Though the threat of severe storms forced Dover High School to move its June 3 graduation ceremony from its football field to the Delaware State University field house, cloudy skies and rumbling thunder did not dampen the excitement of the school’s 274 graduating seniors.
Before the ceremony, the soon-to-be Dover High alumni gathered in a gym adjacent to the DSU basketball arena, anxiously fiddling with caps and gowns and posing for group pictures with friends.
Before lining up in alphabetical order for the procession, senior Herbert Rapley found himself surrounded by female classmates with fistfuls of bobby pins, which they used to securely fasten the blue mortarboard to his forest of shoulder-length dreadlocks.
Rapley said he’s more than ready to start his freshman year as an engineering student at Penn State, but there will be plenty to miss at Dover High.
“The thing I’m going to miss most is all the friends I’ve made over the years,” he said. “We’re a very close-knit group.”
But for Rapley, the thought of heading off to college is enough to block out his nostalgia, even if he is feeling a bit of apprehension.
“It’s the excitement and freedom of going off to find yourself,” he said. “The only thing I’m apprehensive about is being there, living in a new place.”
As the graduates filed into the arena with quintessential “Pomp and Circumstance,” elated parents left their seats in the bleachers and headed to the floor with cameras, flowers and
congratulations.
Like bodyguards shielding a group of VIPs, Dover police officers ushered family and friends away from the rows of students and back to their seats before Principal Eugene Montaño began the ceremony.
In her class address, 2009 Valedictorian Hannah Ostroff echoed Rapley’s sentiments on leaving high school.
She reminded her classmates to cherish their old friends from Dover High, but not forget that this is the time to experience new things.
“This is our chance to create ourselves as individuals,” Ostroff said. “Even if we never set foot in that building again, we are the individuals we are today because of what we experienced in that school.”
Ostroff closed her speech by invoking the wisdom of Ferris Bueller.
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” she said, quoting from the movie. “Dover High, don’t miss it.”
After farewell speeches from class President Katherine Pierce and Vice President Kevin Keitel, the graduates heard a commencement address from Miss Delaware Galen Giaccone.
Giaccone, a 2006 Dover High graduate, reminded the Class of 2009 that certain things can only be accomplished by trying something new.
“Get out of your comfort zone,” she said. “And don’t simply fall back on comfortable habits.”
Dover High School Class of 2009:
Michael C. AbadSantos, Tabitha L. Abbott, Nicholas Julian Abrams*, Jasmine Acea, Cameron Harley Adams, Rodaphna Adjocy, Travis James Adkins*, Lauren Margaret Albanese, Deshon Wesley Allen, Joy Elizabeth Anderson*, Krystina N. Andrews, Desireé Joyce Monique Arms, Cooper Gene Asay, Christina Faye Asti*, Treymen D.J. Atkins, Brittany Lynne Austin, Christian Noble Ballard, Khaotha Yeabu Bangura, Chardón Danielle Banice, Elijah Lee Barlow, Brittany Leeann Barnikow, Samantha Janell Bartley, Alicia Lynn Bartz, Asja L. Bayard, John F. Bell, Charlese Gabrielle Benson, Ezekiel Ryan Benson, David J. Blake, Tatiana Monét Bradley, Breyana Michelle Brady, David Alan Breese, Kelsey Lynn Brennan*, Charnell Bonville, Robert C. Brown, Skylor Trevince Brown, Jeffery D. Brummell, Keye M. Bumbrey,
Michael Y. Cannon, Dylan Michael Carey, Eric L. Carey, Jason T. Carter, Alexis Lashay Chandler, Sean Philip Cheatham, April M. Chestnut, Tatianah Monique Clark, Nathan A. Clendaniel, Alan M. Coffey, Tiffany A.M. Cole, Michael Issiah Cooper, Patrice Bernadette Corbin, Janet Luisa Cordero*, TáKeyah LaShawn Cornish, Brittany Monique Cosme, Jeffrey Aurthur Criss, Jacob William Custer, Vernon Khiry Daniels, Pujan Bhavin Dave*, Andrew J. Davis*, Donald Andrew Dawkins III, Gina Marie DeFrancesco, Megan Brooke Dempsey*, Bryan Hiawatha Denegal, Angela L. DePrima, Ashley N. Deputy, Christina Marie Dillinger, Yveline Donat, Ikea M. Dunbar,
