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Jannah Zeinou, a member of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022, receives congratulations after her graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 approach the stage to receive their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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A member of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 walks off stage after receiving her diploma during a graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Jad Hakim, left and DJ Hall wait for their Spain Park HIgh School Class of 2022 graduation ceremony to begin at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Sam Wasko adjusts the attire of fellow Spain Park High School student Andrew Watson as they wait for their Class of 2022 graduation ceremony to begin at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Gifts and souvenirs sit ready for purchase at the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 enter the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, for their graduation ceremony on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 watch classmates receive their diplomas during their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 approach the stage to receive their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 approach the stage to receive their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Three hundred and seventy-two members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 go through their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Selma Maric, Spain Park High School's Student Government Association President for the 2021-22 school year, speaks during the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Spain Park High School Principal Larry Giangrosso speaks at the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Gifts and souvenirs sit ready for purchase at the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 wait in the hallway prior to their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 wait in the hallway prior to their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Faculty members of Spain Park High School enter for the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Spain Park High School faculty members enter the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, for the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park Class of 2022 on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 wait for the beginning of their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 wait for their graduation ceremony to begin at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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William Gasser, the member of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 with the highest GPA, speaks at their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Spain Park High School Principal Larry Giangrosso hands a diploma to a member of the Spain Park Class of 2022 during a graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 salute during the national anthem at their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Spain Park High School Class of 2022 Senior Class President Elle Taylor speaks during their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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Three hundred and seventy-two members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 go through their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 attend their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 approach the stage to receive their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Spain Park High School Principal Larry Giangrosso hands out diplomas to members of the Spain Park Class of 2022 during a graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 go through their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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A member of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 approaches the stage to receive a diploma at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Audience members watch intently during the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 receive congratulations as they prepare to re-enter the gym at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, after receiving their diploma, 2o22.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 walk down a hallway after receiving their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Audience members watch during the graduation ceremony for the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park HIgh School Class of 2022 go through their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park HIgh School Class of 2022 go through their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park HIgh School Class of 2022 stop for a selfie as they leave their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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Lydia Farris, one of 17 valedictorians for the Spain Park High School Class of 2022, speaks during their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 watch as classmates receive their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Spain Park High School Principal Larry Giangrosso hands a diploma to a member of the Spain Park Class of 2022 during a graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Three hundred and seventy-two members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 go through their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 approach the stage to receive their diplomas at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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Members of the Spain Park High School Class of 2022 pose for a photo after their graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, on Friday, May 20, 2o22.
Spain Park High School celebrated its Class of 2022 with a graduation ceremony at the Pete Hanna Center at Samford University on Friday night.
And while it was a night for saying goodbye for the 372 graduates, two of the student speakers talked at length about how good their classmates were at saying hello and making newcomers feel welcome.
Lydia Faris, who was chosen by her classmates to speak on behalf of the Class of 2022’s 17 valedictorians, talked about what it was like to emigrate as a refugee from Syria in 2012. She talked about leaving her garden of jasmine flowers in Syria and moving to Hoover, Alabama.
“Leaving home was scary. Change was scary,” she said.
She doesn’t really know why her family landed in Alabama as a destination but knows there is a reason why they stayed.
“I’ve seen Spain Park support its students regardless of differences, regardless of my differences,” she said. “We all enter the same building each morning. We all learn to love one another and to be kind and to support each other.”
Faris noted there were people in the audience at the Pete Hanna Center from around the world who speak different languages and celebrate different cultures.
“The beauty of Spain Park lies in its diversity,” she said. “Here, 21 languages are spoken, and 57 countries are represented. It is incredible how we have all come together and celebrate these differences.”
Faris said she is proud to call herself a student at Spain Park.
“I’ve not once felt judged as a Syrian refugee,” she said. “I’ve been welcomed with open arms by my Spain Park family.”
While moving from Syria was a huge change, Faris noted she and her classmates are about to go through another big, scary change and said change is good and necessary.
“Change allows us to grow, offering us a chance to enrich our lives with perspectives that would otherwise be intangible,” she said. “Use change as a tool to reflect on past lessons while fearlessly carving your current path. Don’t be scared of change. In fact, celebrate the discomfort. … As we embrace the new changes in our lives, never forget where you came from and always search for the jasmine flowers the world has to offer.”
