As he reflected on the past four years at Glenbrook South High School, Student Council Executive Board president Andrew Duffy spoke directly to the critical challenge students had faced.
“We have made the sweetest lemonade from the sourest lemons,” Duffy said during Sunday’s graduation ceremony for the Glenbrook South class of 2023 at the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont.
“The magnitude of COVID 19 impact shocked us all,” he said. “It didn’t seem real…never imagining how it would dramatically change our lives for the next three years. Our homes turned into our classrooms, our cafeteria, our gym, our movie theater our Starbucks, our everything as we adjusted to the virtual world. We discovered strength in ourselves and our communities as we supported each other through truly unprecedented times.”
Glenbrook South and Glenbrook North High School held separate graduation ceremonies at the Rosemont Theater hours apart on June 4 in joyous celebrations filled with wide smiles, hugs, a few tears and lots of laughter.
At the Glenbrook North graduation, graduating senior Andrea Chacon Ruiz told her fellow classmates, “Graduates, take a deep breath. We’re done!
“Pause your worries about the future for just a second and focus on everything you’ve accomplished to where you are now. The endless studies. The community service to the jobs that you’ve held, the days, weeks, even years practicing for your sport or instrument and so much more.”
Many of the speakers said the students’ resilience in the face of the pandemic will continue to be a defining moment for the Class of 2023.
“You had just started to reach your stride as freshmen only to be confronted by the massive disruption of the pandemic,” School District 225 Superintendent Charles Johns told the thousands of students and their family members. “However, as seniors you reinvigorated many traditions that have made this school great.”
Saying the students had resilience and grit, he continued, “Your high school experience has made you a stronger person. While life will undoubtedly present you with challenges, confront those challenges knowing that you have overcome similar challenges before. You’re well equipped for your future.”
Despite the overwhelming optimism of the day, Glenbrook South senior Julia Miller said she was a little sad because it would be the last time she would see many of the friends she made at the school.
“It’s a little bit scary but it’s also very exciting,” said Miller, who plans to study film production at Chapman University in the fall. “It’s kind of the end of an era.”
After the graduation ceremony, Glenbrook North senior Michael Bilous offered some friendly counsel to his classmates.
“Pursue what you enjoy,” said Bilous, who plans to study economics at Rice University in Houston. “That will make life easier and more fun.”
Duffy, of Glenbrook South, said he is in awe of the talent, enthusiasm and passion demonstrated by the class of 2023.
“While it may not have been the high school experience any of us expected, it’s one none of us will forget,” he said. “We went through something that’s going down in the history books!”
“It’s hard to say goodbye today,” he added. “It is also incredibly exciting to see the next chapter of our lives begin as we take on the new adventure. This last chapter had a lot of plot twists and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for all of us. Our journeys are unknown. Our destinations are to be determined. Let’s take risks along the way, make decisions that are right and real for us.”
