[Music:"Pomp and Circumstance"]
[Music] Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
[Music] What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
[Music] Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
[Music] O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming,
[Music] And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
[Music] Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
[Music] Oh say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
[Music] O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
>> Good afternoon, my name is Dr. Handy and
I am the proud principal of Albert
Einstein High School. I would like to
take this time to extend a grand welcome
to Albert Einstein High School's Class
of 2020 Commencement Program. On behalf
of the administration and staff, I
welcome each of you. Today we celebrate
the success of our 2020 graduating class
and honor our 417 graduates and their
parents and family. You have worked 13
years for this day and we are proud of
you! At this moment, I'd like to honor and
recognize the backbone of our Titan
family the Albert Einstein High School
faculty and staff. Your hard work and
commitment to our students has pushed
them here today, ready to cross the
finish line. They are prepared and ready
for the next level - mission accomplished!
To our parents, we appreciate you. Your
school pride is amazing and to be
commended. We thank you for your support
and because of you, we celebrate this
fine group of young men and women today,
thank you. To the Class of 2020,
today we celebrate you! I am proud to
have served as your principal for this
past year and wish you only the best as
you begin your new journey. This is not
an end but the beginning of the next
chapter of your life. I salute you and
your many accomplishments. Amongst you
you have 21 Governor's Merit Scholarship
Scholastic Awardees, 84 recipients of the
President's Award for Educational
Excellence, having earned a 3.5 or higher for four years
along with outstanding test scores and
significant community service, 23
International Baccalaureate diplomas, 19
AP Scholars with Distinction, 10 AP
Scholars with Honor, and 27 AP
Scholars. 63 seniors were recognized
the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy and this
was achieved with distinction in six
different languages: Amharic, French,
German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Six athletes have signed to play sports
in college. You have earned more than a
half a million dollars in scholarships
and they are still coming in. I am very
proud of your commitment to service, as a
class, you have earned a total of forty-
four thousand seven hundred and fifty-
four Student Service Learning hours, wow!
That is awesome! Give yourselves a hand!
You have gained acceptance to
distinguished colleges and
universities across the United States of
America. You are going places for sure!
From the time that you have entered
Albert Einstein High School as freshmen
until today, you were a special class that
will leave a positive mark on our school.
We say that Albert Einstein High School
is the place to be and you live that
mantra from day one. No one tops your
school spirit and no one tops your love
for Einstein High School. In my twenty
years as a high school principal, I have
never witnessed a homecoming like yours.
From spirit week to the pep rally, those
male poms to the homecoming game, there
was school spirit like none other. Your
school plays, dance, music, and choral
programs are like none other.
Albert Einstein High School has the best
artists in the county, in the state, and
tops in the nation, like none other. You
have excelled academically and
athletically, like none other; and we are
a school tucked away in Kensington,
Maryland, and like none other. Class of
2020, you will forever go down in history.
This pandemic may have changed the
course of your senior year in high
school, but it does not change the course
of your future. It has made you stronger;
it has made you resilient; it has made
you value time with people who love you
the most,
value opportunities and to not take
anything for granted.
I don't want you to be bitter, but be
better. Don't look backwards, look forward,
know that the best is yet to come. A
great author, John Gordon, offers this
advice: "Follow your passion, as it will
lead you to your purpose." The quest for
your purpose is not a straight line, but
one that will have obstacles, and
victories, dead-ends, delays, and detours.
But as you have learned, your hard work
will pay off. Your commitment to succeed
will pay off. Continue to invest in
yourself and your future. Finally, as you
prepare for the next level, live the life
that you love. Remember life is all about
choices. Choose a career that you are
passionate about. Choose friends that
will make you laugh and smile. Choose to
spend time with loved ones that make you
happy.
Choose to give back to your community
and to add value to others. Choose to
travel and enjoy ocean breezes, mountain
air, and fireside chats. Choose to live
the life you love. Class of 2020, I am so
proud of you today and I wish you only
the best in life! You have been led by
some amazing leaders, Sofia Hidalgo, your
SGA president, and your senior class
president, Farhana Islam. You guys are
amazing!
All of you are Titans for life. That
means you are a warrior and a champion
and there is not a pandemic, a virus, or
shutdown, that can take this day away
from you. We salute you today,
congratulations!
>> Hi, my name is Jared Kavlock. I'm a
teacher at Einstein and the Class
Sponsor for the Class of 2020. First, I want
to say congratulations to the Class of
2020 on this amazing achievement! This
year brought a new vision to Einstein.
Still the place to be of course, but Mr.
