The prevailing fashion statement for the Homewood-Flossmoor High School Class of 2025 on Sunday, June 1, was brightly decorated caps with celebratory messages inscribed as graduates marked the transition to the next stages of their lives.
Amid the joy of the occasion, there was also sadness.
her diploma on Sunday, June 1. Tom’mya was killed in a car crash on May 4.
(Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
There was an unoccupied chair among the graduates seated on the field of Viking Stadium. That space was left as a memorial to Tom’myra Lyons, who was killed in a car crash Sunday, May 4. Principal Clinton Alexander asked for a moment of silence in her honor as the graduation ceremony began, and members of her family received her diploma.
After leading the class and audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, Student Government Executive Board President Ahmad Powell delivered the senior class farewell speech.
He related a lesson he learned from Alexander, who shared with him photos of towering sequoia trees.
“Sequoia trees have the potential to grow hundreds of feet tall. … Without strong roots, these trees will never grow to what they were destined to be,” Powell said. “This moment stuck with me because today we are not here on our own. We stand tall today because of the roots that have supported us: our families, our mentors, our role models in our communities.”
He said the support students received at H-F would help them meet the challenges they will face in the world.
“You are rooted in strength, you are growing with purpose, and you are ready to reach heights beyond your imagination,” he said. “Let’s set an example for all those that will come after us. Let’s go out into the world and shatter expectations and break the mold. Let’s show everyone what it means to be a Viking.”
District 233 Board of Education President Gerald Pauling II delivered the commencement address, and he sounded a similar tone, starting with a long list of the Class of 2025’s accomplishments, including numerous academic honors, awards in the arts and athletic success.
Pauling noted that, as a member of the Class of 1985, he was seated among the graduating seniors four decades ago.
“I want you to think about the child that you were when you arrived here freshman year, nervous, awkward, unsure,” he said. “Now look at the young adults you all have become. You have grown so much, learned so much. You are so much more sure of yourselves. … Now you’re ready to go and write your next chapter.”
He asked the graduates to consider the excellent education they received at H-F, noting the rigorous curriculum, the teachers and staff who cared for them and pushed them to succeed and the fine facilities provided by the community.
“We did our best for you because you deserve the best,” Pauling said. “You are the generation that will rewrite our stories, rebuild our communities, reimagine our future, and restore our faith. … Don’t just take a diploma. Take the baton, take the responsibility … to keep learning and to keep teaching others.”
Before diplomas were presented by members of the board of education, the senior class officers announced that the Class of 2025 gift would be a scholarship, Future Leaders, that will be available for the class of 2026.
Retiring Superintendent Scott Wakeley invited each of the Viking Scholars to the stage to be recognized. The students represent the academic top 1% of the class. They include Gianni Alberico, Camille Brooms, Noelle Dolan, Owen Eaheart, Rachel Griggs, Morgan Henderson, Yadin Isaacs, Adeyemi Kasali, Ahmad Powell, Skylar Skinner, Frances Smith and Everett Van Til.
The Viking Choir under the direction of Steven Sifner sang “This Little Light of Mine.”
