Nearly 100 students crossed the stage as they graduated at New Design High School on the Lower East Side on Wednesday on a day of cheers, tears, victory signs, hugs and myriad designs on mortar boards.
The students walked, danced and leaped in the final steps of their high school journey in front of an audience of around 700 as they were congratulated by family, friends and the schools chancellor.
“We usually don’t have a keynote speaker, but today, this person asked to join us,” Principal Scott Conti said before diplomas were handed out at a podium with the words “Good Vibes.”
Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools Kamar H. Samuels, who plans to attend one graduation in each borough, urged students not only to learn from teachers, but from each other.
“In today’s polarized world, building that kind of connection and empathy is critical. That is not AI-able,” the Chancellor said at the school at 350 Grand St. “Nothing can replace the human ability to form bonds across difference. That is a skill that will allow you to engage in difficult connections, without doubting the other person’s humanity.”
If this was the end of one educational journey, he also noted it was the beginning of another, or a continuation, for many.
The vast majority plan to attend college or community college, with many attending SUNY or CUNY schools.
The SUNY and CUNY systems, in partnership with New York City public schools, offer acceptance letters from at least one CUNY or SUNY school, or both, as an option for public school students.
“That means we continue to be the engine of social mobility in the city,” Chancellor Samuels said of that choice. “That gives our young people a pathway to college and a career.”
One student carried a Jamaican flag, another peeled back his graduation gown to reveal a Knicks shirt with the same orange and blue colors as the school itself, but all had a school name next to theirs on photos onstage.
It was a day with so much cheering and congratulations, including balloons, that it almost felt like the Knicks won another title.
“All 100 percent are going to college. It was so great to have the chancellor with us today. I feel so much love for these kids,” Principal Conti said. “We always think you focus on the individual and their identity. We do that in a culture of collaboration and community. So they become the best versions of themselves.”
Chancellor Samuels said he saw a high school where so many students seemed happy with their experience. The cheering equaled or exceeded what you might hear at a sporting event. A tear or two was visible as some students crossed the stage.
“When I looked out into the audience, the young people here are happy,” Chancellor Samuels continued. “The principal makes sure they feel welcome, a friend, and holds them to high expectations.”
Milly Perez Guzman, planning on attending Hunter College, talked about the camaraderie not just competition the school fosters.
“I really enjoy the community that we created,” Perez Guzman said. “By created, I mean how close we are to each other and how we somewhat rely on each other.”
She plans to major in biology in the hope of becoming a veterinarian, pursuing a passion as a profession.
“I grew up surrounded by animals. That created a space in my heart, a sympathy for animals and for small creatures,” Perez Guzman continued. “That’s what pivoted my thinking into wanting to become a vet.”
Mervin Landaverde, winner of the Tristan Seranno Memorial Award and the design award, plans to attend the New York Institute of Technology, enrolling in a five-year program to become an architect.
“So many things that happen in life happen for a reason,” he said, noting smaller schools can bring big benefits. “I feel like here, you build connections that really last. I know people in other, bigger high schools, you don’t really get to know anyone.”
Salutarian Modiline Turner plans to study psychology at Pace University. “I’m excited but also scared,” she said. “I’m going in for psychology with a minor in political science. I’m interested in being a therapist and in policy making.”
Henry Gregory, winner of the math and Spanish awards, said he’s going to Grinnell, in Iowa, but plans to return.
“I’m excited, but I’m also tired. I’m excited to move on with my life, get out of the city for a bit,” said Gregory. “I’ll come back.”
Chancellor Samuels talked about diversity, calling New York City “one of the most diverse places on earth in every sense of the word,” which means “our entire city is your classroom.”
Edgar Rodriguez, of New Visions, a nonprofit that supports city schools, sees New Design High School as a school that educates and promotes empathy.
“Everyone here, the staff and families, were behind you to get you here,” Rodriguez said. “They’ll continue to be behind you to get you to the next stage.”
Tiana Morrison, executive director of Design Your Future, a nonprofit that supports this school, said students learn from each other and from teachers.
“The relationships with the adults, the teachers and the staff, is unique,” Morrison said. “That makes this high school experience as important as your college experience.”
She pointed to internships, from running a store at the school to music production and Google. “A lot of companies come in to work with the kids,” Morrison added.
While this was one graduation in a system with about 1,600 schools, Chancellor Samuels said “the work of learning from your peers does not end with a diploma,” but continues. “Keep that New York City sensibility, that openness, that appreciation of diversity,” he added.
Most students are staying in New York, but Gregory said he’ll miss the school, friends and family, but will return.
“This school has great staff and support systems,” he said. “I’m going to miss my family, my friends. I’ll always come back to them.”
Chancellor Samuels seemed to enjoy the graduation as much as anyone else in the auditorium, as he beamed from the podium.
“If you are in education and you can’t love a graduation, go find a new career,” he said. “I love graduations. I can feel the vibe and the energy in this one.”
