High energy at Division Avenue's graduation

At the Division Avenue High School commencement on Saturday at Hofstra University, students laughed, cheered and tossed beach balls through the crowd, making it feel more like a concert than a ceremony.

“I feel awesome,” said James Rubenstein, 18. “I’ve been waiting for this since I’ve been in kindergarten.”

Division Avenue, which is part of the Levittown Public Schools, graduated 293 students in what was the second commencement held at Hofstra on Saturday. MacArthur High School of Levittown held its graduation ceremony there earlier in the day.

“We worked so hard for 13 years,” said Division Avenue senior Samantha Sherman, 17. “It feels great.”

Valedictorian Evan Rosati congratulated his classmates on their hard work and achievements.

“High school has been a time for growth and epiphanies, said Rosati, who will be attending Northwestern University in the fall. “Now is the time to face new challenges.”

The energy peaked when the graduates threw their white and blue hats into the air after receiving their diplomas.

“Its unreal. I didn’t expect it [high school] to be over so quickly,” said Christian Tamayo, 17. “It went by really fast.”

But as the students finish their high school careers, the faculty at Division Avenue say they will not forget them.

“I’m going to miss the energy and enthusiasm,” said Francesco Ianni, the school’s principal. “They really made Division Avenue a family, not just a school.”