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Hundreds of Mid-Columbia seniors threw their caps into the air on Saturday as eight local high schools bid farewell to their graduating classes.
Many will leave for college, some will enter the world of work or serve their country in the military. But all of them could be proud of their accomplishments as they collected their diplomas to the calls and cheers of their family and friends.
Among those graduating were seniors from Pasco, Kennewick, Kamiakin, Southridge, Tri-Cities Prep, Liberty Christian, Hermiston and Umatilla.
Pasco High School
Pasco High School's Class of 2010 marched onto the field of Edgar Brown Stadium on Saturday and into history.
The class is the school's largest-ever with nearly 600 students, and it's the last to graduate before the district's second high school -- Chiawana High, which opened in west Pasco this year to 1,600 students in grades 9-11 -- graduates seniors.
"I'm proud to be part of the class that will forever be part of the history of Pasco High School," valedictorian Kathryn Ginsberg told the crowd gathered for graduation.
The ceremony drew hundreds of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends to the stadium. They snapped photos, waved signs and whistled to get the attention of the graduates sitting on the field in their purple and white gowns.
The Class of 2010 earned more than $1 million in scholarships.
Principal Raul Sital praised the graduates for their hard work and recognized the staff members who helped them get there.
He singled out a few seniors who embodied "The Bulldog Way" by being strong leaders with positive attitudes.
He told the class that, " 'The Bulldog Way' will forever be part of who you are and who you will become."
Salutatorian Marisa Vander Malle and students Ronny Rivera and Jennifer Nichols also took to the microphone.
Thomas "Chet" Norman, who was picked by his peers to speak, passed on some wisdom from movies, including one of the Indiana Jones films.
There's a scene in the movies where Indy has to step off a ledge and trust there's a path below, even though he can't see it, Norman said.
"Now we have to take that first step," he said. "As we do, the path will rise up to meet us."
-- Sara Schilling
Kamiakin High School
Seven valedictorian speeches and one valedictorian message in a song helped send the Kamiakin Braves class of 2010 on their way at Saturday's graduation in Kennewick's Toyota Center.
A packed house cheered the 372 seniors, robed in scarlet. Principal Chris Chelin praised them for living up to the class motto: "Be all you can be."
"You've raised the bar high and it will be difficult to meet for those who come after," Chelin said.
But the event's undeniable crowd pleaser was Joshua Thornton's valedictorian ukulele serenade.
"Something touched me deep inside the day we said good bye. So bye-bye Kamiakin High," crooned Thornton in a reprise of the Don McLean classic, American Pie."
Joining Thornton were seven other valedictorians with their congratulations speeches: Andrew Chiou, Rachael Gerboth, Kristin Kontogianis, Kari Miller, Christopher Orndorff, Minkyung Shin and Cassandra Wattenburger.
Chiou's twin brother, Edward Chiou, gave the salutatorian speech.
Shin also was honored as a National Merit Finalist. Peter Matthew DeFord and Evan P. Fisk were National Merit Semi-Finalists.
Caden J . Money and Edgardo A. Del Toro received the Ronnie Griffith Awards to recognize outstanding courage and effort to overcome obstacles during their high school careers.
-- John Trumbo
Southridge High School
Southridge High student body President Gabrielle Perez seemed to lose her place for a moment during her speech at Saturday's graduation ceremony in Kennewick.
She shuffled her papers, saying, "Let me look. Oh, here it is."
As it turned out, Perez's feigned confusion was a cue for her 273 graduating classmates to jump out of their seats and start dancing in unison to Aretha Franklin's Respect.
After the dance, Perez told the full house at the Toyota Center there was a message in the Glee-like outburst.
"Respect is a funny thing," she said. "It's something we're told is given to important people."
She said everyone deserves respect, but she and her classmates will have to earn it by showing it to others as they set foot into the world beyond high school.
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to you," Perez told her classmates. "And keep on dancing."
Speeches by valedictorians Chelsea Bourque, Rylie Dean, Brodrick Hirai, Kacie Sams, Nathan Sieler and Layna Smith, and salutatorian Heather Worley all offered variations on a message each learned while playing sports -- when playing the game of life, be a good sport.
Worley talked about how opposing teams and bad calls by referees can throw obstacles in any athlete's way. She challenged her fellow classmates to focus on their own goals rather than being the kind of people who impede others.
"Don't work to make someone else fail," she said. "Work hard to make yourself succeed."
-- Michelle Dupler
Kennewick High School
Mother Nature smiled upon Kennewick High's class of 2010 on Saturday by pushing the rain and wind out of the way allowing the sun to shine as they received their diplomas at the Toyota Center.
As hundreds of parents, grandparents and friends cheered the 260 graduates who filed into the coliseum, there was one empty chair among them.
