Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeSunday, Jun. 07, 2009
Class of 2009: 'Every one of us can be a superhero ... '
By the Herald staff
Seniors from Mid-Columbia high schools closed the first chapter of their lives Saturday.
High school graduation ceremonies Saturday brought families and friends of the seniors to auditoriums or stadiums to salute the graduates as they completed their secondary education and embarked on the journey to adulthood.
Among those graduating Saturday were seniors from Kennewick, Kamiakin, Southridge, Pasco, Kiona-Benton City, Touchet, Riverside Junior-Senior, Dayton, Washtucna, Liberty Christian, Grandview and DeSales (Walla Walla) Catholic high schools.
Pasco High
Parents and friends held programs over their heads and stadium blankets were used as shelter during a brief shower, but the rain didn't seem to dampen the spirits of the graduating Pasco High School Class of 2009 at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium.
A sea of purple and white rippled across the grass as many of the more than 500 graduates walked across the playing field to take their seats by the stage.
"This is the largest class to graduate since the school opened," said valedictorian Dennis Goulet.
It's also the last class to graduate from high school while the bulldog is the only high school mascot in Pasco, he said. Next fall Chiawana High will open in Pasco.
Class salutatorian Lella Morgan Sullivan said the ceremony marked "01 years of graduates" at the school.
"This was a great place to learn and figure out who I was," said Yvette Gutierrez, who was elected to give the dean's list address.
Now it is up to graduates to show their parents that an education will make a difference in the students' lives, said Guadalupe Carretero, who was elected to give an address in English and Spanish.
But a class that was known for its shenanigans shouldn't be expected to get too serious at its graduation, said Douglas Rogers, who was picked by students to speak. "That's not how we roll," he said.
Kennewick High School
Between the hugs, the tears and the cheers, it was still a zippity-do-dah-day for 140 graduating seniors from Kennewick High School.
The Toyota Center was packed with family, friends and loved ones who turned out for commencement.
Senior class president Sela Sevelo had her classmates whooping when she opened the event saying, "Let's get this show on the road."
Kennewick High Principal Jack Anderson paid tribute to the school's graduating exchange students, who all received certificates of attendance for their year at Kennewick High.
Those students included Mohammed Rafeek Abdulrahim from Yemen; Min Jung Kook from South Korea; Saki Nakamura from Sasedo, Japan; Nikunj Narendrakuman Nathawani from India; Nazokat Batyrjonovna Omuralieva from the Kyrgyz Republic; Anika Schultz from Germany and Marie Therese Sivertsson from Sweden.
Valedictorians Tim Roosendaal and Katie Krupin each had some youthful wisdom for their fellow graduates.
Though Roosendaal confessed he was probably still too young and inexperienced to tell his classmates anything profound, his speech blended the nature of a song to the story of life.
"Music can influence us just as friends and teachers do," he said. "But how many times do we influence others?"
Krupin quoted from poet Shel Silverstein in her speech, encouraging her classmates.
"Don't pretend to be happy with mediocrity," she said. "Fire your passion and it will ignite your heart."
Kamiakin High School
A beach ball bounced along a sea of scarlet and gold in the Toyota Center until someone official-looking grabbed it and carried it back to his seat.
It was the last time a teacher would confiscate a plaything from this crop of nearly 360 seniors, who were spending their last day as high school students.
And another ball quickly was bouncing along as Valedictorians Nick Schlekewey, Matthew Gerboth, Senthuran Thevuthasen, Edin Mehic and Danielle Ello, Salutatorian Krista Edwards and student body President Leonel Castellano gave their speeches.
Edwards likened the graduates to a fledgling bird she once saw leap from a nest high in a tree.
"We have reached the jumping off point," she said. "Like the baby bird, we are leaping off into the unknown."
Schlekewey used his experience as a cross-country runner as an analogy for the lives ahead of the graduates.
"Cross-country runners collect pain like some collect wine," he said. "Why then do we run? ... We run to test our own mettle. I challenge you to run even when you would rather stop and walk."
Southridge High School
Speakers at Southridge High's graduation were unanimous in their theme: The Southridge superheroes are ready to take on the world.
Some of them are pursuing their academic dreams, some plan to join the work force and a handful have dedicated themselves to serving the country, said Mackenzie Hall, one of three valedictorians, said during her speech.
"Every one of us can be a superhero for someone else," she said, while reminding the graduating class of 2009 of the challenges ahead in life.
"You don't have to be the smartest, strongest and funniest to change the world," said Chloe Hall, Mackenzie's sister and another valedictorian.
It's about knowing your potential and doing your best, she said, amid thumping applause from more than 250 graduating seniors.
Salutatorian Tessa Peterson talked about the importance of changing one person's life at time. You can volunteer at a local food bank or a homeless shelter and help relieve someone's sorrows, said Peterson who plans to attend Brigham Young University.
Each one of the Southridge grads can help make the world better, said valedictorian Tricia Pratt, who's also going to Brigham Young University.
"Keep in mind the influence you'll have in your world."
Kiona-Benton City High School
Graduation at Kiona-Benton City High School took just 60 minutes, from the Class of 2009's entrance into the school stadium to the moment caps and Silly String filled the air.
The ceremony was watched by a jubilant crowd of the 82 graduates' family and friends. So many turned out for the graduation that the crowd overflowed onto the grass surrounding the stadium, with several family groups staking out areas with blankets, lawn chairs and sun umbrellas.
Rom Castilleja, superintendent of the Kiona-Benton City School District, announced that altogether the Class of 2009 had earned a total of $250,000 in scholarships and awards. Over a dozen graduating seniors earned multiple awards including the nine who are members of the National Honor Society.
Tim Feth, co-valedictorian, began his speech by admitting, "I'm not too good with speeches about destiny, but I'm good with numbers."
He went on to say: "Six is the number of hours we spent in class; 180 is the number of days in a school year; 1,080 is the number of hours we spent in class in a year; and 14,040 is the number of hours we spent in class over 13 years.
"If we were getting a check instead of diplomas, at minimum wage, those hours would be worth ... no, you cannot put a price on that," he said.
Co-valedictorian Kelsi Upton kept her speech upbeat too, saying "College is a whole another experience for all of us."
She urged her classmates to embrace their new world, make new friends and realize that graduation and moving on is just a part of life.
"May you succeed in everything you try," Upton said.
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