Schools chancellor delivers keynote address at
alma mater’s graduation ceremony at Citi Field
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
Queens Technical High
School celebrated its graduating
class of 2021 with a ceremony at
Citi Field on Friday, June 18.
Schools Chancellor Meisha
Porter, an alumna of Queens
Tech — which is celebrating its
100th anniversary this year —
delivered the keynote address
to 230 graduating seniors and
460 family members seated in
the Delta Silver section of the
stadium in a socially distanced
setting.
Porter announced that she
was delighted to deliver the
commencement speech to the
graduating class of 2021 at Citi
Field, “the home of the firstplace
Mets,” recalling that her
graduation ceremony 30 years
ago took place in a hangar at
Aviation High School.
The chancellor, the first
Black woman at the helm of the
nation’s largest school system,
began her speech with a shoutout
to her plumbing teacher
Sean McCarthy.
Porter, one of the first two female
students to graduate from
the Queens Tech — or Queens
Vocational, as it was called 30
years ago — plumbing program
said that McCarthy, who is retiring,
never treated her “like a
girl” in the plumbing shop.
“He always held me to the
same high standards and expectations,
and they believed in me
and knew we were doing something
special together,” Porter
said.
Citi Field hosted Queens Technical High School’s graduation ceremony on June 18. Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
Addressing the graduates,
she said that obtaining a
high school diploma is a major
accomplishment, especially
during a pandemic.
However, Porter emphasized
that despite the obstacles and
heartache that the COVID-19
pandemic created, students
TIMESLEDGER | Q 28 NS.COM | JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2021
managed to overcome the crisis
with “power, strength and resilience”
while facing the challenges
of online learning and helping
younger siblings maneuver
the virtual classrooms along
the way, as well as the long days
of studying while taking on jobs
to support their families.
“All of a sudden, you lost the
face-to-face interactions with
your classmates and teachers.
Many of us lost someone close to
us or in our communities,” Porter
said. “And yet, look at where
you all are today! You did everything
you needed to do to arrive
at this moment. And we are
celebrating you for that.”
The chancellor drew from
her life’s journey and advised
the students that life is filled
with surprises.
“Even though I studied to
be a plumber, I ended up following
the path of my mom and my
aunt, who were teachers,” Porter
said. “I learned from both of
them what one teacher could do
to change the life of a student.”
The chancellor also urged
the students to stand up against
racism in light of the rise in
violence against minority
communities.
“You can play a meaningful
role in addressing the anti-
Black violence, antisemitism,
anti-Asian violence, Islamophobia,
xenophobia and homophobia
that causes harm every day.
None of us can be silent or passive
in the face of hatred and
violence in all its forms,” Porter
said.
Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter delivers a speech at her alma mater Queens Technical High School’s
senior graduation.
Queens Technical High School graduates show off decorated their
graduation caps.
/NS.COM
