Sports blog: Warrior Nation
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By LAUREN MYLO

Villager Staff Writer



WILTON -- Although the dreary weather forced the Wilton High School graduation ceremony inside, the smiles on the seniors' faces shone as the Class of 2009 paraded around the gymnasium, waving to parents and friends as if they were celebrities.

And they did have something to celebrate.

Wilton High School graduated 316 seniors Saturday afternoon. Forty were members of the National Honors Society.

All who spoke said there was something special about the Class of 2009, and their accomplishments were unparalleled.

Valedictorian Joanna Valk said she was "proud and honored" to be a member of the "spectacular and accomplished" Class of 2009; graduation speaker and math teacher David Delzell urged the graduates to be wealthy on the inside, befriend someone different from themselves and live joyfully; and Principal Tim Canty spoke of a special inter-generational photojournalism project many of the students had completed with seniors from The Greens. He read from his mother's yearbook and told the students to continue to learn from the lessons of previous generations.

Superintendent Gary Richards said he recently asked a student he has known for 15 years "What is it that makes the Class of 2009 special?," and that student replied that the graduates have a lack of pretense and an appreciation for others "regardless of social groupings."

"While your accomplishments have been truly outstanding, I would suggest that your greatest legacy has been the genuine humility you have displayed throughout your four years at WHS," said Richards. "As you travel on your journeys, my wish for you is that you maintain your joy, your unselfish willingness to serve others and your humility. As your yearbook theme proclaims, I wish you 'a thrill of a ride.'"

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