The Calhoun High School graduating Class of 2022 was celebrated on the football field on June 12.

Bursts of Calhoun blue filled the field as staff, friends and families enjoyed the commencement ceremony under a canopy of cloudy blue skies.

Principal Nicole Hollings explained how “there are significant problems in our world that [graduates] are going to be called upon to fix.”

“You are the future,” she said. “You hold it in your hands. You have the power to put aside hate and intolerance and to instead love, accept and welcome in. When you ask, ‘how can I help’ you are sharing that you might not have all the answers and instead you can work with others around you to solve problems.”

Valedictorian Tina Cheng and salutatorian Kaitlin Bondi addressed the crowd.

Cheng reflected on goals and striving for perfection.

“I hope that each of us can vow to ourselves that in the next few years, we will focus on our own happiness and accept that it is okay if we don't live up to people’s expectations,” she added.

Bondi talked about the “beauty of unpredictability.”

“We do not possess the ability to know the future - yet – so acknowledging and appreciating life’s unpredictability is our next best option,” she said. “In this sense, do not dwell too heavily on what could have been or what will be. Relinquish the false sense of control we all think we have over our lives.”

Date Added: 6/15/2022