At Danbury High School’s 2021 commencement held June 10, everyone from student speakers to the principal and Board of Education members recognized the Class of 2021 as the class that set a new standard for resilience and commitment. The Class of 2021 has grit.
“In my lifetime. In your lifetime. There’s never been a year like this one,” said Danbury Mayor Joseph Cavo, who told the graduating class that they made history with success earned between distance learning, not seeing their friends and struggling in an ever-changing world.
“Through it all, you remained resilient . . . and now you are stronger for it,” Cavo said. “No one else will understand what you have endured to get to this point. You have come a long way. It is a time for celebration and a time to have fun.”
For class valedictorian Caleb Schlissel, the school year started with Covid and ended with senioritis.
“I was so ready to be done with high school,” said Schlissel, who quickly realized that his mindset was wrong. “Right now we’re just taking a breath. It cannot be denied we persevered a lot, but we’re not done with stress or failure. There are so many more challenges we get to face.”
Student speaker Melody Dayrit said she sometimes felt that the last two years of school had been taken away from her. She began wishing that she had spent her early high school years making new friends, participating more in sports and joining more clubs.
Senior class president Nicholas Attina wrapped up commencement by telling fellow members of the Class of 2021 to “Take Ownership of your Life.”
Despite missing football and basketball games and other teenage rites of passage, he said the time missed was only fleeting and that now was the time make the most of what was ahead.
“Nothing in life will ever be handed to you,” Attina said. “Now is the time to create the life you want. You have to be disciplined in everything you do. Some people are born lucky, but no one is born unable to succeed.”