Senior creates class sign

Story and photos by Diana Zimmerman Travis Wegdahl, a senior at Wahkiakum High School, noticed something was missing while looking through old annuals with his mother, Stacey (Doumit) Wegdahl, Class of ’89. A class sign, once an object of pride, no longer graced the exterior wall above the entrance to the school.

“It was a tradition," Wegdahl said. “The yearbooks show the whole class being involved in creating their sign. My mom worked on the one for her class.”

Resurrecting a tradition and quietly hoping to create something for his fellow seniors, he met with his grandmother and local artist, Ruth Doumit, to sketch and paint on two pieces of 4 x 8 plywood donated by Hancock Forest Management to bring the image in his mind’s eye to life.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” Wegdahl says of his grandmother, Ruth. “She’s really good.”

School district employees Bob McClintock and Mike Wright mounted the sign for them.

Wegdahl is the son of Stacey and Mike Wegdahl, Class of ’85. He has lettered in football, basketball and baseball. He enjoys weight training and history. He hopes to continue his studies in the fall and eventually find work as a fire fighter.