Today in a graduation ceremony filled with blue skies and sunshine, a total of 441 North Point High School seniors celebrated the accomplishments of the Eagle Class of 2021. The North Point graduating class earned a record number of scholarship offers totaling more than $46 million.
North Point’s graduation was the last of seven Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) outdoor high school graduation events held at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.
Principal Daniel Kaple used the classic nursery rhyme “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to support his message – keep going. “How many times have we started to crawl up the water spout only to be washed out? How many times did it seem ‘normal’ was about to return only to find ourselves right back where we began?”
“This year we have definitely felt the rain and the struggle and frustration it brought,” Kaple said. “Drop boxes, Zoom updates, Synergy outages, isolation, lost opportunities. Remember these challenges in the future and use them to grow,” he said. “Never forget the frustration you felt, but use it to create meaning and purpose. Always remember that despite the obstacles, you continue to climb.”
Valedictorian for the Class of 2021 at North Point High School is Yasmeen Adeleke. Robert Polk is the class salutatorian at North Point. Adeleke will attend Yale University where she plans to study electrical engineering. She plans to own an engineering firm and will intern this summer with McKinsey & Company. Adeleke will also attend the Google Computer Science Summer Institute.
“Class of 2021, we made it,” Adeleke said in her valedictory address. “We have gained education and bonds of friendship that have shaped us into the accomplished individuals that we have become. Along this journey we have learned many lessons that have taught us what it truly means to be an Eagle.”
“Our experiences of working hard and playing even harder have taught us how to excel while cherishing the moments of our lives. We have learned how to persevere,” she said. “There was a global pandemic that completely changed life as we know it. But being here today signifies that none of us fell backward or gave up.”
Polk heads to Vanderbilt University in the fall and plans to study computer engineering. After he graduates, he plans to work as an engineer and focus on helping with climate change. Polk received a four-year National Army ROTC full-ride scholarship.
Earlier this school year, CCPS worked with the Charles County Government to secure Regency Furniture Stadium for outdoor high school graduations. Due to COVID-19 safety and health guidelines, CCPS had to scale down ceremony activities, including the number of guests who could attend, to follow social distancing and safety measures.
The Class of 2021 from North Point earned $46,504,176 in scholarship offers this year. Scholarship totals may increase as graduates report offers.
All 2021 graduations are streamed live at www.ccboe.com and on the CCPS YouTube channel during the ceremony. Watch recorded ceremonies at https://www.youtube.com/c/ccpsmd/videos.
