a lot like your dream—for you all to find happiness and success outside of these walls of Barrington High School,” she said. 

It was a belief shared by Barrington High School Principal Joseph Hurley as he geared up to award the students their long-awaited diplomas. Watching them work hard all year long, seeing them push the boundaries of their creativity and academic excellence, open their hearts to community service and engagement, he knew there was no question as to whether the Class of 2019 was prepared for the future. 

“My answer to that question,” Mr. Hurley said with absolute surety, “is a resounding yes.”