Red Hook grad: Cancer to commencement

RED HOOK - It's no wonder Jake Marshall roots for the underdog.

The lifelong fan of the Buffalo Bills football and New York Mets baseball teams overcame a cancerous brain tumor when he was a just a toddler.

Now, the 18-year-old Red Hook resident believes every day is a good day. And what about graduation day?

"That," he said, "is a great day."

Marshall was one of 137 students among the Red Hook High School graduating Class of 2016 Saturday.

Moving forward, Marshall said that it is necessary for the class of 2016 to not dwell on high school.

"Don't obsess over the past, let your past be part of your future," Marshall said.

As she moves on to study at Harvard, Clea Schumer, 18, of Germantown, Columbia County, said it was growing up in Red Hook that influenced her future. While she hasn't decided whether to study astrophysics or environmental sciences, Schumer said the rural setting of Red Hook has helped her appreciate the environment around her.

"I love skiing and I love the outdoors," Schumer said. "Growing up in this rural country town made me care a lot about the environment."

And learning in a small school helped Schumer in the long run.

"It's a really nurturing place," Schumer said. "It's so small that you really do get individual attention from the teachers here."

Isabelle LeGare, 18, of Tivoli, felt only one thing at graduation — excitement.

"I'm ready to end this chapter of my life and to head off to the next phase," LeGare said. "I'm excited now that it's coming to an end."

Nathaniel Duntz, 19, of Red Hook, knew the next steps in life would be challenging, but he was ready to face them.

"I'm happy to know there's a whole world out there for me to take on," Duntz said.

John Ferro: 845-437-4816; jferro@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @PoJoEnviro. Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW

Honors

Valedictorian: Isabel Vazquez 

Salutatorian: Christian Rohrmeier