Yasmeen Alia Eason, Giovanni Jose Echevarria, Demetri L. Elsberry, Thomas Peter Endicott, Kaitlyn Alexa Fabian, Raymond Charles Farria, Germalcom D. Fields, Kyle A. Fleetwood, Nicolle Elaine Fleming, Cody James Foster, Caitlin Jerica Freeman, Quinton Deandre Friend, Stephen Matthew Galvin, Joseph Garrett George*, Jessie Sue Girgis, Rashida Glass, Michael Andrew Golt Jr., James Thomas Gomes*, Patricia A. Grant*, Keéshonà Moneé Green, Quishawn Marie Green, Spencer Allen Greene, Morgan A. Gregory, Caitlin Elizabeth Grinstead, Brandon Rodney Grobes, Akilah R. Guinn, Tajh A. Guy,
Darryl Michael Hackett, Christina Louise Hamlett, Angelo Dewayne Handy, Charles R. Harmon, Richard Lee Harmon, Mark S. Harris, Felicia Renee Harrison, Amanda Jordan Hayes, Laurianne A. Hebel, Joshua Charles Hedrick, Lai Wa Ho, Steven Edward Hogsten, Reesiah Hopkins, Mathias W. Huff, James Ward Hurley IV*, Mary Elizabeth Iplenski*, Cindy Jacques, Aristotle De’Alo Johnson Jr., Jasmine Shaniquá Maureen Johnson, Ronesha Jacqueline Johnson, Aaron C. Jones, David Wayne Jones, Gregory Michael Jordon, Jonathan Daniels Kastle, Kevin Halsey Keitel*, Iesha Shanté Kellam, Justine L. Kelley, Kyunghoon Kim, Markus DeSean King, Corey Antonio Knight, Tara Latoyia Knight, Jacob Charles Knox, Lindsay Rae Krause,
Kirsten Nicole Lakeman*, Amber Dawn Lampkins, James Aaron Landry Jr., Kenneth Raynond Lane, Bryheem Lawhorn, LeChé D. Lawrence, Joon W. Lee, Kéchelle Aienné Lee, Zachary Kyle LePore, Jessica Amber Levey, Britani Nicole Lewis, Hannah Olivia Lindsey, Chen Ling, Anthony Curtis Loper, Jamel Love, Cameron Michael Lucas,
Emmanuel Machado, Craig Dontay Madison, Sarah A. Malpass, Julian Tatsuya Marrero, Derek J. Marshall, Dustin N. Martin, Sarah Anne Martin, Rubeon Darren May, Michael Joseph McCoy, Durron M. McMillan, Jasmine Christine Meade*, Jennifer Nicole Meister, Omar Emlen Melikechi*, Renee Arielle Mendez, Shireeka P. Meyers, Elisabeth J. Miller, Jazmine Maile Miller, Jessica Laine Miller*, Chris Recardo Milligan, Raven Shaunell Mills, Andrew Clayton Minear, Mariah D.sA. Minor, Alexis Grace Moore, Catherine Anna Moore, Floyd Laquan Moore, Jessica Marie Moore, Emily Moses, Lorri Ann Moxey, Thomas Joseph Muller, Dorothy Nicole Murphy,
Vincent Matthew Neri, Kirk Steven Nichols, William Thomas Nienstedt, Shannen Dwayne Norris, Jesse Edward O’Neil, Chelsea De’Naye Ogan, Hannah Sophia Ostroff*+, Krisstina Nicole Paddy, Ahron Park*, Derrick Neal Parker, Preet K. Patel*, Tayana Denise Patton, Quentel Shar’Da Perkins, Erik Personett, Shernette Carina Phillips, Yeshema Phillips, Katherine McClements Pierce*+, Danae E. Powell, Danielle Dantae Powell, Reginald E. Powell, Shyra Rena Price, Elise Noelle Prisco*+,
Marketta R. Randall, Herbert D. Rapley*, Jenny Elena Rendon, Shawn P. Riley, Isabel Lilibath Rivera, Cynthia L. Robinson, Robert C. Rochester, Malisha Rodriguez, Justin D. Rogers, Tamoire Tykim Ross, Ronald Anthony Rossi, Carilyn Marie Roy, Melissa Anne Rubacky*,
Juan E. Sanchez, Michael Carl Sanchez, Jennisis Marie Santiago, Sierra S. Savage, Amber Marie Scarborough, Peter Jakob Schonert, Jourdon Breana Scott, Alycia Seney, Kayla Elizabeth-Margaret Sherwood, Mikki Joelle Shidner, Ashley Dannielle Short, Leslie Nohelani Siegel, Darrell Fitzpatrick Simon, Roschon Simpson, Joshua Shain Sipple, Sara Brooke Smallwood, Sarah Louise Smart, Laryssa Elizabeth Smith, Brittany Allison Snell, Thomas Robert Solarino*, Ruth A. Spruance, Michael B. Stanley, Skyler Victioria Faye Stevens, Timothy Michael Stierley, Joshua E. Sudler, Amber I. Sullivan, Stephan Ryan Swank,
Rachel Marie Taylor*, Mariah K. Taylor-Hodge*, Allan F. Thomas Jr., Rynesha E. Thomas, Elizabeth Nicole Thornburg, Myra Genice Thorpe, Korey Martin Tiedemann, Mark P. Tigani, Skylar Renee Tinsley, Jaaron Tyron Tolson, Michael Paul Tompkins, Erik Christopher Towne*, Stephen D. Trice Jr.*, Jeremy N. Trower, Keyara Shikera Bettina Turner, Anthony Du’val Turpin Jr., Christie Denise Vance, Emily Ellen VanDusen, Akash Verma, Patricia Ann Virola, Amanda Leigh Vitale, Steve A. Walker, Ian Robert Walsh, Joshua Michael Walton, Joshua E. Waltz, Wesley Vernon Watkins, Dyeisha L. Watson, Samantha Michelle Weiss*, Anthony S. Welsh, Megan Corrin Wentling*, Alexis Rene Williams, Travis Clifford Williams, Hannah Elizabeth Wilson*, Ashley Dawn Woodruff, Amanda K. Wright, Marketta Candy Wright, Michael Francis Wright*, Judy Ziermaier and Shawn Charles Zimmerman.
*-Indicates National Honor Society member
+-Indicates Secretary of Education Scholars Award recipient
Email Doug Denison at doug.denison@doverpost.com
