Class of 2023 Commencement

The green foliage on three sides and the purple glow at the front cupped the Venetian Theater, gently holding all the pride and joy of John Jay High School’s 229 graduates and their families, as well as many teachers, district administrators and community members. For nearly an hour on Thursday, June 20, laughter and tears filled the space before spilling out into Caramoor’s grounds and beyond.

The music and stories shared at John Jay High School’s Class of 2023 Commencement created a memorable and moving send-off for a class described as kind and resilient, and whose academic and athletic achievements included four Regeneron Science Research awards, eight league championship teams, six all-state players, five academic all-Americans and a state champion robotics team.

A minute into his speech, Valedictorian Joseph Klettner put on thick rimmed glasses, held up an oversized book and pinched his nose, becoming a self-deprecating stereotype of a nerd. In nasally delivered words, he defined the label as “someone who devotes his life to books. I have a terrible social life and do nothing but study with my cats.”

Props put aside, Joseph turned the hilarity into an important message. “There are bound to be expectations and stereotypes placed on us … But what I’ve learned from being at John Jay is that you can be whoever you want to be. Jocks can be gentle and kind. Geeks can be social butterflies. I can be in a rock band."

“Regardless of what category society boxes you into, that box is not made of steel … once I stopped caring so much about what other people thought, I grew infinitely in confidence and personality … Congratulations, Class of 2023. May you always strive to be you.”