(June 18, 2003)
 

Senior valedictory scholars Lee Hopkins and Anne Maynard have the honor of addressing their fellow seniors this evening as the 151 members of the George Mason Class of 2003 will graduate at Constitution Hall at 18th and D Streets in Washington DC at 5 p.m. This senior class is the school’s largest in at least 30 years. Hopkins and Maynard were elected as speakers by their fellow valedictory scholars, students who have earned at least a 4.0 grade point average during their high school career. Also speaking will be Molly Henneberg, a 1991 graduate of Mason, who has flown in for the ceremonies from Baghdad where she has been covering post-war reconstruction in Iraq for Fox News where she is a Washington DC-based correspondent.

Seniors Annie Maynard, left, and Lee Hopkins, have  the honor of addressing their fellow graduates tonight  during graduation ceremonies at Constitution Hall.  Maynard and Hopkins are both valedictory scholars  who were elected by their fellow scholars to be the  honored speakers.

Following the ceremonies, most of the graduates will be feted at the annual All-Night Grad Celebration from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. at the Regency Sport and Health Club. This event is organized by an army of senior parent volunteers, headed this year by Lou Ann Sabatier and Karen Gould.

Last Sunday the seniors participated in their baccalaureate directed by seniors Kristin Sommers, Jessica Jondrow, Caitlin Wright and Kate O’Hara. The ceremony included original poems by seniors Eric Powell and Ashlie Peters and speeches by Wright and Stephanie Melkonian along with a variety of poignant musical numbers.

All the seniors and their families then paraded to the GM Café where they enjoyed a scrumptious repast organized by nearly 30 junior parent volunteers who were coordinated by Rosemary Lawlor. Speakers Kate O’Hara and Dan Bray, who had been elected by their classmates, gave moving talks. Following dessert, the seniors and their families repaired to the auditorium to view a senior class video filmed by senior members of the television production class.

These activities culminated two weeks of whirlwind events that included an all-day picnic at Burke Lake Park during which the seniors consumed over 100 New York Strip steaks, 80 cheeseburgers and 80 hot dogs. They canoed on the 450-acre lake, fished, rode the park’s train, hiked, and played volleyball and frisbee golf.

Three days later the seniors enjoyed another favorable break in the weather while riding the amusements at Kings Dominion.

"In Falls Church, the entire community looks out for their seniors in a special way," said senior class sponsor Michael Hoover.