News: Park View High School Graduates Told to Continue Their Master Creation

Special to VivaLoudoun via Loudoun County Public Schools

(June 23, 2011) - The Park View High School commencement ceremony was held on Monday, June 20th at George Mason University’s Patriot Center.

“I recently saw a magnet on a refrigerator in someone’s home that said, ‘living life is not about finding yourself…living life is about creating yourself,’ ” said Park View High School Principal Dr. Virginia M. Minshew in opening the afternoon commencement exercise. “The more I thought about it, I realized no truer a statement had ever been placed on a refrigerator door.


“So who will you create? Only you can answer that question and you probably will not know the answer for a long time. We talk about people trying to ‘find themselves,’ but isn’t it much more interesting to think about creating yourself…something that brings the total experience of life to you. Finding implies that something was lost, but creating implies that it is new. Creating something is hard work. Look at the great masters of art, music, mathematics, architecture, literature…they created works and in the process created themselves and their life.

“You may not think that what you have done in the past 17 or 18 years is part of your creation, but it is. Are you the same creation that entered Park View High School in September 2007? Have you created anything over the past four years?

“I do think that living your life is about creating yourself. I am almost 55 years old and I am still a work in progress. What will you create by the time you are 55? I hope that each of you will create a life that is lived to the fullest with honesty, kindness and joy. I hope that each of you will create a life that is engaging and not necessarily always easy. I hope that each of you will create a passion for who you are.”

Minshew recognized the Park View High School graduates who maintained a 4.0 or higher during their eight semesters at Park View High School. They are:
• Jennifer M. Anderegg
• Kevin R. Cox
• Clarissa G. Gregory
• Robin L. Heironimus
• Zachary J. Henke
• Bilal F. Husain
• Alison L. Kuhn
• Zonaz N. Kundi
• Shamal T. Lord
• Deborah R. Mellon
• Phuc M. Nguyen
• Emily P. Nykorchuk
• Ramiro Ossio Reque
• Emily R. Phillips
• Daisy E. Portillo
• Jia-Hao Qiu
• Roberto Rada Zamora
• Laila Rahmani
• Charlie A. Rosas
• Anson N. Rosenthal
• Maksud Sharif
• Patrick J. Steiner
• Amanda D. Thomas
• Jessica L. Watts
• Rachel Wolf
• Margaret Zhou

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services Dr. Mary V. Kealy greeted the graduates on behalf of the Loudoun County Public Schools administration.

“There are so many paths you will discover as you pursue your goals and your dreams. You will be faced with choices and challenges that will determine your course…but look to yourself to be the wiser when making those decisions that can affect your life and your future. The path you will follow in life is not always consistent or predictable, but it is one that you can affect by the choices you make.

“You are a generation of innovators, visionaries and entrepreneurs. Because we have full confidence in your skills and abilities, we are looking to you to find solutions to some of the most challenging economic and social problems the world is experiencing. Through greater knowledge, new technologies and innovations, you will discover and contribute to these solutions in the future.”

The keynote speaker was Dr. Robert Templin Jr., president of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) since 2002. Templin has increased NOVA’s enrollment to 18,000 students and opened three new centers during his tenure.

“There are three graduation messages that I would like to offer you today,” said Templin. “I want to celebrate along with everyone else the outstanding accomplishments of our honor students. But actually, I am going to direct my remarks to another group. My message is for all of you, but especially for those who might be the first in their family to graduate from high school…maybe the first in their family to ever think about going to college.

“I celebrate our A and B students, but I want to talk to our C students. I want to talk to you because many years ago, I was a C student sitting where you are sitting. I asked myself what am I going to do with the rest of my life?

“I had been told that I wasn’t college material. There was no one in my family who had ever thought about going to college. I was really uncertain what the next steps were.

“My next step was to consider getting a job after high school, but I didn’t have the skill. My first comment and advice to you is that you need to continue your education. I know that some may have told you that you are not college material…maybe you don’t have stellar grades, but you need that post-secondary training if you are going to get a good job to support yourself the way you would like and eventually your family…

“Nearly all of the new jobs being created in Northern Virginia require post-secondary training in some way. If you complete an associate’s degree at a community college, you can expect a $250,000 bonus in salary over your lifetime…

“Your success in college and in life is less dependent upon what school you attend and how smart you are…and more dependent upon how hard you work. It’s not about good luck…it’s more about hard work. You need to buckle down. It’s time for you to reach your full potential.

“In my life I found out that it’s not how smart you are that makes a difference, it is how hard you are willing to work to apply what it is that you’ve got. No excuses. In the end, it’s not how intelligent you are…but it’s about what you do with what you’ve got.

“Being successful in college and in life isn’t about how fast you can run…it is staying in the race. It is about picking yourself up when you have fallen down. Too many people quit too early, or stop in the face of failure.

“My wish for you is that you would continue your education and to work hard and that you will persevere. If you do those three things…I believe you will have a better life, you’ll be a better person and you will help build a better country.”

Anson Rosenthal was the Class of 2011 valedictorian. Patrick J. Steiner was the salutatorian.

“When I sat down to write this, I first thought of a few things I wanted everyone here to take away from it…to remember and hopefully recognize or apply in their own lives,” said Rosenthal.

“I felt that these should be drawn not only from my own experiences attending Park View, but also growing up and living in the Sterling community. These are:

“Forming Cross-Cultural Connections: It is important to open our minds and hearts to the value of ideas and beliefs that may be different from our own;

“Dedicating Ourselves to Living with a Sense of Responsibility and Accountability for Others: It is through our interactions with others that we define who we are as members of society;

“Finding a Passion in Life: Find a passion in life that will inspire us to confront and surmount obstacles while providing continued intrinsic motivation and satisfaction;

“Form Cross-Cultural Connections: I believe the experience we have had at Park View is unique within Loudoun County. We have a richly diverse population. Comprising 38 percent of our student body, the Hispanic community in Sterling is a major cultural influence in our school. I had the opportunity to be a part of that vibrant culture as a member of the Park View soccer program for four years. As the lone gringo on the team, I was immersed in the Spanish language, always listening…never quite speaking enough Spanish to satisfy my teammates. So as I thank the Hispanic community of Sterling for embracing me and teaching me so much, I’ll try to make up for keeping quiet all this time.”

Rosenthal then spoke flawlessly in Spanish about his appreciation to the Spanish community.

The Park View Choirs performed the Park View Alma Mater followed by the presentation of the diplomas to the graduates.

Attending the Park View graduation ceremony were Loudoun County School Board Chairman John B. Stevens (Potomac District); Vice Chairman Priscilla B. Godfrey (Blue Ridge District); Thomas E. Reed (At Large); and Brenda Sheridan (Sterling District).

Park View Cluster principals Andrew Davis (Rolling Ridge Elementary), Timothy J. Martino (Sully Elementary), David W. Stewart (Guilford Elementary) and Nancy P. Torregrossa (Forest Grove Elementary) also attended the ceremony.