Oak Park High School 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony Thursday, May 28, 2020, 6:30 P.M
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Oak Park High School 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony Thursday, May 28, 2020, 6:30 p.m. [Music] [Music] Dr. Chris Good Evening. We are here tonight to celebrate the 55th graduating class of Oak Sartain Park High School. Now, please join me in welcoming the Class of 2020. [Music] [Music] Dr. Chris Please rise and gentlemen let’s remove our caps for the playing of the National Sartain Anthem under the direction of Ms. Mallory Mahon and our Commencement Band. [Music] [Music] Martha Please be seated. Good evening. My name is Martha Delatorre and welcome to the Delatorre 55th commencement ceremony of Oak Park High School. What an exciting time for the class of 2020. While it might not be what we were expecting, thank you to everyone who is making this evening special. Graduates, parents, family, faculty, friends and distinguished viewers: allow me to say thank you for all that you have done to make this a memorable ceremony. Natalie Hi, my name is Natalie Morrison. It is my honor to present this year's Norma and Morrison Norman awards. Both of these seniors exemplify what it means to be Oak Park Northmen. Both students have been models of scholarship by being diligent in their studies, showing their willingness to serve others by giving back to the school, and community as well as the Northmen spirit by actively supporting and participating in a variety of athletics and activities. This long-standing award is based on a vote by their peers, and as a part of this honor they will each choose their favorite book to be permanently placed in the Oak Park Library Media Center. Our first honoree has an extensive list of extracurricular and leadership activities. Academically, she has been awarded A+, National Honor Society and Gold Medallion distinctions. She has been a part of volleyball, soccer, and choir. She has served in student council as a class officer and in student leadership. She has also served as the Class of 2020 Student Body President. Please help me congratulate this year's Norma recipient, Ms. Malisa Bartlow. Our next senior has also been active in a variety of extracurricular activities, as well as having highly distinguished academic achievements and awards. He has participated in band, orchestra, and Oak Street Singers. He was an active member in National Honor Society and HOSA. He also participated in the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program. He attended Missouri Scholars Academy and received the honor of the Harvard Book Award. Please congratulate this year's Norman recipient, Mr. Nicholas Burdolski. These two students truly show each and every day what it means to be a part of the Oak Park family. Congratulations again Malisa and Nick. Malisa Hello, my name is Malisa Bartlow. I have the honor of presenting the class of 2020 Bartlow senior gift. Dr. Sartain, on behalf of the entire senior class of 2020, we would like to present you and the Oak Park family our gift of two more water bottle fountains. A plaque will be placed at each to commemorate the class of 2020. We are excited that our gift will be a part of the Oak Park family for many years to come and allow Oak Park to be more ecologically friendly and give students easier access to fill their water. Nicholas Hello, my name is Nicholas Burdolski. Tonight would not be possible for us without Burdolski the hard work support and encouragement from the Oak Park faculty and staff. I would first like to thank our administrative staff: Principal Dr. Chris Sartain and his assistant principals: Dr. Mike Dial, Mr. Chad Valadez, Mrs. Molly Smith, and Dr. Casey Vokolek. We appreciate the time and work you put forth to make Oak Park a great place to learn. To the faculty, thank you for your dedication and tireless efforts that you have shown to us. Your guidance and diligence has made tonight possible. Please join me in thanking these individuals for the commitment to the students of the North Kansas City School District and Oak Park High School. Dr. Chris Thank you to everyone who is here for this very special occasion. I am Chris Sartain Sartain and as principal of Oak Park High School, it is my privilege to recognize several honored guests. Joining us are Dr. Dan Clemens, Superintendent of North Kansas City Schools and Ms. Jan Kauk, President of the Board of Education. Tonight would not be possible without the support of assistant principals Dr. Casey Vokolek, Dr. Mike Dial, Mrs. Molly Smith, and Mr. Chad Valadez. Finally, we thank our senior class committee: Martha Delatorre, Natalie Morrison, Malisa Bartlow, Nicholas Burdolski, Laurena Cangelosi, Isabella Cangelosi, Callie Johnston-Coker, Rachel Wingerson, Skylar Small, and Morgan