East grads look toward future
Andrew Collins reluctantly admitted a guilty pleasure.
He enjoys watching "Jon & Kate Plus 8," a reality show on The Learning Channel about a couple with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets.
His admission, however, was a part of a bigger message: he emphasized that the family reminded him of St. Charles East's graduating class.
"None of us chose to be here," he said. "We are all different but we work together to create the final image."
Collins, the salutatorian, was one of three student speakers at St. Charles East's graduation ceremony Sunday at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. A fleur-de-lis adorned the left shoulder of the black gowns that had orange trim on the sleeves.
Collins called on the graduating class of about 450 students to cherish the present with an eye to the future.
"We are in the presence of memories that will be with us forever," he said.
Brianna Betlej, 18, will attend Elgin Community College in the fall where she will begin to pursue a law career. In the meantime, she plans to save money during the summer.
Her fondest memories from St. Charles East are football games, homecoming and getting her driver's license. That doesn't mean she wishes she could have another day at the school.
"I just feel really relieved that I don't have to go back to high school," she said. "(Graduation) is easily my biggest accomplishment."
Michael Abreu, 17, was the first person called to receive his diploma. He said he was nervous.
"Moving on from high school to college, it's a weird feeling," he said.
He also will attend ECC and hopes to get into the medical field.
The school's valedictorian, Lauren Keblusek, told her fellow graduates that several traits would serve them well in the future. Along with a sense of humor and compassion, graduates should keep an open mind and always keep pushing forward.
"If it's something you really want, you owe it to yourself to go after it," she said.