Graduates honored for paving the way
Among the members of the first four-year graduating class at Pencader Charter High School were (left to right): Valedictorian Deborah Thompson, Salutatorian Andy Vavasov, Class President Rocky Bajwa, National Honor Society President Helen Rana, Class Vice President Sohil Modi, Class Secretary Jasmine Oden, and Class Historian Julie Wanja.
August 9, 2010 • By Christian Mills, Staff Reporter
Filed under News, Top Stories
People usually take pride in saying they were the first to finish or achieve something. For 115 students at Pencader Charter High School, they can now always look back and say, “We were first.”
On June 2, Pencader, which opened its doors in 2006, held a graduation ceremony for its first four-year class. One hundred and fifty one students walked into the ceremony as seniors and exited as high school graduates. Of those graduating students, 115 attended Pencader since their freshman year.
Pencader held a graduation ceremony last year, but students in this year’s graduating class were the first to spend their entire high school careers at the charter school located along the Delaware River in New Castle.
Held at the Chase Center along the riverfront in Wilmington, Pencader’s graduation ceremony was filled with songs by the school’s Titan Chorale and speeches that congratulated the students for being a part of something special.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell was the guest speaker and, rather than read from a prepared speech, told the students that he wanted to share some stories with them. Markell first related the story of Joshua Bell, a world-famous violinist, playing in a Washington, D.C. subway as part of an experiment. Not many people stopped to listen as Bell played beautiful music on a 3.5-million dollar violin.
Children, however, stopped to listen, until their parents pulled them along. Markell urged the students to stop and listen and appreciate the beauty that is all around them in life. He urged the students to be like those children.
Head of School Brad Catts started off the night on a light note by telling the students to enjoy their night and relax, because they no longer had to hear the words, “Mr. Catts wants to see you in his office.” Catts went on to thank the students for taking things “in stride” as the school went through its growing pains.
“In many instances,” he told the graduates, “you were the catalyst to set things in motion, provided the momentum to keep things going, and created Pencader traditions that will endure for years to come.”
Indeed, many of the night’s speeches poked fun at the “hardships” that the students had to endure in their high school careers, such as changing periods in their freshman year without the assistance of a bell.
The first student speaker of the evening was class president Rocky Bajwa. Pulling his prepared speech from underneath his graduation cap, Bajwa gave a brief but spirited talk, wishing his classmates much success in their future endeavors.
Also speaking to their classmates were Andy Vavasov, the class salutatorian, and Deborah Thompson, the class valedictorian. Vavasov graduated with a grade point average of 4.460 (on a scale of 4.0) and Thompson graduated with a grade point average of 4.469.
The Class of 2010 will always be remembered as the first four-year graduating class at Pencader Charter High School. And 115 students will always remember the school’s humble beginning.
Perhaps no one knows those 115 students as well as Pencader history teacher Jenny Aunet. Last year’s charter school teacher of the year for the state of Delaware, Aunet served as the class advisor in each of the four years for those 115 students.
“I have seen these students mature to fine young men and women before my eyes,” Aunet told the crowded Chase Center. “I am proud to be their class advisor. And the school will be proud to call them alumni. As you all move on with your lives, don’t forget the past. And I’m not just saying that because I am a history teacher! Don’t forget your beginnings. Don’t forget where you came from.”
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