Reardan High School graduates 51

REARDAN – Families, friends and community members packed the high school gymnasium to witness 51graduates receive their diplomas at the commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 8.

As Pomp and Circumstance played, the crimson clad graduates walked in two-by-two and sat facing the audience. Senior Class President Ally Burtenshaw welcomed the crowd and the high school band, led by Billy Taylor, played the National Anthem.

Co-valedictorians Amelia Ray and Luci Smith took turns at the podium.

Ray said that throughout high school, she was driven to compete in order to succeed. Late in her senior year, she realized that becoming the best version of herself was more important than winning titles, awards, and prizes.

"Some of my most meaningful moments turned out to be the times I helped my friends on group projects, offered quiet support, shared a smile or lent a hand," she said.

She encouraged the audience to rethink what it meant to win.

"It doesn't have to mean being the smartest, fastest, or the loudest," she said. "Perhaps instead, we win with kindness, compassion, and effort."

Smith reflected on how the community of Reardan affected her life.

"It is a small town, but Reardan is filled with love, support and kindness," she said. "I owe much of who I have become, to this community. I hope to take these values out into the world and show what it means to grow up in a small town."

Avery Casselberry and Elise Cox shared the podium and offered a brief glimpse into the Class of 2025, whose motto was, "Together we've proven that questionable decisions make the best memories." Their light-hearted tribute poked fun at teachers and administrators while offering them praise at the same time.

Cox offered advice to the school's underclassmen.

"Life isn't a straight line," she said. "You are going to be knocked down repeatedly, but that is all part of the process. There is always beauty in the chaos, and that is where the most growth happens."

The class selected Rysen Soliday to give the senior speech on their behalf.

Soliday said that his class, through their athletic and academic success, upheld the legacy of excellence that Reardan High School was known for. He praised the community and his class's parents for their support.

"You have loved, nurtured, coached, taught, disciplined, demanded, shown patience, driven us a million miles and got us to where we are today," Soliday said.

Soliday likened his class to a wheat crop.

"Our parents and grandparents acted as the tractor and drill, prepping the soil, carving our path and placing us at the proper depth to take root," he said. "Elementary teachers watered us and helped us grow. Sometimes a coach represented a sprayer, thinning out some of the bad weeds. Through junior high we grew taller, thicker, and then we were 'in the boot.' In high school we matured, ripened, and began to blossom. The harvest occurred in our senior year when the combine came, and we were run through rotors, sieves, and augers before we were taken to the elevator to see if we had made the grade. No matter where these 51 kernels end up, our roots started here."

After a senior slide show, Superintendent Eric Sobotta and Principal JoLynn Ray presented diplomas to the class.

Graduates were:

Dally Beebe, Mackenzie Bjornberg, Dominic Board, Pierson Board, Reagan Board, Shane Book, Gabriel Branstetter, Danika Bretz, Ally Burtenshaw, Avery Casselberry, Elise Cox, Kipri Denison, Axl Downing, Tysen Finch, Bryson Flaa, Diondre Flett, Hailey Fry, Genesis Garcia, Levi Hammel, Leila Higginson, Kira Hoff, Ariyana Hoyt, Cheyannae Hughes, Xavier Kramer, Evan Krupke, Parker Lamar, Justin Lebret, Mya Leibfried, Cohen Little, Ashley Luy, Joseph Matusik, Natalie Maxwell, Justice Merriott, Anastasia Naumchuk, James Nilles, EJ Preuschoff, Noelle Raczykowski, Amelia Ray, Jace Root, Natasha Shevchenko, Jakari Singleton, Kaylee Smith, Luci Smith, Rysen Soliday, Zander Thornton, Payton Wynne, Kayla Vining, Jimmie Wheeler, Preston Winn, Andrew Wynecoop and Chase Yarnell.

Torin Zagorski, who passed away during the school year, was also honored at the ceremony.

After flipping their tassels, shooting confetti into the air, and tossing their caps, the graduates walked outside and into the sun as Class of 2025 alumni.