By STEPHEN FAY
HOLYOKE — The 40 graduates of Holyoke’s Dean Technical High School were given a rousing sendoff Friday evening by family, faculty, administrators and admirers. Taking note of the pandemic-disrupted school year, speaker after speaker congratulated the members of the class of 2021 for their resilience and perseverance.
“You became masters of remote education,” School Committee member Rebecca Birks observed, adding that the grads had been rendered “stronger from setbacks.”
Birks reminded the class that their connection to their families is all important.
“Through any storm, they will be your anchors,” she advised before closing with, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Superintendent Anthony Soto, himself a Dean graduate and former salutatorian, urged the students to “cherish the moment” because “life’s going to get hard.”
Facing the future will be scary, he said, but “everyone is scared.”
He encouraged the graduates to be confident and to get back up when knocked down.
“If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying,” he said, noting that early in their careers Walt Disney was fired for “lacking imagination” and Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will,” Soto said.
Acting Mayor Terence Murphy, who coached the Dean baseball team from 2002-2008, told the graduates that the city of Holyoke is proud of them for their hard work and will always stand by them.
Valedictorian Marcus R. Tenesaca’s remarks were steeped in gratitude. He thanked his classmates, his parents, his older brother for being a role model, his teachers for challenging him and Dean Principal Alan Gates for encouraging him to believe in himself.
Tenesaca, besides being valedictorian, made high honors. Also awarded high honors were salutatorian Yazmine M. Rodriguez and Glendalys Colon. Earning honors were graduates Bryan Adorno Rosado, Ayannah Cruz, Lewis D. Torres Soler, Gloricel C. Acevedo and Kelvin Gaetan.
Beyond the traditional high school curriculum, Dean Tech students have the opportunity to enroll in one of several vocational education disciplines. These are auto collision technology (seven students enrolled), carpentry (one), cosmetology (seven), culinary arts (twelve), diesel technology (one), electrical (three), health assisting (five), programming and web (one) and opportunity academy (three).