'Delay is not denial:' Poughkeepsie students celebrate graduation at summer ceremony

Graduating high school is among the most meaningful achievements in a young person’s life.
The timing of that accomplishment, Board of Education President Jamar Cummings impressed upon the graduating class Wednesday, is far less meaningful.
“So, somebody else may have walked across the stage in June, but your journey took you to August.” he said. “So, what?
“You know what your diploma is going to say?” he continued. “It’s going to say that you graduated.”
Eighteen Poughkeepsie High School students earned their diplomas by completing the last of their requirements this summer. Fifteen of them were in attendance Wednesday at the school’s newly renovated auditorium, each wearing the same blue cap-and-gown as those who walked across a stage in June.
In all, more than 200 Poughkeepsie students earned their diplomas in the last two months.
The ceremony was led by summer school co-principals Joseph Mazzetti and Robert Parkes, with comments from Superintendent of Schools Gregory Mott and Cummings serving as the keynote speaker.
Mott explained, he relishes being able to speak to the group celebrating at the August ceremony as, “you have overcome and you didn’t give up. You kept on moving forward.”
He told the group he, also, celebrated at summer ceremonies as both an undergraduate and graduate.
“What you have experienced is part of life. Sometimes our plans won’t come fully into fruition in the timeframe we wanted it to come,” he said. “But what you have already demonstrated at such a young age is, moving forward, you can overcome and achieve whatever you put your mind in doing.”
Though graduation may have come two months later than expected, Cummings said there is a lesson in this experience: “Delay is not denial,” he told them. “Life doesn’t follow your schedule.”
Mazzetti talked about the little voice of doubt inside each one of us, and encouraged the graduates to let this accomplishment bolster their confidence.
“You accomplished graduating high school and you can accomplish anything you want,” he said. “Don’t listen to that voice. Don’t listen to anyone else and you can do anything you set out to do.”
Visit This Link for a photo gallery of the ceremony and each graduate's picture.