Langley’s Class of 2011 with 110 honors students, over a dozen state champion athletes, and at least one incoming freshman at most of the Ivy League colleges graduated yesterday at a ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall.
Senior boys dressed in green gowns and senior girls in white listened to a ceremony infused with cheers, humor, storytelling, hard work, accomplishment and ended with the graduates playing with beach balls. Some students had managed to bring in and blow up during the nearly two-hour proceedings.
“It was a very warm and cozy graduation,” Rashmi Agarwal, mother of graduate Amit Agarwal said afterwards. “It felt like a big family, having met so many of the kids over the years.”
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Senior treasurer Even Schwed delivered the opening remarks and honored the ROTC members of the senior class., as well as the American servicemen and women around the world. SGA representative Sarah Loh welcomed the families of the graduates, and Sabine Koyomji introduced keynote speaker Bruce Allen, General Manager and Executive Vice President of the Washington Redskins and 1974 Langley High graduate.
Before Allen could speak, the Langley Orchestra played a rousing “Hail to the Redskins.” In a short speech full of football analogies, Allen called graduation “the completion of the first quarter of life.”
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The son of former Redskins Coach George Allen and brother of former Virginia Sen. George Allen Jr. then led a student ovation of their families --- their team, he said.
“I loved it,” parent Valerie Morgan said of Allen’s speech. “It was very encouraging and I really appreciated that he stressed the importance of working together as a team.”
Class President John Searight followed Allen with a humorous, yet insightful account of his four years as a Saxon, citing the nuances of funny events only the students could truly understand. The self-proclaimed “awkward tall guy lacking social skills,” once called “weak as a bird,” by his gym coach, peppered the crowd with punch lines much to their delight.
Class secretary Lara Bigotti then introduced Principal Matthew Ragone, who declared the class of 2011 to be his best group of seniors and deemed them all recipients of his annual Principal’s award.
The Faculty Award winner: Charles “Chuck” Katis, a 5-time regional champion and 3-time state champion swimmer with 2 national high school records, who also started the “The Magic of Miracles Foundation,” using his talent as a magician to entertain young cancer patients at a nearby NOVA hospital center.
“It meant a lot to be recognized for what I have been doing, all the time and effort, it really makes it all worth it,” said Katis, who will be pursuing a degree in economics at Harvard University next fall.
“It was an incredible journey seeing he and his sister (fellow graduate and national record-holding swimmer, Jayme) grow.“ his mother Joanne explained. “They both were very shy when we moved here before junior year, and Langley truly brought out the best in them.”
After the class or 504 students exchanged hugs and handshakes with the senior class officers, received their diplomas, flipped their tassels, and tossed their caps high into the air, the crowd flooded the streets on their way to celebrate the culmination of four years as a Langley Saxon, looking forward to the future.
“We have great teachers, students and administration,” VCU-bound Patricia Lindholm said. “I feel very lucky to have gone to Langley.”
“I’m glad to be done,” Matt Morgan added. “But it was a great education and I had a great time with my friends. I am just ready for college.
