Maldden alld a Vol. 31, No. 23 den -FREECongratulations MHS Class of 2022! AADD By Steve Freker T he only item on the agenda more perfect than the weather on Sunday was the multitude of smiles and happiness displayed by all in attendance at the commencement exercises for the Malden High School Class of 2022. MHS sent 449 graduates into the world as newly minted alumni on Sunday afternoon with this class – like the two before it – having withstood challenges faced by no other groups of students in history. Despite the challenges, the Class of 2022 has much to be proud of, particularly with its academic achieveCTE CAT AT www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday 617-387-2200 One of top academic classes ever will send over 85% to two- and fouryear colleges, universities; below: complete list of 2022 graduates ment, as nearly 85% of its members are headed to higher education, including four-year colleges and universities, two-year schools or trade schools. Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo related that many of the graduates had achieved high honor status with their grade point averages (GPA) and once again had a high number of participants and achievers in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Many Class of 2022 graduates were recipients of fi nancial assistance with their higher learning, as over 100 members received a total of $118,000 in scholarships at the recent Senior Awards Salutatorian's Address delivered by Olivia Chan By Olivia Chan Class of 2022 Salutatorian G ood afternoon to all the family, friends, classmates, teachers, administration, and everyone in between, welcome to the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2022 and thank you for being here. It is my greatest honor to be here as your salutatorian today. I’m sure that the Class Olivia Chan SALUTATORIAN| SEE PAGE 13 Class of 2022 Salutatorian Class of 2022 President Julie Huynh speaks at MHS Graduation By Julie Huynh Class of 2022 President G ood afternoon, everyone. I tried to get them to play “Long Live” by Taylor Swift in the background of my speech, but unfortunately that didn’t work out. So, if you know the song just pretend it’s playing in your head right now. I struggled a lot with writing this speech because I strugPRESIDENT | SEE PAGE 13 Julie Huynh Class of 2022 President H Night. On Sunday, the Malden High School Scholarship Corporation awarded 33 recipients $4,000 scholarships, a new high mark, as announced by Malden City Clerk Greg Lucey. Another highlight of the day’s event was when the Malden High School Choral Arts Society, under the direction of MHS educator Todd Cole, unveiled and sang a brand-new song, “Class of ’22,” which they composed in collaboration with Malden Mayor and School Committee Chairperson Gary Christenson. In a switch from previous years, Mayor Christenson deferred immediately to the presentation of the musical piece in lieu of prepared remarks, with the new song very well-received with much applause. The Malden High School Band, led by Erin Mazza, also performed well at the commencement. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues in its third year and has made its mark emphatically in the area of education, all of the speakers at the MHS commencement made it clear they were ready to celebrate the moment and embrace the future, rather than relive the past. Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo relayed that message clearly when addressing the Class of 2022 and the hundreds of family and friends in attendance. “As I gathered my thoughts to put down into words, I found myself drifting in and out of ‘Pre Covid and Post Covid’ thoughts. I was caught on the same carousel that so many of us have been on for the past couple of years. ‘Pre’ and ‘Post,’” Mastrangelo said. “I took these two words that have been used so much and switched the narrative. I replaced Covid with MHS. “What is ahead of you now is another chapter in your life that is unknown. Post MHS – you will go in diff erent directions, fi nd new challenges, have self-disGRADUATES | SEE PAGE 11 MHS’ top-ranked student Jing Ren delivers Valedictory Address By Jing Ren Class of 2022 Valedictorian ey, the speech I will be giving was actually written on the day before the draft was due. But, this time I actually didn’t procrastinate like what I have been doing this entire year because of senioritis. I was notifi ed this Tuesday that I will be standing up here and delivering a speech. You might be expecting an eloquent and sophisticated speech from me, but I am not wise, at least not yet as learning doesn’t end upon obtaining a diploma. Anywho, here we go. Good afternoon, Principal Mastrangelo, Superintendent Dr. Murphy, Mayor Christenson, school faculty and staff , honored guests, friends and family, and most importantly, my beloved Class of 2022. I am humbled and honored to stand before you on such a memorable occasion and speak on behalf of my extraordinary classmates. As I look into the crowd, I see the beauty of diversity. I see faces of diff erent cultures, By Jing Ren Class of 2022 Valedictorian nationalities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, and life experiences. We have aspiring politicians, writers, artists, teachers, engineers, fashion designers, and programmers, who are eager to make their mark on the world. We are all so uniquely diff erent from one another. But we are all here today to celebrate our success and get the same diploma. I can say that we have officially managed to Quizlet, SparkNotes, and Khan Academy our way through these past four years of high school. We are officially out. To the studies that we just slept, through the fi rst periods that STUDENT | SEE PAGE 16 E Friday, June 10, 2022 Malden High School graduates 449 at its 2022 Commencement
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