Congrats to Eastern’s Class of 2012
On June 20, 522 young men and women will walk into McAleer Stadium as students.
They’ll leave as members of Eastern Regional High School’s class of 2012.
The ceremony begins at 3 p.m.
After four years of hard work and dedication, principal Robert Tull said students have much to be proud of.
“If anything, students were actively involved in projects that benefited the community,” Tull said. “What defines the group is that they are really service-minded.”
Members of the Class of 2012 held a game night and breakfast/brunch for local senior citizens. Students also held a Breakfast with Santa event and an Easter Egg Hunt for disadvantaged children and foster kids of Camden County.
Just last week, the school held its Spring Fling event, which honored local war veterans. Students raised money to provide a voice computer for the school’s “adopted friend,” whom Tull said lives in the rehabilitation center across the street from the high school.
At the ceremony, Tull will offer some words of wisdom to the student body he’s seen support one another and the community, while also noting students’ successes in academics, athletics, the arts and music.
“Don’t forget the people less fortunate,” Tull said. “And where they can lend a hand, lend a hand up, not out.”
This year, one of his proudest moments as an educator, Tull said, was seeing the development from a class of 20 students who spent the year developing a water purification system for Uganda.
Tonight, after the caps are tossed, pictures are taken and hugs are shared, these 20 students will travel to MIT to make a presentation to administrators about their invention.
Their model is powered by a bicycle, which filters water into a 55-gallon drum, providing fresh, drinkable water.
“They really focused their efforts on helping people out in underprivileged countries,” Tull said. “Community service puts the asterisks on this class.”
On the athletic field, Tull said many teams enjoyed successful seasons, including the first-ranked field hockey team with an undefeated season, the conference champion boys basketball team and the girls softball team, which just last week, clenched the state championship for the first time since 1986.
Academically, Tull said the school boasts one National Merit Finalist, two semifinalists and 19 commended students.
In other high school news
The school was also recently named to Newsweek’s top 1,000 high schools. Eastern came in at 860, which Tull said is a huge milestone for students, parents and staff.
“It’s a tribute to the hard work of our faculty, students and staff, as well as support from our parents,” Tull said. “We take pride in our students, who excel academically and socially. We’re happy to be a part of it and happy to be recognized.”
