DHS Class of 2022 graduates 72

The 72-member Daleville High School Class of 2022 threw their red mortarboard caps in the air in unison as thunderous applause from families and friends filling Warkawk Stadium erupted at the end of graduation ceremonies May 20.

“Collectively the graduates earned more than $1.9 million in scholarship offers,” said DHS Principal Josh Robertson. “Achievements of this class are because of the dedicated effort of the students, faculty and parents.”

The first diploma presented was handed out by Robertson to DHS Senior Class President Andrea Samaras. “It’s an honor to stand before you here tonight and be the voice of the senior class,” Samaras said as she welcomed the crowd of family and friends of the graduates to the stadium. “Getting to graduation was no easy task. We were the class that have collectively gone through so much over the past four years.

“We have gone through COVID, online school and missing out on a ‘normal’ high school experience,” Samaras said. “With these challenges in mind we have tried our best to make every day count.

“The things that this year has taught me is the things you learn beyond the classroom,” she said. “We have watched each other grow up and learned many valuable lessons from each other. These are the type of life lessons we will take with us forever and never forget.

“To the Class of 2022, never forget where you came from,” she added. “Once a Warhawk always a Warhawk.”

There were three valedictorians in this year’s graduating class: Esmeralda Hernandez, Aimelis Gonzales-Perez and Helena Deras.

“Tonight I have decided to stand before you and share with you the struggle of coming to a new country,” said Hernandez. “I was five years old when I was brought here. I had to learn a new language and adjust to a new environment. I faced many challenges but growing up with a different citizenship than my parents was, and still is, the biggest challenge I have had to face in my life.

“Knowing that I had to work twice as hard as everyone else has led me to be the person that I am today,” she said. “To everyone out there sharing my struggles I want you to know that if I could do it so can you. Life can be difficult but with the right people and the right motivation, we can all achieve greatness.”

“When I was a freshman in high school, 2022 seemed so far away,” said Gonzalez-Perez. “My family and I came from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and for the longest time, finding my place in this small city was tough. This school seemed so huge to me and I felt like I could never fit in.

“I came to realize how special the students and faculty here were. We ended up creating a special bond with one another,” Gonzalez-Perez said. “As we go into the world facing many challenges, it can be pretty overwhelming. A man named Winston Churchill said, ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.’”

“I am the last valedictorian—I promise,” Deras quipped. She echoed the other two valedictorians in thanking her parents. “For the sacrifices you made to provide me a life that you both dreamed of, I thank you,” she said.

“When you look at the Class of 2022, you are looking at the future,” she told the crowd. Then she added a message for her classmates: “From the bottom of my heart I wish you the very best in life,” she said.