'Don't be afraid to fail': Natick High School sends off the class of '22

NATICK — Sixteen years ago, doctors predicted that Oriana Cappella would never speak, would never graduate alongside her peers following an autism diagnosis.

On Friday night, she proved them wrong as one of Natick High School’s senior class speakers.

The child of immigrants, Cappella spoke about being diagnosed with high-functioning autism, struggling with anxiety and depression, and chasing the American Dream.

“Finding your voice is not just about being able to speak; it’s about believing you have something to say,” she told the nearly 400 members of Natick’s senior class.

Cappella encouraged her peers to look beyond the fears holding them back from living the lives they want, adding, “It’s an unfortunate loss when we don’t recognize our value.”

“At times, we may need help — and there are those around to help us — but it’s up to us to begin or continue the work of saying, ‘I am OK and I matter,’” she said.

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Friday’s ceremony capped things off for Natick’s class of 2022 — high school years perhaps more turbulent than most, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of classmate Giovanni Taboh in a March 2021 car accident.

Some at the ceremony wore green cords to recognize and remember Taboh, and Principal Brian Harrigan called Taboh’s parents up to the podium to present them with a green cord to honor their son. As he did so, the class of 2022 leapt to their feet for a standing ovation, their applause echoing across Memorial Field.

More: Natick High seniors honor late classmate Giovanni Taboh at ceremony, on the baseball field

Forced to navigate the pandemic for two of their four high school years, graduates gamely adapted to nasal swabs and new protocols, according to Superintendent of Schools Anna Nolin.

“COVID impacted your high school experience mightily,” Nolin said in her remarks. “Honestly, though, I think in the long run there will be more positive outcomes than we see now.”

She spoke of her lifelong connection to music, from early years spent listening to Carole King’s “Tapestry” to her later marriage to a music teacher and shared concert experiences with her daughter.

Music, she explained, holds both comfort and wisdom.

“Music changes all the time, as you should and we should,” Nolin told graduates. “Keep your strong core beliefs, but be willing to rewrite and re-listen to yourself.”

Senior class speaker Lianna Paglia offered similar advice, sharing how the pandemic taught her to appreciate progress over perfection.

She acknowledged many students share a drive to get an “A” on every test, to win each game and put on the best performance.

“There is always something that will go wrong,” Paglia said. “But if you fixate on those mishaps, you will only make yourself feel small. No one that I’m looking at right now deserves to feel small… You deserve to be proud of the things that you can do.”

Related: As pandemic kept senior citizens apart, this Natick High grad provided tech help

It’s not the failures that define a person, but how they rise to the occasion, as class President John Adelmann explained in his remarks. He recalled a particularly challenging football game against Milford, a team with much larger players. Every single senior was present at the next day’s practice, he said, and they continued to show up and put in the work day after day.

While the team later lost to Milford in the playoffs, the players showed character in the face of adversity, according to Adelmann.

“Don’t be afraid to fail,” he advised his classmates.

While the ceremony was a sendoff for high school seniors, it was also one for Harrigan, who marked his final Natick graduation as he prepares to become head of school at the Francis Parker Charter School in Devens.

“I hope you don’t mind that I keep telling everyone that I’m graduating among the class of 2022,” he joked.

Harrigan recalled spending most of his mornings outside the high school, greeting students as they arrived.

“For many cars, I hear a very similar refrain as the student is about to shut the door and head into the building — their parents or guardians saying to them, ‘Goodbye. I love you. Have a great day,’” he said.

Harrigan thanked families for entrusting their children to NHS, noting some milestones Natick has marked along the way.

“We’ve been through a lot together, as a school and as a community,” he said. “We have demonstrated what it looks like to say goodbye, to do it with love, and to look forward to a better day.”

Harrigan closed his remarks with a loving farewell of his own: “From the bottom of my heart: Goodbye. I love you. Have a great day.”

Abby Patkin is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. Follow Abby on Twitter @AMPatkin. She can be reached at apatkin@wickedlocal.com.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick High School holds 2022 graduation