Schools
Time to Say Goodbye for OFHS Seniors
A class of graduating Bengals reflect on four years at the school, and look forward to their futures.
Graduating Oak Forest High School seniors, faculty, staff, family and friends filled the ballroom at the Tinley Park Convention Center for the school's commencement ceremony Tuesday, May 24.
The seniors, boys in black gowns and the girls in gold, paraded in to audience applause, clicking cameras, whirring videos, and Pomp and Circumstance majestically sounding out from the band.
Senior Choir members performed I’ll be there and senior members of the band played Time to Say Goodbye—both receiving an emotional round of applause from the students and guests.
Class salutatorians Jennifer Elizabeth Burghard gave her address as Salutatorian with the thoughts that, "we [the graduates] can contribute to a more compassionate world."
Valedictorian Daisy Lopez offered an inspiring message in her address. Lopez quoted John Lennon, saying “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans." Oak Forest High School isn’t just a place, but an experience, she told her classmates. There’s a lot to learn about the world and about things we never knew, she added.
Daisy’s mother, Irma Lopez, proud of her daughter’s achievements so far, told Patch that she was most proud of Daisy's work as a Bengal tutor helping other students learn calculus. In order to provide opportunity for her daughter Irma worked in a factory while attending school at night. Mostly, she said, she wanted to “teach her to be a human being.”
Several seniors told Patch that the most significant part of graduating would be “a new chapter in life,” “growing up.” and “moving on to better things.”
The ceremony was inspiring with bursts of applause, cheers, and emotion, leading up to the most dramatic moment—mortarboards flying through the air.
