The North Point High School Eagles landed Friday, May 31, at Regency Furniture Stadium for their graduation ceremony. The 429 graduating seniors were led by valedictorian Samuel Stine and salutatorian Shreeya Chada.
Stine, who will attend the College of Southern Maryland in the fall and plans to study engineering, started his address showing off the impossible in the eyes of a North Point student — $1,000 in Eagle Bucks, the school-based currency students earn through good behavior and other means that can be redeemed for snacks, supplies and other goods at the school store. It is unheard of to collect a grand in Eagle Bucks, Stine had to get donations from his brothers and his classmates in engineering classes.
A single student might not be able to do it, but many together can — you can get by with a little help from your friends.
“Combined with my own dedication, I was given the resources and support to do something great and I’m not only talking about the Eagle Bucks,” Stine said. “A single student cannot give themselves a high school education. Four years of independent, self-teaching put together by a high schooler hardly compares to what we all gained from North Point.” Instead, parents, teachers, administrators and leaders crafted a foundation on which students could thrive and build. “They gave us their all and let us call it our own,” Stine said.
Holding the Eagle Bucks, he continued, “Although I hold this, it makes no sense to hoard this,” Stine said. “I wouldn’t have it without the help of others, it makes no sense to keep it from others. It is the responsibility of those of us who have been given a gift, be it from God or from others, to do good with it. If good happens to you, it’s only fair to pass it on.”
Chada, who plans to study on a pre-law political science and anthropology track, at UCLA in the fall, reminded her classmates to not worry so much about the future that they miss out on what was happening in the present. “I speak for myself, and likely for my peers, when I say high school has been stressful as we plan for the following stages of our lives,” Chada said. “It feels like every moment is in preparation for the next. Often, we neglect the present in anticipation for the future. Stress about the future constantly occupied my mind in lieu of experiencing and rejoicing in the moment.”
She urged the graduates to take in the present and understand its importance. “Appreciate the moment that you’re in and recognize the adventure you took – the risks and the triumphs,” Chada said.
North Point students in the Class of 2024 earned more than $45 million in scholarship offers.
The CCPS Class of 2024 includes 2,102 graduates who earned a collective number of scholarships totaling almost $184 million. The total is likely to increase as graduates report scholarship offers to their respective high schools.
CCPS livestreamed all graduations at www.ccboe.com and on its Vimeo and YouTube channels. Go to https://www.ccboe.com/quick-links/graduation-2024. The school system will be rebroadcasting the ceremonies throughout summer.
