Grad talks of dad’s death, tells class not to take life for granted
LINWOOD — “Life can change incredibly fast,” Reese Gurwicz told fellow graduates, faculty and family members during graduation June 19.
The Mainland Regional High School senior, whose father, Mitchell Gurwicz, passed away suddenly April 12 at the age of 55, urged those assembled not to take life for granted.
“Losing someone that important changes how you think about time, about people and about what we tend to take for granted,” the star lacrosse player said. “Plans change, people struggle, moments pass, and sometimes your outlook, the vision you had for the future, becomes completely different. But in that time, I learned something equally important, how powerful support can be, how much people matter and how important it is to keep moving forward, even when life gets difficult.”
Gurwicz recounted how he still reaches for his phone to call his dad when he has something special to share, only to realize his loss again.
“That feeling will probably never quite go away. But what I have learned through the grief is that life is precious and it teaches you to appreciate the people around you now, to stop waiting, thinking there will always be more time,” he said.
Gurwicz related his experience to the situation faced by members of the Class of 2026.
“The truth is that every person sitting here tonight is about to experience change. In a few months, some of us will be heading to college, some to the workforce, some to the military, and some are still figuring things out. What we all have in common is that life is about to look different for each of us than it does right now,” he said.
Gurwicz encouraged his fellow graduates to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.
“Do not waste your life waiting for the right moment to start doing things you care about. Take the trip, apply for the opportunity, start the business, tell people you love them, take risks, be ambitious, be present,” he said. “Because time moves faster than you think. And yes, sometimes taking risks means failing. Sometimes it means dealing with consequences, embarrassment, or setbacks. But if the goal is something meaningful, something great, then the risks are worth taking. Do not let fear convince you to live small. And do not take the people around you for granted while you still have them.”
Isabella Iordanov thanked the graduates’ families, friends, teachers, staff, administrators and guests for being there to celebrate with them.
“It’s hard to believe that this moment is finally here. For years, graduation felt so far away, but now we’re sitting here together, as the Class of 2026, looking back on everything that brought us to this day,” she said.
The class president said it’s not the grades or assignments that many will think of when they recall high school, but “the people, … the conversations before class, the inside jokes that somehow lasted all four years, and the moments that seemed ordinary at the time but are now memories we’ll carry with us.”
Iordanov recalled how she felt as a freshman and reflected on how much everyone has changed.
“I couldn’t have imagined the friendships I’d make, the opportunities I’d have or the person I’d become,” she said. “The freshmen who first walked through these doors are gone, and in their place are young adults ready to take the next steps in their lives.”
Championship swimmer Justin Yon used the bike path as a metaphor for the connections made among residents of the three sending districts.
He asked that everyone raise their hand if they have used the bike path, and to keep it raised if they had ever gotten annoyed by construction work or traffic.
“The bike path connects our three towns of Somers Point, Northfield and Linwood. It’s the lifeblood of our community, connecting JFK (Park) to All Wars, to Birch Grove, Jessie’s to Charlie’s and friends to friends,” Yon said. “In many ways, that bike path also reflects the support and connection we have experienced here at Mainland Regional High School.”
He said small interactions have shaped the class and the connections they have built.
“But what makes the bike path more meaningful isn’t just the positives or the achievements posted on social media, it’s the quiet moments after a rough practice, after an all-nighter, a missed PR or something more personal,” he said.
Continuing the metaphor, he said “our time here wasn’t perfectly smooth. We’ve had our roadblocks and closures. Besides the literal, all-too-frequent detours on Shore Road and Oak Avenue, we’ve had detours from the beginning.”
He noted the class started amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which “changed what growing up looked like before even stepping foot into Mustang Way.”
“Classes got harder, friendships changed and feelings of anxiousness or doubt crept in. Junior year was hard, and we’ve all felt the budget cuts in the last few years. But in light of each challenge we’ve encountered, we persevered,” Yon said.
He reflected that instead of interruptions in their journey, the obstacles were the journey itself.
“Although not always obvious, we’ve been blessed with something incredibly valuable here at Mainland: that is the chance to fail. Failure is a gift because if the path was straight and unobstructed, would we be the people we are today? Would we be ready for the next chapter of our lives? The answer simply is no,” Yon said. “We didn’t move forward because the road was clear. We moved forward because we learned how to adjust. Of course, we couldn’t have done this ourselves. Thank you to the people who helped guide us and move the heaviest obstacles out of our way.”
– STORY by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
