Immaculate Conception High School Celebrated the 106th Commencement Ceremony on June 6, 2021.
Immaculate Conception High School held its 106th commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at Felician University. That day 37 extraordinary young women from the Class of 2021 received their diplomas. The ceremony opened with Miss Nicole A. Mineo, Coordinator of Enrollment Management and Master of Ceremonies, followed by Casandra Nicole Necio `21, Salutatorian, Rachel Bella Fraile `21, Valedictorian, the commencement address delivered by Dr. Melissa Alvarez `06, and concluding with congratulatory remarks from Mr. Joseph R. Azzolino, Head of School.
Dr. Alvarez addressed the Class of 2021 with powerful words of encouragement, “We all must be prepared to deal with adversity. Life will never be easy, and while all of you have a plan for how you want life to turn out, there will be speed bumps along the way. How you choose to handle those roadblocks will define you. You can let them win or you can battle through them. During COVID, your teachers had to learn how to do virtual lessons, figure out how to do virtual musical performances, adhere to COVID protocols at sports practices….but they did it. They chose to do the hard work because they cared so much about their students. If you care enough about something, you will climb over any mountain to achieve your goal.”
Dr. Alvarez also shared the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity God grants you. She shared, “Study abroad. Try out for that choir. Write for the newspaper. You never know where opportunity is going to lead you. But, remember the ones that helped you get there. The family and friends you have right now will always be there for you. You may not speak everyday, but they will be there. They are your pillars, your foundation…do not be afraid to reach out for help from them if you need it. Class of 2021, resilience isn’t a strong enough word to describe your cohort and the amount you had to overcome to get to this moment. I hope you each realize how amazingly wonderful you all are.”
Mrs. Jessica Cutrona, Associate Head of School, Dean of Student Life presented the Felician Core Value Award for the year, which was Respect for Human Dignity to Roselyn Sandiford ‘21. Stated in Mrs. Cutrona’s speech, “This senior is the sweetest, kindest, hard-working, and generous young woman, always ready to help her classmates and teachers. She is pure kindness.”
Sister Alexander Siegel, Mission Leader presented the Blessed Mary Angela Award to Jordan Roloff ‘21. Sister Alexander Siegel stated that the recipient of the award, Jordan, “is kind and makes everyone feel welcomed when they ask for help or just to have a friendly conversation. This person is well-rounded and deserves to be recognized for her outstanding character.”
Mr. Azzolino shared emotional and heartfelt congratulatory remarks with the Class of 2021, as this was his last commencement as Head of School at ICHS. He shared that he hopes they will meet some day again, another place, another time and he will be able to see them smiling and successful. He also encouraged them to engage their heart, to live life passionately and to always follow their dreams.