Linganore Lancers embrace change, prepare for future life lessons

Nearly 400 Linganore High School students filed into Knott Arena at Mount St. Mary's University Monday evening, abuzz with energy and excitement to graduate.

"You only graduate high school once," Eric Lowe, one of the graduates, said.

Photos: Linganore High Graduation

Photos from Class of 2024 Linganore High Graduation Ceremony in Knott Arena at Mount St. Mary's University

Some students prior to the ceremony were also feeling somewhat anxious, hoping they wouldn't trip and fall on stage.

But Julie Angulo, the class' student speaker, would make sure they didn't.

"As we get ready to walk across the stage, make sure your shoes are tied and watch your step. There's no trips and falls here," she said.

While the students shouldn't trip and fall on stage, she said, the same couldn't be said in life. Now was the time to make mistakes and learn from them, she said.

No matter where all of her peers were going after high school, this was the part of their lives to figure out who they are.

"We are young and it's OK not to know the answers to everything," she said. "But seek these answers out with confidence and remember to enjoy the ups and downs along the way."

The class of 2024 certainly experienced plenty of ups and downs during their four years, Linganore Principal Michael Dillman said.

The class' high school years started in a less than traditional fashion, he said, with online learning due to a global pandemic.

"You left school one fateful Friday afternoon, probably leaving things in the classrooms, maybe in the lockers and you thought 'Well, I'll just get it when I come back next week,'" Dillman said. "But as we know, things changed."

However, that challenge showed the class' perseverance and adaptability, he said. With that experience, the students demonstrated the ability to grow, learn and rely on people around them for support.

For Kaila Por, that was crucial during her time in high school.

"My family was a huge support system for me," she said.

Megan Hummel also found support throughout her four years through her friends, teammates, coaches and teachers. It was those connections that she said she was going to miss the most after graduation.

Hummel said she played various sports in high school, like volleyball, basketball and lacrosse. After graduation, she said, she'll be going to Coastal Carolina University to play lacrosse.

It was also being involved in so many sports that she learned to love her school and the people in it, she said. She advised future Lancers to get involved with the community.

"People here are actually a lot cooler than you think they would be and I'm getting really sad about having to leave everyone," she said.

Cheyenne Hamm emphasized the role of her friends who stuck by her side through all four years of high school.

"You're going to go through many different struggles but in the end, they'll definitely just make you a better person and help you to grow the most," she said.

Lowe wanted to make the best of graduation.

He was nervous, but excited, he said. He just wished he could have kept his keys and wallet with him during the ceremony.

After four years at Linganore High School, Lowe said, he would tell anyone just starting high school to not take the next four years for granted. A key was going in with an open mind.

"It's a whole experience," he said. "You will find out who you are as a person. You'll find the type of people you like to be around. You'll discover a lot about yourself."