The Abington Heights Marching Band and Band Front perform on the field during the 2nd annual Concert on the Green on Sunday, June 5.
Ben Freda
For Abington Journal
Pictured are members of the Abington Heights Marching Comets. From left are Ellie Jordan, Lizzie Erickson, Avery Orbin, Jordan Molitoris, Stephanie Hicks, Kathryn Agentovich, Bobby Tricarico and Sydney Degnon.
Ben Freda
For Abington Journal
Stephanie Hicks passes the crown of Miss Comet to Kathryn Agentovich.
Ben Freda
For Abington Journal
Leah Ludwikowski gives her valedictorian speech during the commencement program.
Ben Freda
For Abington Journal
Abington Heights graduate Giovanni Mercuri receives his diploma.
Ben Freda
For Abington Journal
Abington Heights graduate Nicholas Carey, center, with his grandmother Gerrie Carey, left, and his father Hutch Carey.
Ben Freda
For Abington Journal
CLARKS SUMMIT — The Abington Heights High School kicked off graduation season with one big get-together of food and music on campus.
The music department put together its 2nd annual Concert on the Green on Sunday, June 5. Food trucks, including Bella Rose Food Truck & Catering and Mannings Mobile Ice Cream Shoppe, were parked outside the school while the school’s orchestra and choir performed in the auditorium. The marching band and band front played patriotic anthems as well as songs from Van Halen in the new track and field.
“When our marching band performed at the Concert on the Green, we performed a few sets of different music throughout the night,” explained band director Mike Lesnesky. “We started with our Van Halen set, and we chose that because that was the theme of our halftime show this past football season. We opened with the guitar solo from ‘Eruption,’ then we played ,You Really Got Me,’ ‘Dancing in the Street,’ ‘Panama’ and ‘Jump.’ Our next set was a patriotic tribute and we played all of the Armed Forces service songs as well as a medley of patriotic marches. After that, our drum line came to the front of the field to play some cadences and solos. We ended the show with a selection of our pep songs that we play in the stands for the football games, including “Seven Nation Army”, “The Hey Song”, and “Mr. Brightside”, among others.
After the performances, Abington Heights student Kathryn Agentovich was crowned Miss Comet for the 2022-23 school year.
“I feel very, very good,” she said.
On Friday, June 10, the graduates had their commencement program at Comet Stadium. It began with a welcome speech from honor student council president Megan Malone. She acknowledged the Class of 2022 for facing and overcoming challenges together. She admitted that graduation is a “bittersweet moment” reflecting on many last moments during high school. But she assured her fellow graduates that it’s a new chapter in their lives.
“This isn’t a goodbye, Class of 2022,” she said. “But rather hello. Hello to new adventures, new opportunities, new memories, new friendships, and the start of the next part of our lives.”
Malone encouraged her friends to follow their dreams and passions.
After an introduction by graduate Nicholas Peters, class president Rida Ashraf in her speech compared her class to future storybook characters who are yet to come up with their own stories. She mentioned that the best stories showcase setbacks and hardships, but they also show “resilient, passionate characters driven to prevail in one way or another.”
“View today as that fresh start,” she said. “The empty canvas of how much all of your aspirations and meaningful relationships come to life. And like any good story, don’t forget the credits section, where you highlight and show gratitude to all those who have helped your tale come to fruition.”
Ashraf credited her parents, brothers, and sister-in-law for creating an “environment that promotes academic achievement.”
She concluded with thanking her classmates for being themselves.
“As the years went on, we truly became one,” she said. The seniors chose English teacher Annette Adair as the faculty speaker. Graduate Isabella Allen explained why her class opted her despite the fact that she teaches freshmen.
“We picked her because of the impact she has made on all of us,” she said. “Most of our class had her as a teacher freshman year because of the array of classes she taught,” she said. When Adair took the podium, she reminisced about the Class of ’22 when they were freshmen. She said that they were “bright-eyed” and “ready to learn.”
“Those bright eyes are inspiring,” she said. “Freshmen want to learn. It’s rare and it’s beautiful.”
Class treasurer Claire Evans introduced this year’s valedictorian, Leah Ludwikowski, who encouraged her fellow graduates to embrace their attributes instead of worrying about the ones they don’t have.
“Because if there’s one thing that you succeed at more than anyone else, and this is being you,” she said.
Ludwikowski assured that these four years in high school don’t define who you are forever. “Wherever you’re headed to next, you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself,” she said. Ludwikowski also shared a few words post commencement.
“School’s been such a great experience,” she said. “I’m very excited for what’s to come, but I’m going to miss everyone here.”