Fernandez rode off into the sunset and took
his timeline with him and Dr. Handy
brought a new vision for Einstein. Now
going forward, what new vision will you
present and bring to the world? This year,
the yearbook staff explored this idea
with the theme of "Envision." But I want
you to extend this idea beyond this. What
is your vision? How do you want to change
the world? Your country, how do you want
your country to change, your community to
change? How will the Class of 2020 make
their vision of change happen?
Speaking of vision, 2020 is all about
perfect vision right? But nobody has all
the answers, nobody has perfect vision.
Look at the situation we're in now. Even
the best scientists and policymakers
couldn't predict exactly how this would
evolve. But what matters is how we
conceptualize where we want to go from
here and how we work to get there. Right
now we're presented with a unique
opportunity, to rethink our society, to
rethink our institutions, how we
socialize, how we govern, how we help our
neighbors, how we provide healthcare, how
we educate, and on-and-on. We may not know
what the future will look like when we
pass through these turbulent times, but
we know who will lead us when we get
there, the Class of 2020 an your
generation. The greatest advice I can
give you as you go out into the world,
well eventually, don't go out into the
world just yet you know, stay at home, but
eventually as you go out into the world
to college, to employment, to the military,
to service, is to find ways to make
positive change around you. That change
doesn't have to be dramatic or
widespread, it can be small, helping your
family, improving your neighborhood or
community, or go big, inspire hundreds of
thousands to follow in your example to
make the world a better place. The change
that you make is up to you. Don't accept
things the way they are - don't settle for
the status quo. I hope we've taught you
to think critically, to challenge
assumptions, to question the world around
you.
There are a lot of older people out
there who think they know how things
ought to be, that the younger generation
needs to follow in their footsteps.
Now don't disrespect the many years of
wisdom and experience that these people
have.
But what new fresh ideas can you bring
to the table?
What, with your example, you can make the
world a better place. Without the vision
of younger generations, we never would
have gotten abolition, or women's right
to vote a hundred years ago, make sure
you go vote in November!
...improvements to civil rights, acceptance
of our LGBTQ+ community. These changes
came about because young people fought
for the vision that they had
for a better future, through walkouts and
sit-ins, they made their voices heard, and
you've followed in their footsteps with
walk outs of your own. You're determined
to tackle the challenges of your time, be
it climate change, COVID-19, mental health,
gun violence, and many more. So Class of
2020, what is your vision, for yourself
for your family, for your neighborhood,
for your community, for your state, your
nation, your world? What can you do to
make it a reality? I can't wait to watch
and find out. Congratulations 2020! >> Good
afternoon family, friends, faculty, and
fellow 2020 graduates.
My name is Farhana Islam and I'm the Senior
Class President. We did it! Take that in
and be proud of yourself, because this is
a major step in the journey of your
lives and should be recognized with
immense significance and pride. You
worked hard, even when some days felt
like the worst, but you pulled through.
From the first day of high school to the
very end, we went through monumental
times. But one thing I noticed and was
struck by, was your guys's intelligence
and power. As I was honored and forever
grateful to be your Class President for
the past four years,
I witnessed the drive you all had and
how every hardship you endured shaped
you into strong and talented people. You
all knew how to deal with things, because
reality hit you early. Your guys's voice
serve as his power was legendary. Your
passion and drive and taking the time
out to be the bigger person, when you
believed people above us didn't do their
job, just shows how powerful your guys's
voices are and how important it is for
you to continue that. Never let that go.
Never let anyone tell you "No."  Never stop
growing, because your guys's growth is
already electrifying.
Never stop being you. Don't let anyone
take that away from you. With beautiful
patience, beautiful things await. Thank you
for being the class that was built with
power. Congratulations to the Class of
2020!
[Upbeat Music]
>> On behalf of the faculty and staff of
Albert Einstein High School, I recommend
to you, Dr. Judy Docca, of the Montgomery
County Public Schools Board of Education,
the members of the Class of 2020, as
qualified candidates for the State of
Maryland diploma and certificates.
>> By virtue of the authority vested in the
Board of Education of Montgomery County,
under the laws of the state of Maryland,
I do now award diplomas or certificates
evidencing the satisfactory completion
of prescribed courses to study to the
students of Montgomery County Public
Schools who are recommended for
graduation by the faculty of Montgomery
County Public Schools. In receiving this
diploma or certificate each of you is
entitled to all the privileges and
honors accorded graduates of a high
school accredited by the Maryland State
Department of Education. Congratulations
graduates!
[Graduating students names are announced and appear on the video screen]
Good morning! We are members
of the Graduating Class of 2020. >> This is
the moment we have been waiting for, to
symbolize our transition from candidates
and graduates and move on to the real
world. We will now turn our tassels.
>> Seniors, please rise. Please move your
tassels from right to left!
Congratulations Class of 2020!
We're officially High School Graduates!
[Upbeat Music]
