On June 25 at 6 p.m., Secaucus High School seniors will make their way into adulthood.
A total of 116 students will graduate Monday night, a relatively small class size compared to the rest of Hudson County. Last Thursday, the seniors said they had enjoyed their small class sizes and college-like scheduling.
At Secaucus High, the students take 84 hours of course work each semester as part of "block scheduling." "We won't have to acclimate to college," said valedictorian Adam Mustafa last week. Mustafa, 18, along with many of his fellow classmates, will be receiving numerous awards Monday that range from excellence in academics to athleticism. "[Graduation] hit me two weeks ago," said salutatorian Leeann Weiner. "I cried for two weeks." Already stars
The small high school in Secaucus has cultivated students with diverse abilities that will prepare them for the future. Mustafa was a member of Junior States of America (JSA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, political foundation for high school students. He also worked on the yearbook with Weiner. Both students said that they were very proud of the way the yearbook turned out. "I wanted to write something that people will remember and that will be meaningful," said Weiner. Mustafa will be receiving the departmental awards for both math and social studies. He will also receive the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association, or NJSIAA, Outstanding Scholar Athlete Award. He was involved in both football and indoor and outdoor track. "I've enjoyed my time in high school," said Mustafa. Christopher Lee not only received the highest math SAT score of 790 in the school, but also was involved in JSA, football, wrestling, and track. He will be awarded with the NJSIAA Scholar Athlete Award on Monday. Lee said that he is excited for the opportunity to get involved with even more clubs when he attends Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Samantha Schlemm, the senior class president, will present a speech at graduation. She won the Army's Scholar Athlete Award and was involved in basketball, softball, and soccer. Cory Koesing, 17, received the United States Marine Core Scholar Athlete Award. She involved in basketball, softball and volleyball. Moving on with memories
Mustafa, who will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in the fall, said that even though new horizons await him he will miss the time he spent here. "I will miss the teachers because I've made good friends with most of them," said Mustafa last week. Weiner, who will be attending The College of New Jersey in Ewing, also commented on how she will miss the atmosphere of Secaucus High School. "I will miss the friendly environment and how all of the teachers and faculty are so personable, my friends and the class of 2007," said Weiner. Koesing has received a full scholarship to Caldwell College due to her academics and athletic skill in volleyball, and will spend part of her summer before college at a training camp in Ohio. "It's definitely going to be more competitive, and I will be playing against better people," said Koesing. Even though their community and school will be missed dearly, they are excited about what the future will hold. "I'm looking forward for the intramurals," said Lee. "I heard they have a club for everything." Lee said that he would miss the tight-knit community he's grown up with. Lee and Schlemm have been neighbors for most of their lives. "[Our neighborhood] is so small," said Schlemm. "I've known Cory since I was four." Even though their school was small, Advanced Placement classes have prepared them for college. Schlemm said that she plans to take interactive design classes at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut in the fall, something she has never studied before. Lee also looks forward to living in a dorm room and being independent. "I'm looking forward to meeting new people and being in a different environment," said Weiner.
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