I'll always remember you, Pomeroy Class of 2022

POMEROY–This year's graduating class was celebrated with a 30-year-long traditional ceremony at the high school gymnasium on June 4, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. School staff, high school principal Amy Miller, Superintendent Rachel Gwinn, administration members, school volunteers, and board members Bart Gingerich, Geremy Nelson, and Kyle Pearson were in attendance.

Keeping with tradition, senior advisor Toddette McGreevy orchestrated a schedule for all the seniors to participate in from the first day of their senior year in September to their final school day in June. The last day in the past was typically a free day for seniors to leave school and do what they wished, but was found to be not as productive as the previous days of their senior year. To prevent adverse effects of the free day, the senior classes over the years have been directed to the high school gym where they decorate, eat a catered lunch and, in so doing, make even more memories with their classmates. This last-day tradition has produced a well-developed graduation ceremony, and a meaningful final farewell. It begins...

As Pomp and Circumstance by Sir Edward Elgar sounded the arrival of the graduating class of 2022, the audience stood and watched as each of the 18 seniors entered the gymnasium, taking their final walk through the graduation arch, two by two, as Pomeroy High School Seniors. Once they arrived to their destination, the senior class of 2022 sat front and center while being introduced.

Senior class representative Nayely Larios gave a short welcoming presentation and appreciation acknowledgement. She then introduced the Salutatorian Trent Gwinn who spoke these words:

Hello, my name is Trent Gwinn and I am the Salutatorian for the class of 2022. I had to Google what it meant to be the Salutatorian...two things popped up. One being the "Salutatorian is the second highest achieving student in the graduating class," I didn't like that definition, so I went with option 2... "the salutatorian is tasked with welcoming people to the graduation ceremony, acknowledging important guests, and speaking to the audience on behalf of their fellow students."

So welcome to the graduation of the Class of 2022. We have had quite the ride the last four years. We have experienced a school closure, distance learning, sitting six feet apart, wearing masks in our classrooms, and cancelled sports seasons. Regardless of all of that, we have made it here today. Today, we get the opportunity to celebrate our accomplishments and successes. I am thankful for all the teachers and administrators that helped all of us get here. Thank you for being willing to teach in-person when many schools around us did not. Thank you for laughing with us, yelling at us, and always supporting us. We made it here today because of all of you.

Good luck to all of my fellow classmates as we close this chapter and open a new one. Remember to take some of your own advice: Keep your head up and don't worry about the little things, always ask when something is due, have fun while you can, do not turn in crappy work, and always remember...there ain't no mountain high enough....

It was then High School Principal Amy Miller took the podium for the presentation of awards and to give her final address to the senior class as the acting high school principal. Like the Class of 2022, she too will take her next steps in her educational career. The following are her heartfelt words.

"The following awards are academic based and we want to celebrate the students receiving these special recognitions," said Miller.

The first set of awards are presented to the Senior Class Officers. President Nayely Larios, Vice President Troy Steele, Secretary Emma Berglund, Treasurer Kloey Maxwell, Student Council Representative Richie Vecchio. Seniors who served as Associated Student Body (ASB) executive officers for the 2021-22 school year are President Keely Maves and Vice President Braedyn White.

Academic Letter winners must achieve a minimum of a 3.25 GPA for two consecutive semesters. Second-year Academic Letter winners are Troy Steele, Kloey Maxwell, amd Elizabeth Ruchert. Third year Academic Letter winners are Braedyn White, Nadine Ross, and Keely Maves. The fourth year Academic Letter winners are Trent Gwinn, Richie Vecchio, Emma Berglund, and Raelin Borley.

The President's Award for Educational Excellence is earned by earning a 3.75 GPA or above for the last five semesters and passing all state exams. This year's award recipient went to Trent Gwinn.

The Principal's High Honor Roster are students who have received no grade lower than a B, take no less than six full credit classes at Pomeroy High School, received at least 14 grade points in core curriculum classes, and maintained at least a cumulative GPA of 3.25. These students are Raelin Borley, Trent Gwinn, Keely Maves, Kloey Maxwell, and Emma Berglund.

