Haddonfield Memorial High School graduate Jack Narducci gave the student commencement speech for his class at Lehigh University in May.
Narducci graduated high school in 2020 and was selected by his peers at Lehigh to speak “because of his contributions to the Lehigh community and his ability to reflect on the mission and values of the university,” according to the speaker who introduced him.
Between his high-school and college graduations, Narducci reflected on the many things that had changed since his freshman year in college began at the height of COVID.
“We are class of resiliency, a class that was greeted on move-in day with a mask and a thermometer,” Narducci recalled in his speech. “A class whose initial introduction to the Lehigh experience was over a (live)stream.
” … Let us not dwell on the challenges that we have faced as a class,” he added, “but rather on the perseverance and newfound appreciation for our experiences and the precious time that we shared together.”
During his time at Lehigh, Narducci was a battalion commander in the university’s Army ROTC Steel Battalion and a distinguished military graduate. He was also a member of the Delta Chi fraternity.
Growing up, Narducci was always drawn to public service. Although he didn’t come from a military family or have much information to go on, he described joining ROTC as “one of the best decisions in his life.”
In his junior year of college, Narducci got involved with the Armed Forces Support Club, which is similar to a veteran’s organization. He later served as club president and helped organize volunteer events and fundraisers to raise awareness for veterans at Lehigh.
In his speech, Narducci encouraged his fellow graduates to not lose sight of public service and the responsibility to help others.
“While we’ll soon be joining a prestigious network of thousands who came before us, we’re also entering a world that desperately needs our help,” Narducci told his peers. “What defines this class, what truly defines this class, will be the lasting work we do and the people we impact.
“It’s up to us to define ourselves, and I’m excited to see what we accomplish.”
Narducci was class vice president in high school and for the Class of 2024, he had this advice.
“Nothing that you’ve really done from high school to college will define (your college experience),” Narducci emphasized. “What will define it is what you do moving forward and the people you impact throughout your lives.
“Compared to high-school graduation, you’re definitely put in a position where you really have to put your best foot forward when you’re in college,” he added. “Every opportunity is something that you have to make of it, whereas in high school, you get a little more push from clubs and organizations and groups.”
Following graduation from Lehigh, Narducci was sworn in as a second lieutenant in the Army. He plans to attend law school in the fall to become a judge advocate general (JAG) military attorney.
