'Better Days Are Coming' for Fairfield Ludlowe Class of 2013

A beautiful summer solstice eve -- a departure from last year's sweltering commencement night -- greeted Fairfield Ludlowe High School seniors, their families, school staff, and town officials Thursday as 370 students became high school alumni.

Headmaster Greg Hatzis said that after the year Ludlowe and the rest of the community has had, they deserved such a gorgeous night.

The class, the town, and the state have endured Superstorm Sandy, the Sandy Hook school shooting, a monstrous blizzard -- and let's not forget the day part of Ludlowe's roof blew off.

And yet the Class of 2013 made it through -- and its members are onto bigger and better things, made stronger by the challenges they have faced, according to the night's speakers.

Here is a collection of quotes from Fairfield Ludlowe High School's eighth annual Commencement Exercises:

"Your lives have so much promise, so much hope, and so much success in store, but you will also face some trials and tribulations. The question I have for you all, in fact the challenge I have for you on this day, on your night of graduation, is to ask yourself, 'What will I do in the face of mistakes, obstacles, and criticism? How will I respond to challenges?'

...The answer is, never to fear them."

-- Greg Hatzis, Headmaster

"The experiences, laughs, and conversations we have had have taught us and prepared us to embrace our future conversations, wherever they may be."

-- Kathleen McAuliffe, Class President  

"To the graduating seniors, I'd like to leave you with a quote from the Dalai Lama, 'Better days are coming.' Well actually, Mr. Bryk said that one."-

-- Arjun Jain, Salutatorian

[On nerds]: "All that nerd means is that they embrace their passions and are fanatical about what they love. So I say, be a nerd -- but a nerd of whatever you want. The most important thing is that you find what you love, however strange, and you follow it with dedication and enthusiasm."

-- Thomas Romano, Valedictorian