By KELCY DOLAN

The CCRI field house shook as Vets celebrated their final graduation with the Vets chant, all students, faculty, alumni, family and friends screaming out the cheer.

Principal Gerry Habershaw, who will be taking over as the principal of Pilgrim in the fall, initiated the cheer to end his final address to the class of 2016.

Throughout his remarks last Wednesday, Habershaw reminded the graduates to always be proud of their diplomas and of Vets High School, just as he has always taken “great pride and honor” to be the principal.

Habershaw would often visit the high school sports games with his father growing up, and he was always and continues to be “in awe of spirit and enthusiasm of the students and faculty at Warwick Veterans Memorial High School.” He was “overwhelmed” with gratitude to have been the principal of a school with “great history and outstanding people” for the last 11 years.

Habershaw noted many of the accomplishments the school has seen under his leadership, including but not limited to being the first Warwick school to implement smaller learning communities, introduce two STEM programs, award winning Robotics, Science Olympiad and Academic Decathlon teams and developing and “outstanding rapport” with the community.

“Always remember, Warwick Veterans Memorial High School is being closed as a high school because of declining enrollment not because the school is in decline. Our alumni should always be proud of being graduates of Warwick Veterans,” Habershaw said. “Always remember that you are a Hurricane forever. I love you all.”

The entire Hurricane community is saddened to see their school close, but Mayor Scott Avedisian reminded the audience that as the class of 2016 joins a group of more than 18,000 alumni, Vets High School has a new opportunity to educate the “next 18,000 young men and women in our community,” as a middle school.

Although the closing of Vets may seem like an ending, Avedisian said this is just the beginning for the graduates as they move on to the next stage in their lives.

“You have extraordinary adventures awaiting you. I urge you to use those opportunities, wherever you are, to help others to see through prejudice and hatred so that one day, we can truly be one people operating in peace and unity,” said Avedisian.

He encouraged the students to embrace opportunities that will foster tolerance and to work towards “celebrating diversity” no matter what they are moving onto.

Salutatorian Carolynn Silva reminded students that even if they aren’t sure of where their journey is headed next to remember that what is most important in life it to “find our little slice of happiness in this world.” She said what one does after high school is just one choice out of many that will be made in finding one’s path in life.

“Who knows what lies ahead for us,” Silva said. “Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, find what makes you happy. Find it in your work and find it in the people you surround yourself with. The happiness that’s pure is the kind that lasts.”

For Valedictorian Kevin Sanita, graduation was “surreal” and it hadn’t quite “hit” him yet that the class of 2016 would be leaving Vets. In preparing for his speech, Sanita began looking back on his time in Warwick schools and began to see how much the world has changed over those 13 years, from advancements in technology and medicine. He came to realize that every generation before his own has changed the world in some way and that upon graduating the class of 2016 would now be expected to change the world themselves. As exciting as that can be, he also admitted it can be a bit terrifying. He believes that each and every one of his classmates has it in them to change the world for the better.

He said, “It is now our time to start making our mark on the world to leave it a little better than we found it. We have to be willing to step outside of our comfort zones. It won’t be easy; we will have to push our limits and break down barriers. Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable we are all capable of greatness.”