Zachary McDaniel refused to allow a birth disorder spoil his high school experience.
And it certainly had no adverse effect on him during the Bow High School graduation ceremony on Saturday. One of 161 graduates and a member of the National Honor Society, McDaniel wowed the crowd with a meaningful speech, describing his experience dealing with VACTERL – a disorder that affects various body systems – while feeling different from everyone else, worried classmates might tease him.
Doctors had said that few activities would be open to McDaniel because of his disability. The doctors were wrong.
“There are always things that I’m going to be unable to do, and activities that I’m unable to participate in,” McDaniel told a packed house in the school gym. “But I played baseball, enjoyed school clubs and made tons of friends, and now here I am, speaking at graduation.”
McDaniel was one subset during a morning of subsets. Even 5-year-old Parker McCoy played a role, sitting in the back row and slapping hands with each graduate who walked by.
Bow High Principal Brian O’Connell emceed the event. He said 92 percent of graduates were continuing their education, and he speculated that that number could be the “highest in the state.”
Co-presidents Sean Miclette and Elizabeth Parker were the first students to speak.
Miclette spoke first, detailing memories over the course of his four years at Bow High.
“We made it,” Miclette quipped, before talking about homecoming weekend, dances and finishing last in the Bow Olympics year after year before the team finally finished first his senior year.
“A fitting way to leave,” Miclette said. “It’s a tumultuous world, and you have to push yourself every day. Don’t settle for average.”
Parker then talked about conquering fear, testing yourself.
“It can be scary putting yourself out there,” she said. “Find your purpose and keep striving for success. But make sure to stop and enjoy it.”
After O’Connell told students to “look at life as a gift,” Assistant Principal Tim Girzone was introduced, and – due to a combination of his skills relating to students and the fact that he’s taken another job after three years at Bow –received the biggest ovation of the day.
Known as Timmy G, a reference to former Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (known as Jimmy G), Girzone had some fun with his position as the director of student discipline, saying, “I got to know some of you very, very well.”
Then Girzone, who later handed out white roses to each graduate, read the names of those who had joined the military – Miclette, Matt Murdoch, Jon Routhier and Anthony Sampo.
He gave a shout to recent state championships won by Bow teams, including the baseball team’s walk-off win in the title game last week.
Then he took a selfie, with the crowded gym as his backdrop. “This is a checkpoint, but by no means an end,” Girzone said.
Lauren Goyette, who lives in Hooksett yet chose to attend Bow High, gave one of two ‘student addresses.’ She said Bow High “built me into a better version of myself.”
McDaniel gave the other ‘student address.’ He founded the school’s robotics team, played baseball and learned that what he was born with said nothing about who he was.
“I was afraid of being labeled,” McDaniel said. “You are the only person who can decide who you are and who you become.
“I wish you success and happiness,” he continued, “and I encourage you to find yourselves.”