Stone Bridge High School celebrated a milestone June 17 as members of the class of 2004 accepted their diplomas. It was the first class to have completed all four years at the fledgling high school — the first true Bulldog graduates.
It was a celebration that got off to a somber start, however, as principal James Person asked for a moment of silence. The applause and shouts of seniors’ relatives in the audience faded, and the Patriot Center at George Mason University became quiet as people remembered Tony Mason. He would have graduated with the class had he not been killed in a car accident earlier this year.
The mood elevated, however, as the choir treated the 374 seniors to an operatic rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Seniors Monica Fiala and Michelle Rariden sang as a duet on "Please Remember," then yielded the stage to valedictorian Sabrina Ebner.
"WELL, HERE WE ARE," she said. "We’ve had a long journey. We come from different walks of life and races. Some of us are from Leesburg, some of us are from Ashburn. We have grown together for four years."
Ebner ruminated on all those who couldn’t join the graduates — friends and family who had been lost along the way.
"Use their memory as an incentive to always do your best," she said.
The main event was the speech of former Washington Redskin linebacker Eddie Mason. "Eddieeeee!" brayed a male voice from the rafters. "We love youuuuu!"
"Being an Eagles fan myself, it’s hard for me to honor a Redskin," said salutatorian David Stile as he introduced Mason. "But I guess I can make an exception."
Mason, who was voted an NFL Unsung Hero by fans and teammates in 2001, shared with the audience his eight easy life principles. First, however, he demonstrated that he understood the sentiment in the room.
"I can remember sitting out there in my cap and gown," he said. "All I could think about was, 'I get to go to the beach after this without Mom and Dad.'"
Then he got down to business.
"What do you do when all the odds of life are against you?" Mason asked. "It wasn't those moments when everything went right that defined me. It was those times I had to put my nose to the grindstone."
EACH LIFE PRINCIPLE Mason presented was paired with an anecdote from his football career or personal life. Straight out of high school, he was told he didn't have the goods to make it in college football.
"I remember being told in my own hometown, 'He'll never make it. He's too small,'" Mason said.
Before a knee injury in 1996, "I believed I was almost untouchable," he said. He learned two things: humility, and the ability to count his blessings.
After retirement, Mason had time to reflect.
"The more pressure life threw on me, the more stronger and determined I became as an individual," he said.
"Don't forget there is greatness in each and every one of you," Mason said. "Don’t be afraid of unlocking the greatness in each of you."
As a handful of beach balls popped up from among the graduates, the Stone Bridge High School class of 2004 accepted their diplomas and entered the next phase of their lives.