Inside peek of graduation week

Ask any senior, this past week was a stressful one. First there were the deadlines for assignments and papers. Then the Senior Dinner. Followed by Oral Boards. Then Baccalaureate. Then Practice for graduation. Then the event itself, followed by the numerous receptions around the area. The seniors had a busy week, but it was all worth it. They were not the only ones busy. So here are a few things I noticed along the way.

There was a handful of kids, you know them as the procrastinators, which had to cram a quarter full of assignments into a few days. They had the look of deer in the headlights, (by the way, one senior did have a deer in the headlights this week; thank goodness she was OK, but Hailey’s car and the deer won’t be the same), but who knew that that much work could be accomplished. Good job to the kids that got done what they had to do and a lesson to the juniors to not wait that long next year. The other ones busy were the many teachers and aids who went the extra mile this week to help kids with the extra push they needed.

The senior dinner was a chance for everyone to come together and enjoy each other and a little entertainment. From Chuck Norris’s brothers to a magic act and an interview with a principal that I still don’t quite understand yet. Good food, lots of laughs and a banana, (or was it a bandana) all made for a good evening. Busy hands in the kitchen and some juniors, along with a few thespians, made this a good night.

Then the dreaded Oral Boards. “What? You mean I got to talk about myself?” became the quote of the day. This involves members of the community sitting down and learning a little bit more about each senior and giving them feedback. A lot of time was put in by the community members to go over every senior’s notebook and review the good and bad parts and prepare interview questions for each future employee. Most kids came back with smiles, proud of the feedback given with cherished guidance affecting the rest of their lives. (It takes a village, right?)

Then came Baccalaureate, the night a prayer and message is prayed over the seniors. Although we know the parents of each kid has been praying for years, it was a chance for a Pastor Steve and Mr. Seekins (a local genius who is still not as smart as his wife) to remind the young adults of what is important as they begin their journeys. More work was done by the community here to help send these kids off into the future.

The decorating of the gym is always a big deal and the sophomore class jumped to the occasion with some hard working adults to make the hardwood look classy. Julie and Steve led the charge with a few speed bumps along the way. Their hard work paid off and a little help from John at Seaton’s Grove finished it off just right. By the way, standing on a ladder, bending in directions that we are not supposed to bend hurts the next day. I’m just saying, and Will the Thrill agrees with me.

The big day. First, I must apologize. I wrote last week about the heat in the gym and was preparing for the worst again this year, but it was nice in the gym. I mean it was really nice, so whoever made that happen, GREAT JOB! So the ceremony was good, the speeches were on point, this class earned some big bucks in scholarships. The main thing I want to mention is this: Terrin Hazard is the man. He was recognized for not receiving a single demerit his four years of high school. The only one in his class that can brag about that. I think a couple of aids share in that award and a few parents, too. But let’s be honest, Terrin is a young man full of compliments and grace. He will put a smile on your face when you need it most and his laugh is one of the most infectious things on earth. He also has a giant heart. A heart that sees when someone needs a few words of encouragement.

He is not the only one like that in his class, either. The class of 2015 is full of young adults that have overcome big challenges in their lives. Every single one of them has had life throw them a curve ball, and they continue swinging and hitting homeruns. Keep it up and the world will be a better place.