Graduates hear diverse messages

FALLS VILLAGE — Youthful optimism outshined the overcast skies above during Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s 84th commencement exercise on Friday, June 16.

Hundreds gathered beneath the shelter of the vaulted tent on HVRHS’ front lawn to cheer on the 89 graduating seniors.

The ceremony opened with a rendition of the national anthem from senior Brayden Karanjawala, who channeled his inner Jimi Hendrix and gave a flawless electric guitar performance.

Principal Ian Strever praised the efforts of the class of 2023, which was awarded approximately $420,000 worth of scholarships.

“Today is a celebration of your accomplishments,” Strever said. “I leave the class of 2023 with a traditional Irish blessing: ‘May the road rise to meet you and may the wind be always at your back.’”

In lieu of a speech, Region One Superintendent Lisa Carter offered well wishes to the students, saying, “May you know that you will be forever loved by all of us in Region One. Best of luck to all of you in the next steps of your life journey.”

Student speakers presented a spectrum of perspectives as they addressed their classmates.

Salutatorian Melody Matsudaira spoke of the tenacious journey of her father’s life, who was raised by a single mother in Tokyo before moving to the United States driven by faith, family, and perseverance.

“My dad’s story is one of faith. My dad wanted to learn how to speak English, so he attended an international church in Tokyo to practice English with the foreigners there. That’s where he met the God of the bible, and where he met my mom,” said Matsudaira. “He had the courage to go public with his Christian beliefs even though it meant carving out a completely different path from his family.”

Yoshihiro Matsudaira, father of six students that have walked the halls of HVRHS, recently completed his masters in social work after years of working toward his degree.

“When it seemed that he would finally have the opportunity to open up his own practice, my dad’s health started declining,” Matsudaira said. “We had no idea until a few months ago that he was suffering with stage four stomach cancer and a separate colon cancer.”

She said, “The changes to my dad’s life have not beaten him,” and encouraged her classmates to lean on faith to overcome adversity the same way her father has.

“You have been fighting against all odds to get here and I hope that by the end of the day you feel noticed and honored. Our world is waiting for each of us to make a lasting impact starting now,” said Matsudaira.

In contrast to a message of faith, valedictorian Sylvie Stiffler crafted her speech from a science-based worldview.

“In the mid-20th Century, the philosophy of positivism became an increasingly popular cultural perspective. Most broadly, it is the idea that we should view the world through the lens of the scientific process,” Stiffler said.

Stiffler spoke of the befuddling state of blurred lines between fact and fiction in today’s society.

“Many expected the 21st century to be that of unprecedented progress. Instead, our country is polarized to the extent that societal improvement is near impossible,” said Stiffler. “Since the advent of the internet and the subsequent spread of social media, information of all sorts and qualities has become increasingly accessible to everyone.”

“Many factors are contributing to the division in our country, but its root cause is the absent but necessary separation of personal belief from fact,” said Stiffler. “The Earth is not flat. Climate change is real and dangerous. Vaccines work and do not insert microchips into your body. These are not opinions, but rather statements of fact.”

Stiffler urged her classmates to recognize the validity of scientific proof.

“Science has always been our country’s driving force and now, a moment of desperation and global danger, is not the time for that to change,” said Stiffler.

American Field Service student Mumyn Aiuba was unable to attend the commencement due to his return to Mozambique but had pre-recorded a speech that lit up the tent with joyous tales from his time at HVRHS.

“As an exchange student, my year was amazing. I met a lot of great people along the year,” said Aiuba. “The best part of my year was to be part of the sports team and having my own locker. This made me feel like I was a professional athlete.”

Student essayist Leila Kline offered the class a message on the importance of embracing the present and cherishing the memories they make.

“Life is made precious by its fleeting nature. Could every moment be repeated, there would be no reason to seek anything beyond comfort,” said Kline. “Recognize that which you hold dear, because to love something fully you must first fear losing it.”

Following the passionate speeches, friends and family cheered on as the class received their diplomas and select students were recognized with awards.

Melody Matsudaira and Noah Shippa received medals for good citizenship, Zoe Gillette and August Dekker were given medals for good sportsmanship, and Noah Shippa and Sophia Marcus were chosen for the Chamberlain Arts Achievement Award.

Having moved their tassels from right to left, the grads departed the tent in a recessional march to celebrate their accomplishment.