Montville Township Public Schools - Educate.Inspire.Empower

Two Hundred Seventy-Seven members of the Montville Township High School [MTHS] Class of 2024 participated in the 53^rd Annual MTHS Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Despite intense heat, the school’s tradition of processing to, and graduating from, the MTHS Mustang Stadium was upheld. Members of the Montville Township Board of Education [BOE], the Montville Township Public Schools [MTPS] Administration and MTHS faculty members led the Class of 2024 processional onto the field.

In addition to a live audience in the stadium, a live feed of the event was offered through the Montville Township Public Schools YouTube Channel.

“We are here tonight to honor the students seated before us,” said MTHS Principal Douglas Sanford. “Through the years, one of the most remarkable qualities of the Class of 2024, has been your care and concern for each other. You have demonstrated unity and support, standing together through thick and thin.”

Sanford noted that the 2023-2024 school year had been successful for many reasons. “Please know,” Sanford said, “I attribute that primarily to you, the Class of 2024.”

The Class of 2024 entered their freshman year at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The past few years have been particularly challenging,” Sanford noted. “With unprecedented events that tested your adaptability and strength. […] Against the uncertainty and change, you adopted new ways of learning, you supported each other, and found creative solutions to stay connected and engaged. Your resilience has shown us all what it means to be adaptable and persevere.”

Four members of the senior class were invited to reflect on the past four years as members of the MTHS Class of 2024.

Valedictorian Ryan Sun  shared a poem he was introduced to during the AP LIT exam: FROM BLOSSOMS, by Li-Young Lee.

“So why did I read you all this poem where the speaker eats peaches from a roadside stand in the summer?” Sun asked the audience. “Because I think we can all relate to the speaker’s appreciation for peaches—not just the peaches themselves, but also the happy memories they represent. Each of us has our own peaches, our own precious moments in life that bring us the most joy.”

Sun, who is both the Valedictorian and the President of the MTHS Class of 2024 focused primarily on the poem’s bittersweet ending: “’From blossom to blossom to impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.’

“Why are the blossoms impossible?” Sun continued. “Because blossoms don’t last forever. Blossoms eventually turn into fruit, which either rots or is eaten, and summer eventually comes to an end. In this way, our lives are very much like blossoms. […] Many things in this world, like blossoms, peaches, and summer, are not permanent. That’s what makes them so enjoyable. If blossoms lasted forever, we wouldn’t find them so beautiful. Similarly, it is life’s impermanence that makes life beautiful; that makes every moment precious and worth cherishing.” 

Salutatorian Aarav Mulinti also addressed the class.

“For several days after being informed of both this recognition and responsibility [Salutatorian], I reflected on the ways we’ve changed in high school and how it could be a token of advice for everyone here today,” Mulinti began. “This has not been an easy task because our class had a distinct four years here at MTHS. Each grade level was a new journey for us to conquer, and each year’s self-improvement could probably be its own speech.”

Mulinti noted that as he considered the lessons he had learned at MTHS, a common theme emerged.

“Between meeting new people and taking on new opportunities, we’ve gained a newfound confidence in communicating with those around us. This confidence stems from the unique experience we’ve had as a class, as we became creative in staying connected, as we transitioned to high school and restored a vibrant learning space at MTHS,” Mulinti explained. “In fact, my goal today is to remind each and every one of us of this potential we have.” 

Mulinti encouraged the Class of 2024 to try new things and take advantage of new opportunities.

“We don’t know what may lay ahead,” Mulinti concluded. “But with that being said, don’t be afraid of the unknown. […] I encourage you to interact with others, ask questions, and take chances on opportunities, all of which is possible because of your experiences here [at MTHS].

Cristina Ryduchowski, the Vice President of the Class of 2024, also spoke with the Class of 2024.

“Despite the world's unpredictability, I would like to stress its malleability and the fact that we have the ability to make a difference, whether big or small, and that our bravery can be used to do good for ourselves and our world,” encouraged Ryduchowski.

When Ryduchowski was a sophomore, she organized a relief effort for Ukrainian refugees who were fleeing to Poland. The then 10^th grade student was inspired to take action because of media coverage she has seen about the war.

“It took merely a week for my effort to grow from a small bin in my basement to five garages full of relief items—enough to fill a 40-foot shipping container and be sent to the Polish Red Cross in Warsaw, Poland’” Ryduchowski explained. “No matter how my endeavor turned out, I believe it was not the accumulation of supplies or the money raised that made the biggest difference. It was the way I witnessed kindhearted and like-minded individuals band together […] to accomplish a common goal of giving back [….] Life is full of choices and challenges, but also opportunities, and so I encourage you, Class of 2024, to be brave and take full advantage of those opportunities.”

The MTHS Student Activities Council President, Ava Failla, also addressed her peers and their families and friends.

“In a meaningful way, you will all serve as an anchor for me,” Failla told her classmates, “because we all share this moment, and the moments we have shared since freshman year.”

Failla encouraged the Class of 2024 to remember their roots.

“In a world that is constantly changing,” Failla explained, “Our roots provide us with a sense of stability and identity.”

The SAC president also reminded her classmates that “Leaving your mark means making a difference. […] We have the power to impact the lives of others.”

During the 2023-2024 school year, Sun and Failla both also served as Student Representatives from MTHS to the Montville Township BOE.

In the fall, Sun will attend Dartmouth College and Failla will attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Sun plans to major in Economics and Failla will co-major in Accounting and Finance.

Mulinti will attend the University of Pennsylvania where he will major in Computer Science, and Ryduchowski plans to major in Biology with a minor in Chemistry on the Pre-med track at the University of Miami.

Class Advisors Natasha Guardabasco and Catharine Rohrbach, Superintendent Dr. Thomas A. Gorman, and Montville Township BOE President Dr. David Modrak each also addressed the MTHS Class of 2024.

There were many musical highlights throughout the 53^rd Annual MTHS Graduation Ceremony. An acapella rendition of THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER was performed by seniors Joseph Amoroso, Max Iaci, Marlon Soeiro, Jr., and Joshua Bienskie-Jackson. The MTHS Concert Choir, featuring members of the Class of 2024, under the direction of Theodore Cherney, sang LIGHT and the MTHS ALMA MATER by Morrell. Additionally, the MTHS Symphonic Band and Orchestra, respectively under the direction of Ellis Jasenovic and Andrew Havington played Elgar’s POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE and Mangione’s CHILDREN OF SANCHEZ.

Following the formal ceremony, the intense heat of the day began to fade as the sun dipped behind the stadium Press Box. With the nearly full moon glowing to the Southeast, each of the more than 275 members of the Class of 2024 crossed the stage to receive their diplomas as their names were called.

Once the roster was completed, and the graduates returned to their seats, Sanford again approached the podium.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you and congratulate, the Class of 2024,” Sanford said as the graduates tossed their mortar boards toward the sky.

Montville Township High School is one of seven schools in the Montville Township Public Schools pre-k to grade 12 district.

The entire 53^rd Annual MTHS Graduation Ceremony can be viewed on the Montville Township Public Schools YouTube Channel or by visiting www.montville.net/mthsgraduation.