Just as he had warmly greeted them outside the main doors of Concord High School every morning before the first bell rang, Gene Connolly congratulated each member of the Class of 2016 before they received their diploma.
A huge smile on his face, Connolly extended his hand to each graduate who crossed the main stage at Memorial Field on Saturday. Several students embraced their principal, others pounded one fist over their hearts as they leaned down to say a few words and clasp Connolly’s hand.
Saturday morning marked a milestone for both the senior class and their principal, who will retire from his job next month after serving in the top spot at Concord High School for the past 14 years.
The 60-year-old Connolly often said that if it weren’t for his ALS diagnosis two years ago, he would have liked to stay another decade at Concord High. But with his health declining from the neurodegenerative disease, he made the decision to step down earlier this year.
As Connolly mentioned in his speech, the Class of 2016 shared his experience with ALS more than any other class, having just finished their sophomore year around the time he made the news public.
Since then, they had embarked on ALS awareness walks and fundraisers and bestowed the school with tributes to their principal – a mural of his face and a circular bench in the main hallway bursting with greenery (a nod to Connolly’s love for plants).
Earlier this week, the Concord Parent-Teacher-Student Organization dedicated a stone bench in Connolly’s honor. It sits outside of the school in the exact spot where he used to greet students in the morning. Engraved above his name are the words, “Greet everyone, acknowledge everyone, say hello to everyone, all of the time.”
On Saturday, each graduate sported a diamond-shaped pin with Connolly’s photograph, the graduation date and the “Connolly Tough” slogan.
The graduating class also paid tribute by singing a surprise rendition of the Bill Withers song “Lean On Me,” dedicated to their principal.
Connolly’s loss of his voice meant there were some changes to this year’s ceremonies. In past years, the principal had emceed the event, but that duty was expertly handled by graduating senior Victoria Pendak and Concord High art teacher Jeff Fullam.
Pendak sported heart-shaped sunglasses and a graduation cap in full bloom with fake white flowers, which she had stayed up late to glue on the night before.
“Speaking as a student, I will remember Mr. Connolly for his generous and caring heart,” Pendak said as she introduced the principal before his commencement speech. “Mr. Connolly earned the respect of his students through trust and support . . . He created a safe and inclusive environment for all students whether they were immigrants, refugees, gay, straight, transgender, poor, rich or handicapped.”
Sitting in a wheelchair at the front of the stage, Connolly looked out at the crowd of graduates and families in front of him and pressed play on the voice synthesizer application on his iPad.
“You are a class that is defined by your leadership,” Connolly told the Class of 2016. “No one has had to tell you right from wrong. When something inappropriate happens, more often than not, a student will alert us. You set what is socially acceptable and what is not. You have distinguished yourselves academically, athletically, and through your social awareness.”
His speech touched on several points, thanking his wife Patty and his family members, many of whom had traveled to be with him at the graduation.
“I am one of seven kids and my wife is one of nine. We have over 50 relatives,” Connolly said. “They have flown from all over and are well represented today. I am loved.”
Connolly also thanked the members of his “school family”, including his administrative assistant Lisa Lamb, Concord High’s Athletic Director Steve Mello and Concord Regional Technical Center Director Steve Rothenberg and the “many other people among my school family who allow me to come and enjoy my job every day.”
Connolly remembered how excited he was when he first heard of the job opening at Concord High School about 15 years ago.
He said the city of Concord and its high school are both very special places, commending each for their history of inclusion and diversity. He congratulated teachers and staff for turning out class after class of accomplished students.
“But it is truly the students that make Concord High special,” Connolly added, as members of the Class of 2016 watched him, some wiping away tears.
He remembered back to 2013, when students voted for transgender homecoming king Ray Ramsey – the first time that had happened in the country.
“It wasn’t a big deal. It was right,” Connolly said. “There is an overwhelming sense of community with our students. They are not all friends. They come from diverse backgrounds and even nations, but I am never more proud than when I see them together as part of Concord High.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, Pendak delivered the praise right back to Connolly.
“Never doubt the job you have done,” she said. “You have created a safe and fun environment that is Concord High School. Thank you for being our principal.”
(Ella Nilsen can be reached at 369-3322, enilsen@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @ella_nilsen.)