The guest speaker of the evening was Josh Whynot. Even though he had only been teaching for two years at the school, it was clear he had made an impression on the students.
“You may not know it now, but today will be a day you will truly never forget,” he said
Whynot said that many of the students likely cannot wait to get out of school, and that’s OK. However he added it was still something that is special.
“Moments like these are rare, and should be celebrated,” he said.
He spoke about decisions, ones that got them to this point today, and ones they will make in the future. Fear and doubt are normal, he said, and part of life, but decisions will help shape and define them as they go through life.
“Many of you will not know if you made the right decisions, but that’s OK. You will figure it out.”
He added learning doesn’t stop here, even if students are not continuing with post-secondary education.
“No matter where you end up next year, two years or even ten years from now, you will always learn.”
The valedictorian for class of 2011 was Savannah Lenethen, who talked about the past, their dreams growing up and where they will go from here.
“Growing up is about learning, making mistakes and trying new things,” she said.
She also thanked the teachers for putting up with them for 13 years.
“This is our chance to show them their commitment to us and hard work for them was all worth it,” she said.
Kelsey Freeman and Alicia Crouse shared memories of their classmates, from quirks and laughs, to a few in jokes that would likely be remembered for a long time to come.
Scholarships were also handed out to the students going on to universities and community colleges, ranging from a few hundred up to $20,000 in value. In total, $92,000 was given out that evening.