‘I FELT CARED FOR’
Selma Maric, who served as Spain Park’s Student Government Association president this year, talked about moving from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Hoover in 2015.
“I arrived halfway through the school year and knew no one. I was horrified to start middle school and was bitter about moving across the country,” she said. “Being my nervous, shy self that I was back then, I was scared to approach anyone, yet on my first day, so many of you came up to me. I was invited to sit with different people at lunch, and people made sure that I felt welcomed.”
Everyone wanted to know more about Salt Lake City and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where her parents were born, she said.
“I felt cared for,” Maric said. “I was so scared I would get lost in a crowd when I moved here, but you guys went out of your way to come up to me and to say hi and to ask me how I was. You listened to my story, and you made my day just a little bit sweeter.”
As she and her classmates now depart Spain Park, she encouraged them to do it again. “Be willing to say hi to new people and listen to the stories of your new friends,” she said.
PERSEVERANCE AND DETERMINATION
Senior Class President Elle Taylor said it’s crazy to think that just four short years ago, they were the “top dogs” at Berry Middle School, itching to become high schoolers.
“I was expecting high school to be just like the movie “High School Musical,” she said. “I was very sad to find out there wouldn’t be spontaneous dance routines taking place in between classes.”
The past four years of pep rallies, proms, homecoming activities, “dreaded semester exams” and even the COVID-19 pandemic have helped shape them into who they are today, Taylor said.
They’ll never forget the impact of the “global pandemic, friendships lost, friendships gained, school dances missed, family time spent and championships won,” she said. “The legacy this class of Spain Park has left is one of perseverance, adaptation and hard work, and while we have accomplished so much over these past four years, there is so much more to come.”
Taylor cited Hebrews 12:1 from the Bible, encouraging her classmates to let go of wounds that have pierced them and the sins that easily entangle them so they can run the marathon of life with passion and determination.
“We have all been given different passions and gifts by God so that we can be a light in this dark world and serve those around us,” Taylor said. “As you embark on this new chapter in your life, I encourage you to remember the people who have shaped you into the person you are today and thank them for the impact they have had on your life.”
YIELD OR FIGHT?
William Gasser, the student with the highest GPA in Spain Park’s Class of 2022, recalled one night when he stayed up til 3 a.m. doing physics homework. The reason he sacrificed his sleep and balanced academics with a varsity sport and numerous extracurricular activities was because of a statement made by a friend his sophomore year when they were choosing classes and debating whether to take all Advanced Placement classes to try to get the highest GPA in the class, he said.
His friend told him he couldn’t do it, he said.
“The most crucial lesson I learned at Spain Park is to not let others dictate your success,” he said. “We will be successful. Spain Park has provided us with all the resources we need to strive for excellence, and I’m a firm believer that each and every one of us graduates has the potential to change the world.”
Each of them will face opposition in the world, whether from a boss, adversary or even a friend who questions their ability to succeed, he said.
“When the world tempts you to give up on your dreams and declares you incapable, will you yield, or will you fight?” he asked.
CLASS OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
Spain Park college and career counselor Tracy Prater noted that the Spain Park Class of 2022 received a collective $22.9 million in scholarship offers and accepted $9 million of those scholarships. Sixty-one percent of the graduating class were offered scholarships, and 20% of them finished with a GPA of 4.0 or higher, he said.
The Spain Park Class of 2022 was offered admission to 154 colleges in 36 states and four countries, including some of the most elite schools in the country, Prater said.
Three members of the class were “National Merit Commended” students, while two made National Merit Finalist and one was named a National Merit Scholar, Prater said. The class also has a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate, he said.
Spain Park Principal Larry Giangrosso told the graduates that people no longer will let them rely on parents or others to represent them. “It will be up to you to make decisions and to live with the outcomes of those choices,” he said.
Decisions about things such as where to live and work and who to marry will be solely on their shoulders, Giangrosso said.
“The tasks before you are great. The tasks before you will be challenging and sometimes insurmountable, but you who sit before us tonight will accomplish these tasks,” the principal said. “It is my belief you will be called the next greatest generation.”
