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 ALBANY, N.Y. (June
29, 2008)
-- Albany High School presented diplomas to its largest group of
graduates ever June 29, sending 516 students on to the next stage in
their lives following graduation ceremonies at the University of
Albany’s SEFCU Arena.
Valedictorian Rachel Rudinger asked her
classmates to always remember a place “where an open-minded and tolerant
community allows …people to see their ideas and hard work come to
fruition.”
“I can think of many specific Albany High
instances which exemplify both this sort of open-mindedness, and the
principle of defending a belief, even when others disagree,” said
Rachel, citing the courage and convictions of Galileo, Socrates, Olympe
de Gouges
Valedictorian Rachel Rudinger leads
the new graduates out
and the three civil rights workers killed in
Mississippi
of SEFCU Arena following the June 29
ceremonies.
in 1964.
“It is a simple principle which we can all
apply to our own lives,” she said. “Not only should we not fear voicing
unusual or unpopular ideas, but we should also be open-minded toward the
ideas of others.”
Read the full
text of Rachel's valedictory. You also can find additional coverage
of graduation in the
June 30 Times Union.
Joseph B. Porter, vice president for legal
and government affairs and general counsel at Excelsior College, was the
keynote speaker. An Arbor Hill native, he described a simple but bold
equation for the graduates -- Vision + Hard Work = Success.
"Get a strong vision of the life you want to
lead, and don't let anyone knock you off track," he said, reminding them
to also follow their dreams.
 "Your
dreams matter and you owe it to yourselves to pursue those dreams with
enthusiasm and vigor," Mr. Porter said.
Superintendent Eva C. Joseph, Ed.D., urged
the graduates to persevere no matter the challenges they face.
"Never, never, never give up," Dr. Joseph
said, quoting Winston Churchill.
"Don't be afraid to use your voice," she
added. "Speak out for what you believe to be true and right."
Rachel, the valedictorian, will attend Yale
University in the fall. Salutatorian Benjamin Amodeo will attend
Naeemah Drake (left) and Isaiah Duke walk across the stage
Cornell University. About 90 percent of the
members of
during graudation ceremonies for the Class of 2008.
the Class of 2008 are heading to college.
The members of Albany High’s Class of 2008
accumulated a typically impressive list of college acceptances. Five of
the eight Ivy League schools were represented among the more than 100
colleges and universities ready to welcome Albany High grads.
 So
were Tufts, Georgetown, Duke, North Carolina, Swarthmore, New York
University, the University of Rochester, Amherst, Brandeis, Vassar,
George Washington, Howard, UCLA, 10 Capital Region schools and more than
20 State University of New York schools. About half of those heading to
college have chosen four-year schools.
Speaking to her
classmates during the valedictory, Rachel said they were
fortunate to attend high school in an environment that students to grow
to their fullest potential.
“We are fortunate to
have such a place where students, teachers, and staff prove the majority
wrong on a reg-
Kewsi Burgess celebrates his achievement with his family
ular basis, where there
are many people who are not
following graduation at UAlbany's SEFCU Arena.
afraid to support ideas
they truly believe in, even while
others may find them
‘eccentric,’ and where an open-minded and tolerant community allows
these people to see their ideas and hard work come to fruition,” Rachel
said.
"We, the Class of 2008,
must take with us these lessons of tolerance and of confidence in our
own ideas, for no achievement, great or small, can be made
without them.”
The City School
District of Albany serves approximately 8,600 students in 18
elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood
schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as
well as other innovative academic opportunities for students. The
district is more than halfway through its comprehensive facilities
project to newly build and/or renovate nearly all of its elementary and
middle schools. The ultimate goal of the facilities project is to
provide schools with the resources necessary to help students succeed in
the 21st century. |
