C. Milton Wright High School Principal Michael Thatcher, in his final remarks to the Bel Air school’s graduating Class of 2019, praised them for their accomplishments in areas such as sports, the arts and in the classroom, for their spirit, and “most of all, your kindness.”
“You care about things beyond yourselves,” Thatcher said during commencement exercises Friday afternoon in the APG Federal Credit Union Arena at Harford Community College.
He noted the graduates’ efforts to support organizations such as the Maryland Food Bank and Autism Speaks, as well as coming together “in the face of crisis or grief.”
Thatcher also relayed comments he heard from staff at Martin’s East in Baltimore following the school’s May 11 prom there, who described the students as “the most kind and the most polite students they’ve ever had at prom.”
The principal recalled that what struck the Martin’s East staff the most was “the care that you had for each other.”
“What a great legacy that this Class of 2019 is leaving for the future student leaders,” Thatcher said.
About 347 graduates crossed the stage on the arena floor Friday to receive their diplomas, according to Thatcher.
The class, as well as spectators, came to a standing ovation when C. Milton Wright graduate Tyler Dameron walked and accepted the diploma for his late sister, Cassidy Mae-Lynn Dameron. Cassidy, a resident of Bel Air, died Dec. 15, 2017, at age 17, according to her obituary.
Dameron was in her junior year of high school when she died, said Thatcher, who later identified her brother Tyler as the person who accepted her diploma.
“When a tragedy like this happens, the kids all pull together,” Thatcher said. “It’s a special class and they care about each other, and it was evident today.”
Graduate Xavier Jaime, 18, of Bel Air, said after the ceremony that he knew Cassidy Dameron when they were in middle school, describing her as “a good girl, polite, just like her class.”
“Whenever someone is in a time of need, we always pull together and help whoever needs help,” he said.
Jamie said he plans to attend Harford Community College next year, studying to become a physician’s assistant.
“I’m proud of myself — it was a hard experience,” he said of completing high school. “I’m glad that everyone else got to graduate with me, including my friends. I’m thankful to my family for helping me graduate.”