That honorary chair paid tribute to one of their classmates, Jessica Switzer, who died unexpectedly at her home earlier this year.
"Jessica should have been here with us today," Principal Jack Anderson told the crowd.
Salutatorian Serena Noel Snyder encouraged her classmates to light a fire of passion within.
"Fire is a powerful tool," she said. "And even though life is full of disappointments sometimes, don't let anyone put out your fire."
Valedictorian Sarah E. Schweppe stepped up to the microphone and immediately pulled out her camera and snapped a shot of her classmates.
"I want to make sure I never forget this moment," she said.
Her words of wisdom to her classmates, however, focused on introspection, and learning to define themselves as they head out into the world.
"Be extraordinary because there's no reason not to be," she said. "Don't settle, go places, be extraordinary in whatever you do."
-- Dori O'Neal
Tri-Cities Prep
The 40 members of Tri-Cities Prep's 2010 graduating class walked out into the world Saturday knowing the value of service and with a strong sense of faith to guide them through their new lives as adults.
The ceremony opened with salutatorian Caitlin McBride offering a prayer asking God to bless the school's teachers and staff, and thanking God for the parents and family that guided she and her fellow students through their school years.
Valedictorian Sydney Disselkamp's voice broke as she talked about the faith instilled in the students through their years at the Catholic school and how their faith will stay with them as they leave for college and beyond.
"Our happiness requires that we align ourselves with what God wants," she said. "It is faith that completes all of our academic quests."
She offered a quote from Mother Theresa before advising her fellow students to remember everything they do is for the greater glory of God.
"In this life we can not do great things. We can only do small things with great love," she said.
Fellow valedictorian Antonio Ledesma focused his speech on the three values taught at the school: compassion, confidence and character, while salutatorian Laura Sherwood and fellow graduate Ailis Thornhill offered a collection of funny quotes and anecdotes for each of their classmates.
-- Michelle Dupler
Liberty Christian School
The last Liberty Christian School graduate to walk down the aisle to a mixed version of Pomp and Circumstance yelled, "Class of 2010!" to the applause from an audience of family and friends as he took to the stage to join his blue and red clad classmates.
The Richland private school graduated 30 seniors Saturday.
"Our class is one of irony and indecision," said valedictorian Ben Rinne. An example was changing the class motto to, "Those who change the world are those the world can't change," within the last six months.
Cedric Thiel and John Talbot also were valedictorians, and Cameron Parker and Isaac Carroll were salutatorians.
In the graduating class, 13 earned grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher.
Scott Koopman, a pastor who taught at the school and father of graduate Amanda Koopman, encouraged the graduates to make good choices, see the good in people and situations, and make friends with everyone in their future.
"Life is not sweating the small stuff, and 90 percent of everything is small stuff," Koopman advised.
During the ceremony, each graduate handed loved ones a red rose. They gave and received hugs and kisses on cheeks while others snapped photos.
-- Kristi Pihl
Hermiston High School
One of the finest classes in Hermiston High's history graduated Saturday morning in the 100th commencement, said Principal Philip Brazeau Jr.
At the end of their freshman year this year's seniors saw the class of 2007 earn $1.5 million in scholarships. But the class of 2010 has so far pulled in an astounding $4.4 million in scholarships and awards, Brazeau said.
"It qualifies as a premier class," he said, and not just for its academic successes. The class of 2010 also was a standout in activities and athletics, he said.
During the classes four years of competition, the school's teams won seven state championships, he said.
The 280 members of the class of 2010 included 44 students earning honors diplomas. In addition, John Richard Perkins joined the list of graduates as a veteran with a presidential unit citation received in Vietnam.
"It is one of my proudest honors to be in the class of 2010," said student body president Jose Ayala.
Student Liliana Gomez said some of the students had dreamed of growing up to be pirates and their high school years were like a four-year sea voyage, she said.
There was turbulence -- from the effort to get good grades to the pressures of high school, she said.
"But those storms led to the overall strength in all of us," she said.
-- Annette Cary
Umatilla High School
Cheers, applause and the occasional air horn greeted photos of each member of Umatilla High School's Class of 2010 as they were flashed on a screen at the front of the crowded gymnasium.
After the last photo was displayed, Principal Scott Depew mused about the passage of time to a commencement audience of family and friends of the 70-plus graduates.
"It won't be long before they'll all be out having children of their own," he said.
Katelynn Schaefer-Cranston was the salutatorian and Taylor Pankey and Kellie Hodges were the valedictorians of this year's group of graduates, which Depew and others saluted as accomplished.
Before presenting the class with diplomas, district Superintendent Heidi Sipe said this year's seniors provided her with laughs and a few tears.
"Thank you for letting me watch you grow these last few years," Sipe said.
-- Kevin McCullen