Students earning an Academic or Honors Diploma–ACADEMIC DIPLOMA must meet all academic requirements in standard core courses, take three credits of math beyond Algebra 1, take a full year of chemistry, and complete two years of one foreign language. The student is to have an overall grade point average of 3.0 and a core course grade point average of 2.5. The recipient of this award is Elizabeth Ruchert.

The Honor Diploma is for a student who has meet the Academic Diploma requirements including enrollment in College English, take four years of math, beginning with Algebra 1 and going through Pre-Calculus or AP Stats. Students are to have an overall grade point average of 3.30 and a core grade point average of 3.00 and to have no more than one grade less than a C in all work in grades 10-12. The recipients of this award are Emma Berglund, Trent Gwinn, Braedyn White, Raelin Borley, Richie Vecchio, Nadine Ross, Keely Maves, and Nayely Larios

Congratulations to all students receiving Academic or Honor Diploma, your hard work has paid off.

Miller then addressed the students and supporters.

Good afternoon Graduates, Parents, Family, and Friends.

Today we celebrate 18 students and their completion of High School along with their ability to overcome obstacles and challenges that no one else has faced. Thank you for being part of their lives and helping make them into the young adults they are as they leave this building. Your support and guidance have helped them find the road of success and will help them continue to be successful in the future. Thank you to the staff of Pomeroy School District for your dedication and hard work in shaping their lives. To my high school staff thank you for continuing to make each student a better person and focusing on the whole student each day they entered your classrooms, your dedication to student success is appreciated. Thank you, Mrs. Gwinn for your leadership and finding ways to support students, staff, and parents during difficult times, you have taught me a lot and have taught these students what true leadership looks like.

Pomeroy School District's tradition has been to recognize other groups that have played significant roles in the lives of our senior class. At this time, I would like to recognize two groups of people that have played a role in these senior's lives, their grandparents and great-grandparents. Thank you, grandparents and great-grandparents, for being a part of the lives of your grandchildren and making them better people. If you could please stand for a round of applause for your many years of loving these students.

I also want to thank the most important people here today, the graduates who have taught everyone what having grit means. Thank you for being willing to learn something new, failing forward, being bold, sharing your light, and most importantly being different. You have shown true perseverance during high school from a shorten sophomore year to a weird junior year to finally coming full circle to "normal" this year. You have not complained or mentioned how unfair things have been for you instead you have made the best of what you have been given. Coming up with fun ways to continue celebrations and make a difference for the underclassman. I know that the lessons you have learned at PHS are life lessons that you will take with you in your next adventure. Remember, to always be who you are and never apologize for being you, don't be afraid to be different, different is good. As you continue to grow as a person don't be afraid to challenge the world around you and make a difference for everyone you meet. Set your goals high and never stop reaching for the next best thing. As you start your next journey remember you have something to share with this world and your dreams can take you anywhere, make a difference in whatever you choose!

Each of you will go a different direction in the next few months and I hope you continue to do things like a Pirate. It has been fun seeing the changes you have made from the 7th graders that made me pull my hair out to 12th graders that I can count on to help run this school, you all make me proud! Thank you for allowing me to share in your journey and be part of your lives!

I wish you luck and success in your future and can't wait to watch your journey into adulthood, remember to make a difference in whatever you decide to do. Congratulations Class of 2022 go Make a Difference!

She then introduced this year's Valedictorian Emma Berglund to the podium to give her address to the senior class. She reflected on the many adventures as a student and the trials and tribulations of the past 12 years.

"...A little over 12 years ago I was five years old and on my first day of school. I was so excited, I showed up with my little Einstein lunch box and my parents were taking pictures, so not much has changed, and actually I met most of the people on this stage with me today on that first day of kindergarten.

Now stay with me, I have a quote for you all, Oscar Wilde once said, "education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught." I hate to break it to all the teachers we've had over the past 12 years of school, but nothing in all your worksheets or essays prepared us for this, for life. However, the life lessons we learned from one another and from the staff here at Pomeroy high will stay with us for years to come. Therefore, believe it or not, we will remember our years here, whether they were good or bad, for the rest of our lives.

We all had our own experiences in Pomeroy throughout the years, we've been together through all the awkward phases of growing up, like the braces phase most of us went through, the weird dance moves, and the odd fashion trends. We've been together through times of joy, sadness, laughter, times of school spirit, togetherness, and even those late-night cram sessions either studying for a big test or trying to speed write one of Mrs. Bye's extremely long essays the night before it is due, thank goodness for energy drinks!

