Warwick High School Class of 2024 graduates

“To my Class of 2024, I stand before you humbled. I have had the unique opportunity as an educator, your principal, to be actively involved in your education since you were in the sixth grade. That’s a long time. I have watched you tackle challenges, figure out how to thrive during a pandemic, conquer your fears, fight for what you believe in and the best part of it all, I got to watch you grow up. You are all tremendous. Your resilience and ability to adapt and move forward despite the circumstances is to be commended. You are a truly incredible group of young people, and it has been an honor to have been a part of your educational journey.” — Warwick Valley High School Principal Georgianna Diopoulos.

“You will learn what it’s like to love and be loved. You will plunge to the greatest depths and soar to the highest heights. You will hope that maybe things happen, and then have experiences that defy even your wildest dreams...” — WVHS Class of 2024 salutatorian Ava Gell.

“A community as beautiful, safe, and close-knit as Warwick is such a special place to grow up in, and I think that is what is going to make this transition so difficult for many of us. But when I get emotional thinking about leaving my childhood home, the people I hold so close to my heart, and the programs that shaped me into the person I am today, I am reminded of a quote from Winnie the Pooh that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it, and this quote is: ‘How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’” — WVHS Class of 2024 valedictorian Melina Garby.

“If you can’t take a risk, you’ll never smell the roses. In other words, success cannot be achieved without the willingness to apply yourself, and the courage to take a leap of faith. And each time you fail? Well, failure is nothing more than a reflection of the courage you had to take a bet on yourself. So take a bet on yourself, for every single person in attendance today is bound to fail again at some point in their lives, it’s part of being human, but if you treat each failure as a speed bump rather than a roadblock, you will find yourself a more sharpened and confident person, more able to adjust and adapt to the inevitable tribulations of life.” — WVHS Class of 2024 President Paxton Honerkamp.