NORTH PORT — The Imagine School North Port commencement treated families, staff and graduates to a night of inspiration, comedy and a cutout of George Clooney on a stick.
The ceremony was held at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center on Thursday night.
Seniors celebrated their transition into adulthood as their families, friends, and peers watched.
'Watch for traffic and hold hands'
Imagine School Principal John Halcomb shared advice for graduates.
“When you go out into the world watch out for traffic and hold hands,” he said, citing a book of kindergarten rules.
Checking for traffic, he said, is knowing your surroundings, and holding hands is being there for people and letting them be there for you.
“Work to keep those connections growing. Congratulations to the class of 2024. We are very proud of you,” he said.
After Halcomb, history teacher Sharon Ness took to the stage.
She did so with various quips, advice, a self-deprecating tone hinting at a drawn-out speech, and of course, a George Clooney cutout on a stick her students evidently knew very well.
“The whole reason we’re here is to get out of here,” she said. “Oh, the laughs we had.”
She praised the group.
“Life’s a classroom, everyday and moment will give you something to learn from. I realize this may be scary, but you are home," Ness said. "This is home. You have all made a difference in my life and I hope in a small way I have for you."
Class president, class clown master the mic
Class President Janelle Delices took to the stage. She plans on going to the University of Florida for architecture.
“I’m vertically challenged,” she said walking up to the podium, in front of hundreds.
She shared tales of her and her friends' growth at Imagine. Her and 25% of the class have gone to the school since kindergarten.
She said in spite of some "historically" bad discipline from her middle school class at Imagine, they all made it to the night, pulling on their caps and gowns.
“Let’s start getting ready for the road trips of our lives,” she said.
Jace Faulkner took to the stage with an opposite demeanor of Delices. While Delices was subtle and methodical, his was far from it.
He loudly and proudly took to the podium after telling The Daily Sun he is "gonna go up there and yap."
And he did. Captivating the audience with the sheer audacity of his unfiltered delivery.
Engaging his peers with his rapid speech and cadence of a standup comedian, it appeared as if he had been waiting for this moment since the beginning of his schooling career.
He fired off one inside joke after another as as his classmates watched him "kill."
Sharks to keep on swimming
The ceremony also saw scholarships given out and proud families taking photos of their young adults and their awards.
Graduates said they aspired to various careers. From being a lawyer, to an electrician, to a businessperson, Imagine's class of 2024 has high hopes.
“Make the change. Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Ness said.
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