There is one specific group of people who deserve a huge thank you. To all of our parents, and guardians, who've supported us in too many ways to count. You dragged us out of bed on the mornings we didn't wake up, you made sure we were fed and clothed, then you shuffled us out the door against our will so we would go to school every day. You helped us with homework, paid our fees, came to sporting events, and even chaperoned our trips. Some of you even put up with all of our drama and made us figure things out for ourselves every once in a while. Maybe one day we will almost pay you back for all these things. So i speak for all of us when I say, thank you!

So, my fellow graduates, I urge you to take what you have learned here, take it and put it towards something, literally anything, just make something of yourself.

Leave behind what isn't helpful, personally, I'm leaving behind all my chemistry notes and hope I never see them again, sorry Mrs. Franks. However, bring forward with you the lessons that will become part of your greatest accomplishment, your future! Congratulations.

This year, the senior class presented a condensed version of their life with a video presentation. The well put together show was one of the many traditions incorporated in the celebration since 1998. It may have seemed somewhat shorter than others because of a smaller than usual number (18) of graduating students, yet fill with it was impactful sentiment that everyone enjoyed.

The senior class moved to the chairs reserved for them. When the lights went out, the class activated their glo-sticks light. As the video played through, cheers came from the graduating class as each member's picture came upon the screen. To watch the evolution of time through baby pictures and snap shots of parties, sports, and other outside events through the years brought up smiles and produced some chuckles.

Then come the time the seniors have been waiting for, the Certification of the Graduates made by Superintendent Rachel Gwinn. Before she certified the class, she addressed the audience and students with reminiscent antidotes, words of encouragement and some sound advise.

"I too would like to welcome all of you here today. We have so much to celebrate with all the adversity education has faced the past few years. I want to thank all of our amazing teachers for believing in the importance of being in our classrooms to teach and to learn. Thank you for putting kids first and taking the risk of showing up every day. I want to thank Amy Miller for leading alongside me and working hard to make sure our doors stayed open and students and staff stayed as safe as possible. Fred Knebel and Amy Smith, thank you for keeping our students' mental health at the forefront and ensuring every student is being seen and heard. Last, but not least, I would like to thank one of our most outstanding substitute teachers, Anne Gingerich. Without you, many of our classrooms would have gone unattended and many of our students would not know what it means to have a "yes" day---however, I probably wouldn't also hear..."so Rachel if you get a phone call from a parent, or Rachel. I have a runner...." We have an amazing team at Pomeroy School District and I feel blessed to be part of that team.

Every year Pomeroy School District honors and thanks a person who has contributed time and effort through volunteering at athletic events and other activities at our school. This year's John Gates Wall of Fame volunteer of the year is someone who brightens a room when they enter. Someone who puts a smile on your face simply by her own positivity and zest for life. When you ask this person, why do you do this? The answer is always, "because it is best for kids". This person has put countless hours into our little guy-wrestling tournament; countless hours into the community scholarship program and many, many more hours anywhere else help is needed. She is known by several students as a "second mom". This year's John Gates volunteer award recipient is Miss Lori Flynn.

To the class of 2022, today is your day. Your day to reflect on the accomplishments, the failures and the memories of the past four years. Many people say that time is a thief, I like to think that time is an opportunity. An opportunity to do amazing things, an opportunity to become an amazing human. Today I want to remind you to not let time slip away. Say yes to the trip, say yes to the opportunities, say yes to all that life has to offer. Avoid the "another time", the "someday", or the "maybe tomorrow". Instead of allowing time to be the thief, you be the one to take every chance, chase every dream, and love as hard as you can. Because just like Cody Johnson says in his song...you can, until you can't! Go be awesome humans, stay out of your own way and do not let anything or anyone steal your chance!

Diplomas were presented by Counselor Fred Knebel, School Board members Bart Gingerich, Geremy Nelson, Kyle Pearson, Superintendent Rachel Gwinn, and High School Principal Amy Miller.

Following the presentation of the high school diplomas, the graduates met with the public in the cafeteria.

On behalf of the East Washingtonian, congratulations to each graduating student. It has been a pleasure following your path through your school years and wish the best in your future endeavors.

–East Washingtonian