Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 15, 1990 TAG: 9006150517
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY PATRICIA LOPEZ BADEN EDUCATION WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Getting a high school diploma doesn't mean you can set your life on cruise control the minute you get back from the beach."
OK, so it may not have quite the ring of "give me liberty of give me death," but for the Patrick Henry graduating class of 1990, Marshall Lauck's quote was a lot more relevant.
Lauck, who graduated with a 4.2 grade-point average, was the only member of his class to gain appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He was introduced as "first distinguished scholar and a man destined for greatness," by his buddy and fellow scholar Danny Felty.
"Hey, thanks a lot, Dan, that was great," Lauck said laughingly, slapping Felty's hand at Thursday's commencement, held at the Roanoke Civic Center.
On a more serious note, Lauck told his fellow graduates that when they faced challenges in the future, "You should remember that each of us here today has shown at least enough motivation to graduate. Each of us has an equal opportunity to make something of ourselves."
And while there would be setbacks, he said, "My grandfather told me that a man is judged not only by how he handles his good fortune, but by how he handles his setbacks. No one wins every time, but you never really lose if you learn from your setbacks."
The ceremony itself was not without setbacks.
Principal Elizabeth Lee, in attempting to narrate a series of slides - "visions" of the graduates' high school years - found herself staring at a blank screen.
After several moments, she laughed and said, "Well, whatever vision you had, it's yours."
During the ceremony, Lee noted that Patrick Henry's 403 graduating seniors had amassed more than $500,000 in scholarships.
One-quarter of the graduating class had earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average, she said, with 79 honor graduates, seven top scholars and three National Merit Scholars. About 60 percent of the class planned to go on to college or other formal schooling, she said.
The loudest applause was reserved for one very special graduate.
"Dana Marie Harless has attended school every single day from the first day of kindergarten to the last day of high school," Lee said, to the gasps and astonished laughter of the audience.
by CNB