It was a joyous day for the 544 graduating seniors as they said goodbye to their high school careers. Principal Suzanne Maxey, presiding over her first Bowie commencement, told the graduates that the ceremony gave them the opportunity to look to the future. Callahan, a 1983 graduate of Northwestern High School, told the graduates that they leave school at an interesting time. Like Maxey, Metts mentioned that the day would elicit a wide range of emotions. It was a celebration of academic achievements as well as the commencement of their adult lives.
Today is a day of joy, of celebration, of wonderment.
Metts also said the students were leaving with a good education and thanked the community for having faith in the county school system. You could have made other choices, but you chose this fine school in Bowie. The 2001 valedictorian, Megan Sauvager, said the school's teachers were responsible for her academic success. The valedictorian went on to quote Dr. Seuss and Robert Frost in her speech. The ceremony's keynote speaker was Paul Reed Smith, the president of the guitar company with the same name.