Life was about to change for the 391 students who graduated from James Madison High School on Tuesday, June 21.
"You are 391 rockets, ready for launch and liftoff into the next generation," said guest speaker Dr. Tom Barrett to the audience seated in Fairfax High School’s L. Patrick Laing Field House. Barrett, who is president of Business/Life Management Inc. and father of Madison graduate Stephanie Barrett, urged the students to be "passionate" about their potential.
"Today is about the world changing, whether we want it to or not," said student speaker Kai Chang.
Julie Robeson, student services director, described Chang as "the epitome of the Renaissance man." Chang was a member of the National Honor Society, the Math and French Honor Societies, and the forensics team, among others.
"Will you define the moment, or let it define you?" said Veronica Rivera, the second student speaker. "Be content to walk a path others are not, and make your own story." Rivera’s extracurricular activities included Madison’s Student Government Association, NHS, Math and Spanish Honor Societies and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Chang and Rivera both won the Faculty Award, Madison’s highest honor for graduates.
Cory Kraftson received the James Madison High School Citizenship Award. "[Kraftson] displays Madison’s 10 character traits on a daily basis," said Robeson. "He quietly leads by example."
"At this point, it’s still kind of surreal," said Laura Millerick, who will be attending Coastal Carolina University next year. "(Senior year) was like the other four, but as the year went on, I began to realize more and more that this was the last one."
"It’s about time," said Roxanne Splitt.
Gwen Saunders was "delighted" that her daughter Breauna was graduating. Of her four children, Breauna was the last one to graduate high school. "So many kids drop out at this point. She’s had some hurdles, but she’s made it," said Saunders.
"It is magnificent to see so many young people come this far," said Vivian Gravette, who is a Madison graduate. Gravette’s daughter Latoya plans to go to George Mason University in Fairfax to become a pediatrician.
Latoya’s grandmother Ada Vandison has been a resident of Vienna for over 60 years, and said she remembers when James Madison High School was being built. She did not attend Madison, however; schools were not integrated until 1964. Instead, Vandison attended Luther Jackson High School in Falls Church, which was then the only high school for black students in Fairfax County.
As various members of the Gravette-Vandison family waited to see Latoya walk across the stage and receive her diploma, they reflected on the past and thought about the future.
"We’ve seen a lot of changes," said Vandison.