Lofty eagle imagery permeated the Thomas A. Edison High School commencement exercises. Principal Pamela Brumfield challenged graduates “to lead and soar as an eagle.” Class vice president Sara Meyer explained “Eagle Pride” as the intangibles related to working your hardest. And keynote speaker and Edison teacher Michael Hohenwarter referenced a friendly rivalry with neighboring high school Hayfield Secondary Hawks, reminding students that if faced with a question they should have learned the answer to at Edison but didn’t or forgot, to “tell them you’re from Hayfield.”

The graduation was held on a steamy Monday morning, June 22 at the George Mason University Patriot Center basketball arena.

Brumfield also commented on the “distinct maturity” of the class of 2015 -- that there hadn’t been a senior prank, to her knowledge -- one that has ambition and focus. In her closing the principal pulled an inspirational quote from Thomas Edison himself, who said, “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.”

Honor Graduate Hayalneh Gessessew followed the principal at the podium. He acknowledged “our senior year has been very eventful” and referenced the Ebola crisis, extremist threats and actions, and natural calamities. “Now we hold the responsibility,” Gessessew said to his fellow graduates, “of presenting such events in the future.”

After brandishing a selfie stick to begin his address, teacher Michael Hohenwarter spoke about graduation as part of a process of becoming a more productive member of society.

“The process doesn’t end here today,” he said, encouraging them to “leave this world a better place than you found it.”