Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Hundreds of teenagers hailing from the Hopewell Valley area will take a major step in their lives later this month, as friends, families and teachers watch Central High School’s Class of 2017 graduation ceremony.
On June 20, approximately 325 seniors will don the customary caps and gowns on the high school’s Ackerson Field while waiting for their turn to receive their diplomas.
“I am incredibly proud of this years graduating class,” Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith said. “Not only are they strong academically, but many students have undertaken social causes that have had a strong and positive impact on our school community.”
District officials said the high school’s valedictorian and salutatorian will be announced during the ceremony, with final grade scores and class rankings being determined until the last possible moment.
Under state regulations, students looking to graduate from high school must have completed 120 credits, including four years of English literacy courses and three years of math courses, among others.
Though some students will enter the work force or join the military after graduating, officials said a large percentage of this year’s graduates will seek to continue their education at a wide range of colleges and universities.
Starting in September, students will attend the following institutions: Arcadia University; Arizona State University; Automotive Training Center; Baruch College of the CUNY; Bentley University; Boston College; Boston University; Brandeis University; Brigham Young University; Bryant University; Bucknell University; Caldwell University; Carleton College; Carnegie Mellon University; Castleton University; Clemson University; Coastal Carolina University; Colby College; College of Charleston; College of William and Mary; Colorado College; Colorado State University; Columbia College Chicago; Columbia University; Cornell University; CUNY/UAPC; Delaware County Community College; Delaware Valley University; Drexel University; Duquesne University; East Carolina University; Eckerd College; Elizabethtown College; Elon University; Emerson College; Fairleigh Dickinson University; Fashion Institute of Technology; Fordham University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Hendrix College; High Point University; Hofstra University; Hood College; Indiana University at Bloomington; Ithaca College; James Madison University; Kingston University; Lehigh University; Lewis & Clark College; Life University; Lycoming College; Lynchburg College; Mercer County Community College; Michigan State University; Middlebury College; Monmouth University; Montclair State University; New York University; Northeastern University; Palm Beach State College; Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University, Abington; Philadelphia University; Princeton University; Purdue University; Quinnipiac University; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Rider University; Roanoke College; Rowan University; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Saint Joseph’s University; Savannah College of Art and Design; Seton Hall University; Southwestern University; Springfield College; St. Lawrence University; Stevens Institute of Technology; Stockton University; Suffolk University; Susquehanna University; Syracuse University; Temple University; The College of New Jersey; The George Washington University; The University of Arizona; The University of Scranton; The University of the Arts; Towson University; Tulane University; United States Air Force; United States Army; United States Naval Academy; University of Central Florida; University of Chicago; University of Colorado at Boulder; University of Connecticut; University of Delaware; University of Denver; University of Illinois; University of Maine; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; University of Missouri Columbia; University of North Carolina at Greensboro; University of North Carolina School of the Arts; University of Notre Dame; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; University of South Carolina; University of Southern California; University of Toronto; University of Vermont; Villanova University; Virginia State University; Virginia Tech; Wake Forest University; Washington College; Washington University in St. Louis; West Virginia University; Wilkes University; William Paterson University of New Jersey; Winthrop University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Looking forward to graduation, Dr. Smith said he was confident that this year’s batch of outgoing students will enjoy success as they continue to mature into adulthood.
“They are leaving a lasting legacy at Central High School and I wish them all great success as they enter the next phase of their lives.”
