Bowling Green High Schools seniors were treated to movie references and promises of new beginnings during commencement.

Members of the Class of 2024 graduated today at the Stroh Center on the campus of Bowling Green State University. The program had 206 students listed.

Superintendent Ted Haselman said graduation is like closing one chapter or book.

“But the book is not complete,” he said.

He challenged graduates to strive for excellence and to do good work.

“Write the chapters that you want to write. You all have the opportunity in front of you to do great things,” he said.

Principal Dan Black said those in attendance had successfully navigated the past 13 years of schooling and earned their diploma.

“A commitment to your future is truly commendable and worthy of celebration,” he said.

Two seniors were chosen to speak to their classmates.

Class President Niharika-Mishty Mallik spoke of “The Start of New Beginnings.”

She said she prepared what to say by watching countless motivational speeches and questioned if she had what it takes to inspire others.

“Our shared experience in high school is motivation enough for our future,” she said.

Our high school journey began in a pandemic and while the world tried to fix itself, we had to navigate the complexities of learning via a screen, she said.

“I can say I struggled with the isolation,” Mallik said.

But we made it through, she added.

“We had to grow up a little faster, but here we are.”

Throughout our years at Bowling Green, we were given opportunities to develop and discover our passions, she said.

“These four years have been incredible and at times incredibly difficult. But as we leave this part of our lives, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and fear. We’ve earned our freedom and our adulthood and along with it the responsibility to shape our world.

“Just as we found our place here, I’m confident we’ll find out place in the world,” Mallik said.

As president, she also presented the class gift of engraved stones for the front of the new high school.

Rose Marie Walters compared her and her classmates’ years in school to “Our Disney Movie.”

She said they never stepped foot in school their freshman year yet here they were.

“This isn’t a fantasy anymore. We are the high school students we looked up to on TV,” she said while referencing “High School Musical.” “And now our movie must come to an end.”

Some of us are heading to college, the work force or the military, she said.

We aren’t all the best of friends … but we were friends in elementary and all we had to do was grow up, she said.

“We made it through,” she said.

“In the wise words of Elle Woods, ‘We did it!’” Walters said.