For the first time this week, the sun peaked through the clouds on the morning of Friday, May 30. Just in time for Maurice J. McDonough High School to hold its graduation ceremony, which had been postponed from Wednesday due to inclement weather.

The more than 250 graduates were led by valedictorian Ava Rowledge and salutatorian Julie Perriello.

In her address, Rowledge, who will major in government and politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, acknowledged the title of valedictorian was one she has been vying for about a decade when she first heard that being the top student in your graduating class came with a few privileges. When she would mention that she wanted to be valedictorian, people questioned her. Why? It wouldn’t really matter in the long run. It would be a fun piece of trivia, an icebreaker when meeting new people.

“And to that I say, ‘You were right,’” Rowledge said. “Because it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, all I got was this sash, a medal and to give a three-minute speech. Class rank doesn’t prove intelligence. It doesn’t prove how successful you’ll be in the future. It doesn’t prove how much money you’ll make, and it certainly doesn’t prove how happy you’ll be.”

Still, if she could go back in time, Rowledge said she would do things the same. Work to earn the title of valedictorian.

“Even though the title doesn’t matter it is the process of working toward that goal that lays the foundation for internal happiness,” she said. While being named valedictorian was an extrinsic motivating factor it was the ambition and drive that took root and became an intrinsic motivation. “I hope that all of you will find that too,” Rowledge said. “Maybe you already know what that is. … You don’t need to have that figured out right now. But it is something to consider as we embark on the next phase of our lives.”

Perriello, who will attend High Point University in North Carolina where she plans to study accounting and business economics, talked about the unpredictability of change. “It might not have hit you yet, but for a lot of us, graduation is scary. Many of us are excited, but change in any form, even good, can be scary,” she said. The past four years have been punctuated by a routine bell schedule, hallways brimming with familiar faces, the best ways to get to class. “But all of that is going away.”

The Rams of the Class of 2025 are set to travel different paths – college, military, trade school, work force. The “fRAMily” is going its separate ways. “No matter what we choose, the safety and security of high school is behind us. And that’s scary.”

But, Perriello said, “We’re going to be OK.”

“Change is OK. We are going to grow, we are going to build new relationships, we are going to make new friends,” she said. “We are going to become successful, upstanding members of society and we are going to have a positive impact on our community.”

The McDonough Class of 2025 earned more than $27.5 million in scholarship offers. Students shared their memories and advice in an end-of-the-year feature. To view what they’ll miss and not miss about high school, click here.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).