News: Rain Can't Dampen the Pride's Pride

Special to VivaLoudoun via Loudoun County Public Schools

(June 23, 2011) - Gray skies and an overnight downpour forced Heritage High School’s eighth graduation ceremony into the school’s gym on Monday, June 20th.

Nothing, however, could dampen the enthusiasm of Principal Margaret Huckaby for the 430 graduates before her.


“Seniors, during the last four years, you have enhanced the traditions we will carry on forever. You grew up as leaders and you set an example for younger students to follow.”

Huckaby noted the Class of 2011 participated in many charitable events beyond the usual activities associated with high school.

“I’m always proud to celebrate your academic and athletic achievements, but I am very proud of your motivation to support and help those less fortunate in this community and elsewhere in the world…

“Seniors, you have taught me many things these past four years and I am honored to have been your principal. You all have many strong attributes; intelligence, creativity, leadership and the desire to learn. These attributes will carry you far in life. Hang on to them, use them wisely and exercise them often.”

Huckaby related the following facts about the Class of 2011:
• They earned 293 Advanced Studies diplomas;
• 43 with a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 or higher;
• 94 percent will head to post-secondary education;
• 12 members will be joining the military;
• The Class of 2011 earned $2.9 million in scholarships and grants.

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Deputy Superintendent Ned Waterhouse spoke about both graduates’ past and their future.

“Entering adulthood in this time will pose, for each of you, both challenges and opportunities. You will encounter tremendous emphasis on measurable achievement and the goals of obtaining material wealth.

“These things can divert and distract you from fundamental issues that have critical impact on your life and your relationship with others. Most of you have certainly heard the expression ‘Life is what you make of it.’… I’ll bet the vast majority of you have been thrown a few curves and you’ve learned that your best efforts and most sincere hopes do not always produce the results that you intended.

“Life does not always follow a predictable or understandable path and life is not always fair. On the other hand, you’ve also heard ‘Attitude is everything.’ And you may have learned that the way that you choose to react to things can make a profound difference on what happens next.

“It can affect the way you feel about yourself and the world around you. Indeed, the one thing you can surely control in your life is your personal choices. We create meaning and define our lives through the choices that we make for ourselves.”

General District Court Judge Frank Buttery was the keynote speaker for Heritage’s graduation. Buttery is the father of two Heritage graduates and his family once farmed the land on which the school sits. Buttery noted that he cut wood, bailed hay and camped on what are now the school’s grounds.

The judge noted that he came from a family that was not well-educated or wealthy. His mother attended school only through the seventh grade and his father literally attended school for only one day.

“He was always optimistic in his life and worked hard. And he said to me one day ‘Son, think what I could have done if I had two days of education.’ My parents, although they encouraged me, were not able to help me out much with educational pursuits.”

Buttery, a member of the Loudoun County High School Class of 1972, said he wasn’t sure he’d graduate at the end of his junior year. He took a distributive education job at Dulles International Airport and literally earned his degree by washing dishes.

“I learned a valuable skill. My wife still makes me use it at home virtually every day.”

Buttery took his graduation speaker’s advice to travel literally. He visited all 50 states before deciding to go to college.

His college career began at Northern Virginia Community College. “I found, surprisingly, if you put your mind to it, if you work hard, it’s amazing what you can do”

“Anything in this country is possible. If you work hard, have discipline, a little encouragement along the way, and a little luck, you can reach your goals…

“You can do whatever it is you can set your mind to. Whether you are now at the top of your class or further back, you may feel you don’t have the advantages that others have. That may be true; but I’m here to say to you, you can still achieve your goals if you set your mind to it.”

Class President Stephanie Moreyra noted that the Class of 2011 was one of firsts at Heritage; whether it be attaining athletic and artistic success or being the first class to form a flash mob.

“We are all members of a class of firsts. Among our class we find business owners, founders of organizations and clubs, athletes, dancers, artists, scientists, believers, motivators and exceptional leaders. We have set records high and low.”

Rebecca Meyer was the class valedictorian with a grade point average (GPA) of 4.63.

“Everything is impermanent; whether you find this liberating or terrifying or both,” she told her classmates.
“I’m thankful that graduation and closure have finally come. Not everything has the comfort of closure and high school deserves it. High school deserves to be recognized and celebrated…

“We really should enjoy the significance of today. Our experiences here, collective and individual, have made us into the people we are today, so very different from who we were four years ago.”

The salutatorian was Seong Bin Im with a 4.59 GPA.

Attending the Heritage graduation were School Board Chairman John Stevens (Potomac District), Priscilla Godfrey (Blue Ridge District), Tom Reed (At-Large) and Tom Marshall (Leesburg District).