Graduates received $10 million in scholarships
WALDORF, Md. (May 29, 2015)—Wolverine pride was on display in the Convocation Center at North Point High School tonight as the Class of 2015 from Westlake High School graduated. A total of 354 graduates were honored during the ceremony, in which messages of reflection and hope for the future were shared by graduates and special guests. Westlake Principal Chrystal Benson congratulated her graduating seniors and asked them to share with ceremony attendees what made today special for them, in which all 354 graduates said in unison “because we are here!”
Georgia Benson is the outgoing student member to the Board of Education and Westlake’s Class of 2015 president. During the ceremony, she addressed her fellow graduates and said the Class of 2015 from Westlake was “excellent.” “Our excellence is the one thing that makes us exceptional and truly unforgettable. We learned how to be individuals. Class excellence doesn’t end when we get our diplomas. It continues on in our lives,” Benson said.
During his speech, Westlake valedictorian Ricardo Cardoza, known by his classmates as Rico, used his cell phone to take a photo of his peers and reminded them how quickly the past is created. “With this quick photo I just took, I created a portal to the past; a portal in which I can indulge in memories whose accuracy may diminish through the years yet grow in significance. Every tear shed, every headache had, every soreness felt… and every smile created will make up what you remember tomorrow,” Cardoza said.
Westlake salutatorian Maaria Chughtai urged her peers to embrace their future and to remember that time is forever moving forward. “There is no time to waste, so live it up. The best days are the ones that are unplanned. Live for the smiles and the laughs, and bring happiness to yourself. Westlake’s Class of 2015, I couldn’t have asked for a better four years of my life. We finally made it,” she said.
Westlake’s graduation was the third of six high school ceremonies planned for May 29-30 at the Convocation Center at North Point High School. Westlake’s Class of 2015 earned more than $10 million in scholarship offers, and additional totals are being reported as offers are received.
Westlake’s graduation ceremony can be viewed online at
livestream.com/ccpstv/15whsgrad.