PHHS Class of 2011 Prepares to Take Flight

Graduating seniors at Parsippany Hills High School are leaving high school behind with mixed emotions.

“It’s scary to think that the past 13 years have gone by so quickly, but throughout that time I look back with no regrets,” said Senior Class President Amanda Corigliano, who will be attending Rutgers University this fall to study teaching. “Although I’m a little scared of what happens next, I’m positive and optimistic about my future.”

Corigliano will be giving a speech at this year's PHHS graduation ceremony June 22 at 6 p.m. at the school's football field.

Joining her as a speaker will be Valedictorian Ajay Patel.

Patel, who will be attending New York University as a Business major, said he’s prepared for graduation, but feeling a combination of happiness and uncertainty. He said he is happy for the opportunity to experience life for himself as an adult, but uncertain about leaving the comforts of home behind.

“I don’t think of graduation as an end, but as a new beginning,” Patel said. “It’s a continuation of the lives we’ve spent four years developing.”

Morgan Dickerson, Senior Class Secretary, said graduation is the day they’ve all been waiting for the last 13 years. Morgan will attend the University of Delaware this fall, where she was admitted into the honors program.

“It’s a combination of my teachers, my friends, and my experiences at school that have truly had an impact in my life and prepared me for the future,” Dickerson said.

Though many seniors have some type of game plan after graduation, they face some challenges entering into the next phase of their lives under the shadow of an uncertain economy and shaky job market.

Salutatorian Lauren Tormey is aware of the present state of the economy, but is maintaining a positive attitude.

“The world is in poor shape, but I think every generation experiences this, “ said Tormey, who plans to study linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. “The more responsibilities we take on as we get older, the less our surroundings look like the happy, carefree place it was when we were kids. Maybe I’ll disagree with this 10 years from now, but presently, I hope my life will never be defined by how financially comfortable I am, but rather, by who I am as a person,” she said.

But Tormey might represent only a small percentage of students aware of the current economic climate.

Student Advisors Laura McCluskey and Jean Delardo said that many students aren’t aware of the current economic situation, simply due to their age. Plus, a majority plan to go to college and won’t have to worry about job expectations for four more years.

While some students know which direction they will follow after graduation, others are still undecided, so the advisers recommend trying a variety of activities to see where their interests lie before spending a lot of money, or enrolling in a county college.

Their advice for seniors: “It’s the simple things in life that make you happy. Work hard to rise above mediocrity, because that’s what gets you noticed.”

Guidance Counselor Suzanne Barrett said asking young people to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives at the age of 18 is a lot to ask.

“We tell seniors to take it one step at a time,” she said. “Take what they learned at PHHS and apply it to their lives outside of high school.”

Dr. Nancy Gigante, PHHS Principal, said the addition of new classes and equipment has helped better prepare students for future endeavors after graduation. She pointed to two new courses in personal finance and television production, plus the outfitting of classrooms with interactive projectors used with portable laptops in order to effectively infuse technology into instruction.

“I believe their experiences at PHHS will serve them well, and I am certain they will apply all they have learned from our wonderful faculty to whatever future paths they follow—be that college, military or work force," Gigante said. “I encourage them to continue to rely on their good, solid character to help others in need and to apply themselves in order to reach their goals.”