When valedictorian Hiral Shah and salutatorian Neha Patel took the podium to give their speeches at Monday’s Hoboken High School graduation, they were filled with mixed emotions.
The two cherished the wide breadth of experience and friends that they will miss, but seemed to approach the future with a dizzying sense of excitement.
“It think we are all really excited about graduation,” said Shah from the school’s library a week before she was to address the group of 139 graduates at JFK Stadium Monday. “And while there are a lot of people and good memories that I am taking away, I’m most excited about the fact I am one step closer to achieving my goals.”
The senior class of Hoboken High School has learned that there is more than just academia involved in getting a great education; there is also teamwork and community activism.
“They have worked real hard for four years and have definitely made this school a better place,” said Principal Ed Stinson recently. “We have numerous student scholars that have been accepted and will be attending colleges like Stevens here in Hoboken, and some of the more prestigious colleges around the country. They have truly become quality citizens and will represent our high school well at the school of their choice or in the workplace.”
And there were no better examples than the heads of this year’s class.
Shah’s farewell speech included a heartfelt thank you to family and teachers and a sincere reflection on her four years at the school.
“Together we survived through it,” she said in her address. “It may have taken lots of laughs and lots of tears, but we made it.”
Shah enjoyed her time spent at the mile-square city’s high school and will always remember the many lessons she learned there.
“I had a really good time,” mused the future Stevens Institute of Technology student. “I came here shy and reserved, but as time passed I learned to become confident and assert myself, all of which helped me meet and make a great group of friends that I will never forget.”
Even though it went by quickly, the lifelong Hoboken resident managed to put together an impressive record of academic achievements that have led her to receive a full scholarship to the prestigious engineering school. She is a recipient of the Pace Medal for academic achievement, a member in standing of the National Honor society, and she placed first in the State’s Science fair and was on the school’s tennis team.
She will graduate from the distinguished International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The program is a rigorous two-year pre-university course of studies. The curriculum allows its graduates to fulfill requirements of many colleges’ first and second year classes before they step on the campus for the first time. Shah hopes to major in computer science in college.
Even though Shah was nervous about giving her speech, this is not the first time she has been the best in her class. She was also the valedictorian at A.J. Demarest Middle School.
“It’s still a great honor,” said Shah. “And I really don’t think I would be in this position without all the hard work of my teachers that went out of their way to make sure that we got the best education possible.”
Not to be outdone by her accomplished classmates is the school’s salutatorian, Patel. She will be attending Montclair State in the fall and has been successful in racking up her own list of accomplishments throughout her high school history. She joined Shah on both the tennis team and in the International Baccalaureate program and has been designated an All-American Math Scholar.
Although she was busy hitting the books, she believes a beneficial aspect of her education in Hoboken was the exposure to diverse cultures.
“I have had such a positive experience here,” said the 18-year-old Patel. “But I think the best part about going to school here is that there are so many different types of people and cultures. I have had to reach beyond my own circles and have made rewarding friendships that I might not have made otherwise, and that more that anything has me well prepared for the future.”