WHS seniors celebrate graduation

June 14, 2007

Wahkiakum High School seniors showed love for the past and hope for the future in their commencement ceremony last Friday.

Stephanie Johnson gave the welcome, looking back over the years the class had been in school and thanking parents, teachers, friends and classmates for creating the "memories that will last forever" and form the foundation on which they'll build their lives.

Valedictorian Matt Doumit reflected on the class's good times and bad times and commented that the bad times they'd face "would make them stronger."

"As we continue on our journey through life, we will always recall the great times that we shared with each other as we took the first steps down this new path," he said.

Salutatorian Rachel Fudge echoed the theme, thanking all for memories and experiences that prepared the class for their future.

Class choice speaker Brenden McClain recalled some of the class's accomplishments: Twenty-nine of the 38 members of the class participated on athletic teams that competed for state titles. He noted some of the graduates' dreams--careers in nursing, computers, logging, teaching and so on. They may have different goals and dreams, he said, but they are unique as members of the WHS Class of 2007.

Faculty choice speaker Amelia Nguyen recalled moving to Cathlamet six years ago from Denver, Colo., and feeling a bit of culture shock from moving from a metropolis to a small town. Then she met the friendly people and became part of the class, going to school with a caring, stimulating faculty.

"These people are more than staff members," she said; "they are friends. Thank you again for everything. You will always have a place in our hearts."

The school's two foreign exchange students, Randa Nasr of Egypt and Charlotte Didden of Belgium expressed their appreciation for their host families, the school, and the community for helping them have one of the most educational and rewarding experiences of their lives.

Blain Fritzie closed the speeches by thanking all for the memories which will carry the classmates into the future.

The class also remembered River Most, a classmate who died in 2006 in a car crash. Two friends, Erik Schillios and Tyson Clark, presented a memorial plaque to Scott Most, River's father.

The following awards were presented:

Activities--Travis Bain and Rebecca Hoven.

Citizenship--Brian Ledtke and Samantha Wilson.

Athletics--Toby David and Rachel Fudge.

Leadership--Matt Doumit and Amelia Nguyen.

Washington Principal's Scholars Program and Washington State Honors Program--Matt Doumit.

US Army Reserve Scholar Athletes--Toby David and Rachel Fudge.

Class members received $84,179 in scholarships. Those will be listed in next week's edition of The Eagle.

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