Cross Grads Didn’t Forget

Three hundred twenty-one seniors were honored at Wilbur L. Cross High School’s graduation: 318 who received hard-earned diplomas, and three others who didn’t make it.

Halfway through the outdoor ceremony Thursday evening, the cheering paused for a moment of silence.

The school community was remembering three members of Class of 2016 who didn’t make it to graduation. Angel Montes, who was mentally and physically challenged, passed away in 2014. Edwin Gonzalez died of leukemia in 2015. Jericho Scott was killed in a drive-by shooting the same year.

As the choir performed a musical tribute, graduates blew soap bubbles into the air.

Scott’s death had a traumatic impact on his friend, Antony Rodriguez. Having lost his best friend and his cousin in the same year, Rodriguez never thought he would make it to graduation.

But he did. And he plans to keep going with his education.

“I would have been still a junior without [my girlfriend] by my side,” Rodriguez said. It was his girlfriend that pushed him to focus and stay on top of schoolwork. Similarly, when Rodriguez got involved with troubled teenagers and kept skipping classes in sophomore year, it was the same girl that pulled him out of the situation.

After graduation, Rodriguez will start a two-year business program at Gateway Community College.

Students and adults alike spoke of how far members the Class of 2016 have come. They have grown from wide-eyed freshmen, coped with a bomb threat sophomore year, and experienced a gas leak this spring, to receive their hard-earned diplomas.

Speaking at the school’s graduation at Cross’s outdoor stadium on Wednesday, Principal Edith Johnson reported that 84 percent of the graduates will enter a four-year college, 5 percent will serve in the military, 5 percent will receive professional training, and another 5 percent will join the workforce. Almost every college-bound member from Cross’s class of 2016 qualified for New Haven Promise scholarships.

“As I look at this wonderful, beautiful sea of red and white, I feel the Cross pride in my soul,” said Johnson, who has finished her third year as the principal. ​“When reality slaps you in the face, don’t be mad; don’t complain; don’t feel sorry for yourself. Remember that you were chosen to be on this earth to have a purpose.”

When asked about the most important she learned at Cross, honors recipient Celeste Rodriguez answered: ​“Never judge a book by its cover.” Four years ago, she walked into the school with low expectations, having heard that the school was unsafe and lacked dedicated teachers. She said her experiences proved the reputation wrong.

Board of Education member Edward Joyner spoke about love in remarks to the commencement gather. Speaking fondly of his own marriage, Joyner asked his young audience to look for a life partner who is kind, intelligent, attractive, humorous.

His keynote speech extended beyond romantic relationships: He challenged Cross’s new graduates to enter the world with a loving heart. Growing up in the South in the ​‘50s, Joyner and his siblings suffered from racism and segregation. His father has taught him to fight back with love, and Joyner passed on the message to the crowd on Wednesday.

State Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney also addressed the graduating class. Citing the intensive competition in a global economy, Looney challenged the graduates to keep learning. He also urged students to engage with politics, whether by following the news or by volunteering with local campaigns.