Kendall. Class of 2020, I have to say, I love your quote. “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” Dr. Seuss always had a way with words, but this is really special to me. When I was introduced to our faculty four years ago at Oak Park as the new principal, I told a story about my daughter, who was five at the time. Somebody asked her what her parents did. She said, “My mom is a doctor. My dad is a doctor too, but he is more like Dr. Seuss.” While I don’t think my daughter meant it to be a compliment, I told our staff that I could not think of a better way to praise somebody than being compared to Dr. Seuss. He has touched millions of lives with his stories and I can speak firsthand to the wonderful moments I have had reading Dr. Seuss to my own children. But tonight isn’t about me. Tonight is about you. It is not about COVID, it is not about what you had to miss. It is about what you have done and what you will do in the future. I challenge you to make the most out of each moment for the rest of your lives. If we have learned anything the last couple of months, it is to never take tomorrow for granted. How many of you thought March 13th was your last day sitting in a classroom, walking the halls, or eating lunch in the Lumberjack Café with your friends? I didn’t. If I would have thought that, I would have made more out of that day. How naive of me to take that day for granted. How irresponsible of me not to spend more time talking to all of you and enjoying the moment. Do not let the precious moments that we have in our lives fail to become amazing memories. You have been through so much these last few months but those lost moments should not define you. No, we get to choose the memories we make. We get to choose the lives we will live. A virus does not define you. A quarantine does not define you. Missing a quarter of your senior year does not define you. YOU define you. You get to make the most of each moment. Nothing can take away the memories you have and the memories you will continue to make! Class of 2020, you are going be tested thousands and thousands of times throughout your life. When you feel like you just can’t anymore, keep circling back to the memories you have experienced and be optimistic about those you hope to make. You have been tested to the extreme these last couple of months and you have passed the test with flying colors. Remember that every challenge presents itself with the unique opportunity to make lasting memories that you can look back on and appreciate. Someday, your story will be told by somebody else. How will you be remembered by others? Tonight is your night, 2020. We are so proud of the 55th graduating class of Oak Park High School. Thank you for all you have done “For The Family” and we cannot wait to see what your future holds! Here is to making more of those memories you will cherish forever! While every student will be recognized shortly, it is customary to acknowledge students on this occasion that have achieved some noteworthy milestones during their time at Oak Park. First, the following members of this class have received an A in every course they have taken during high school, thus earning a perfect 4.0 un- weighted grade point average. Angelina Garcia and Natalie Morrison. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating our 4.0 students. The next group of students have achieved perfect attendance over all four years of their high school career. Adam Barringer, Isabella Cangelosi, Laurena Cangelosi, Darien Gray, Chance Gresham, Trenton Swinford, Jessika Zuber. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating our perfect attendance students. These students have met the requirements for graduating with honors by earning the Gold Medallion Diploma. This diploma requires a rigorous course of study including additional core subject credits and honors courses while maintaining at least a 3.2 GPA. In addition, students must perform community service, complete an internship, and compile an extensive high school portfolio. Finally, students must engage in a year-long study culminating in a final project. Tihani Abubakar: how does the upbringing of a child impact their success? Adam Barringer: how does population growth affect deforestation? Malisa Bartlow: are social media platforms invading users privacy, and what government regulations secure their data? Parker Bensyl: what are the changes and differences in social media platforms, and what is the reasoning behind those differences? Danielle Blankenship: do sociopaths have empathy? Montanna Brelsford: how is urbanization affecting human health? Philip Brennaman: how do career opportunities compare to earning a college degree? Nicholas Burdolski: should governments partake in economic involvement to reduce the effects of climate change? Laurena Cangelosi: how does nostalgia