The teal and orange robes of Westlake High School Wolverines caught the afternoon sun as the 276 members of the school’s Class of 2024 entered the field of Regency Furniture Stadium for their commencement exercises.
The class, led by valedictorian Margareth Dagamac and salutatorian Mason Wheeler, earned nearly $19 million in scholarship offers.
Dagamac, who will study neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in the fall, came to the United States from the Philippines with her mother both only knowing the how to say “Hi,” and “Thank you,” in English. Dagamac remembered watching her mother work multiple jobs to support their small family while finding time to nurture and support her daughter.
“Her strength and resilience have been my greatest inspiration,” Dagamac said. She also thanked her father and urged her peers to take a moment to recognize their parents, guardians and family members in the audience for their support. “As we step into the next chapter of our lives, let us do so with our hearts full of gratitude and our eyes set on the horizon,” she said. “Make it your mission to spend the day with the ones you love the most and cherish every second.”
Wheeler, who will attend Marshall University in the fall, spoke of another family of sorts. He found a family at Westlake. He didn’t think he wanted to go to Westlake. He wanted to go to another high school but didn’t get accepted. “It wasn’t until much later until I began appreciating Westlake for what it has become to me – my home, full of people who have believed in me, full of endless opportunities,” Wheeler said. “I wasn’t being supported in the last years despite going to Westlake. I was being supported because I went to Westlake.”
CCPS continues graduation ceremonies Thursday, May 30, at Regency Furniture Stadium with Henry E. Lackey High School set to graduate at 9 a.m., and Maurice J. McDonough High School’s commencement ceremony scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
CCPS is livestreaming all graduations at www.ccboe.com and on its Vimeo and YouTube channels. Go to https://www.ccboe.com/quick-links/graduation-2024.
