Hampton graduates celebrate ‘warm,’ ‘selfless’ community at 2023 commencement

Kai Suyama likes to imagine his time at Hampton High School as a painting. But unlike the famous creations “Girl With a Pearl Earring” or “Starry Night,” he said “it’s too good for any viewer in any museum.”

“Hampton is a mosaic, and every tile has a place and purpose. Every one of you makes this place the warm, inviting, selfless community that it is,” Suyama said. “And I’ve only ever been able to see it in chunks, a set of tiles here depicting this or that, or a tile supporting another, letting it cry on its shoulder, helping it with its math homework.

“But I see the whole picture now, and it is absolutely beautiful, like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” the graduating senior continued during his speech titled “What Would You Paint?”

Suyama, along with about 200 other students, celebrated their academic accomplishments June 8 at Fridley Field during Hampton High School’s Class of 2023 commencement.

Some of the graduates are heading off to local colleges such as the University of Pittsburgh or Duquesne University to study everything from linguistics to architecture. Others are moving thousands of miles away to attend the University of Alabama and University of Southern California. Some are entering the military or the workforce.

But regardless of their differing paths, Suyama believes his fellow graduates’ canvas is blank, and all they have to do is paint it. Suyama plans to attend Boston University in the fall.

“Go be an actor on Broadway. Be a rocket scientist, a marine biologist, a chef, pilot, Hollywood stunt double, professional sleeper, teddy bear surgeon,” he said. “Your canvas is limitless, and so is your future.”

At the ceremony, Superintendent Michael Loughead told students that he hopes they adopt the values of gratitude and optimism as they move forward.

“As you commence this next journey, and as you navigate the many miles that you have ahead of you, I encourage you to live your days filled, as Mr. Rogers often says, with deep caring, delight, joy, excitement.”

Jill Hamlin, school board president, acknowledged the challenges the covid-19 pandemic posed to the class, noting that their experiences probably weren’t “what we have considered the normal experience of past classes.” Hamlin also thanked the parents, guardians, teachers and administrators who helped the students reach graduation.

“You’ve definitely had a few curveballs, but you’ve adjusted, pushed through and you made it here tonight,” she said. “And we are all so very proud of you.

“The class of 2003 is a fantastic collection of students. Not only excellent scholars, excellent leaders, artists, musicians, athletes and so much work,” Hamlin added. “Wherever you go from here, whether it’s college, the workplace, to the military, or something else, I encourage you to find your purpose, try to work so hard. Use your talent and your gifts for good.”

Two graduating seniors, Aja Lynn and Audrey Alling, recited a poem called “Momentary Memories” for their speech. In the poem, they recounted the first time they met during a new student orientation in sixth grade:

“See, memories build, altered with the impatience of time, we can’t keep up, so we stack each recollection, each painted picture of recalled perfection, like the glistening beads of a kaleidoscope.”

Now, as graduates, “We brace ourselves for the impact of the shift of beads, of new colors in view, dancing together in new light.”