This past Saturday, 261 seniors at Saint John Vianney High School wearing white and yellow caps and gowns entered the Robert J. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College and left as high school graduates.

Over the course of the students’ four short years as students at SJV, these remarkable young men and women have earned many outstanding achievements. For example, the graduates have completed a total of 21,000 community service hours, with 11,000 hours of service from this year alone. Additionally, the graduates have served over 1,000 hours of service over the last two years while visiting the Veteran’s Home in Menlo Park.

Aside from these soon-to-be college students’ achievements in service, they have also excelled in sports as well. For example, the Girls’ Volleyball team has been in the Top 10 for all four years. The football team has been in the Top 10 for all four years, and have even won in their division. The Girls’ Basketball team, the Girls’ Winter and Spring Track team, and the Softball team have consistently won many championships over the last four years.

As these graduates go off to college, they have earned a total of $35 million in scholarships. Mrs. Schmidt, an English teacher at SJV who also served as the moderator for the Class of 2017, responded to this outstanding number by saying “I’ve known since their Freshman year that this group of kids would go far and excel when it came to applying to colleges. They are so motivated, and I couldn’t have been more honored to see them grow and succeed over these past four years.”

As the graduation ceremony commenced on June 3, the Class of 2017’s valedictorian, Claire Romanczyk, admitted to her class that while the future may seem daunting, it is possible to make a difference in the world, whether it be big or small.

“We must remain conscious of the opportunities for compassion all around us and realize that a single drop of kindness has the potential to create a wave of change. Our names do not have to be in a history book for us to make our mark; rather, touching the lives of those around us with compassion and inspiring further generations to do the same can be our legacy. That can start today,” said Romanczyk, who will be attending Northeastern University in the Fall.

This year’s Senior class president, Katie DiFrancesco, who will be attending Princeton University, has also expressed what a privilege it has been to be a member of student council and her hopefulness for the future of her fellow classmates. “It’s so bittersweet that we are all graduating, but I am so proud of what everyone accomplished and I know that we will be hearing big things from my grade in the future,” DiFrancesco said.

As beloved children’s book author Dr. Seuss once said, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose!” It goes without saying that this graduating class will surely succeed in whichever direction their future takes them. The Class of 2017 will truly be missed, and the faculty, staff, and students of SJV wish all of the graduates the best of luck in the future!

 To view photos from the graduation ceremony, click the link below:

 https://www.sjvhs.com/cf_media...