Class of 2019: Graduation Photos Available

Saturday at Elmer Bankus Field, turned out to be a beautiful day for once in a lifetime memories to be made. The weather proved favorable for the Class of 2019, as it brought blue skies and 78 degrees; almost perfect conditions for the celebration, had it not been for the gusty winds which averaged about 15 mph throughout.  

 

Seniors wrestled with hats, gowns, sashes, medallions, and cords as they walked on stage to accept rewards resulting from 12 years of hard work; to finally recieve that shiny, new high-school diploma - evidence of a job well done.  

 

A bit of sympathy went out to the highest achievers as they struggled the most to keep their many achievements from whipping them in the face as they waited patiently in the wings, and in the wind.  

 

Senior Sea Breeze Choir members sung the National Anthem as the opening Flag Ceremony got the event underway.  Victoria Muro kept with tradition, waving Old Glory proudly as she rode her horse across the field.

 

Presenting awards this year were Principal Lisa Dion, Superintendent Sean Gallagher, and School Board Chair, Bruce Raleigh.  Keynote Address was given by none other than the esteemed sage, himself, 'Darth Educator', Dave Carrell.

 

Principal Dion, began the proceedings by pointing out that the Class of 2019 was the largest group to graduate from the high school in many years.  In total, 117 Seniors graduated from Brookings-Harbor High School this year.  

 

Of those who have shared their plans, the vast majority of Seniors will be pursuing higher education, with at least 58 going on to college or university, and 5 planning to attend trade school.  Military service was chosen by nine, and 20 will immediately enter the workforce.  One will be partaking in a religious mission, and one with the fifth year BHHS Transitions program.    

 

First awards to be presented were those for Academic Excellence (purple cord).  In order to recieve this award, students had to maintain at least a 3.75 GPA or higher through to the third-quarter of Senior Year.

 

Dion presented Academic Excellence awards to Nathaniel Barnard, Allyson Cantrall, Holly Fallert, Makayla Fulton, Jonathan Kleespies, Mayce McCollum, Abigail Marks, Aynika Nelson, Brig Schofield, Kaylee Strain, Ethan Warner, and Roman Worthey.

 

Next on the agenda was recognizing recipients of Honors Diplomas (white cord).  Dion bestowed  awards to Nathaniel Barnard, Allyson Cantrall, Zachary Carslon, Holly Fallert, Makayla Fulton, Jonathan Kleespies, Mayce McCollum, Abigail Marks, Aynika Nelson, and Kaylee Strain.

 

Other cords worn but were not part of Saturday's presentation included National Honor Society (silver cord), Red Cross Donor/Volunteer (red cord), and Southern Oregon University (SOU) College Credit Honor Cord (black and red).  

 

National Honor Society awards went to Nathaniel Barnard, Allyson Cantrall, Holly Fallert, Makayla Fulton, Jonathan Kleespies, Abigail Marks, Mayce McCollum, Aynika Nelson, Alexis Pacino, Brig Schofield, Maggie Steerman, Kaylee Strain, and Ethan Warner.

 

Earning Red Cross honors were Nathaniel Barnard, Allyson Cantrall, Rosemary Cavozos, Jordan Chavez, Makayla Fulton, Brooke Hodges, Tristan Honeywell, Jonathan Kleespies, Abagail Marks, Spencer Miller, Aubree Parkinson, and Juan Ruiz.

 

And finally, SOU College Credit Honors went to Nathaniel Barnard, Rosemary Cavazos,Holly Fallert, Abigail Marks, Mayce McCollum, Spencer Miller, Ethan Sayne, and Brig Schofield.

 

First Senior honoree up to give a speech, was accomplished BHHS Class of 2019 Salutatorian, Aynika Nelson.  She will be attending Barnard College at Columbia University, in the fall. An Ivy League school, Barnard is considered of the oldest and most exclusive women's colleges in the world.  Nelson plans to study Literature.

 

Soft spoken Nelson found her voice as she explained of the importance of standing up for yourself and others in a world that isn't always so accomodating.  She believes it imperative that women and other under-represented members of society, demand  equal treatment and inclusion if we are to progress as a society.

 

Nelson encouraged, "Always advocate for yourself to have a seat at the table and, if necessary, a seat for someone else."  She added, "If they don't give you one, then you bring your own."  A sentiment passed down to her from other strong women in her family.

 

Next up to say a few words of wisdom, were Valedictorians, Kaylee Strain, Jon Kleespies, Mayce McCollum, and Nathanial Barnard.

 

With her Valedictory speech dedicated to her late grandmother, Strain gave thanks to those whom have had the biggest impact on her life, thus far. In addition to family members and friends, she also thanked many of her teachers.  

 

Strain finished her speech by giving a special shout-out to history teacher extraordinaire, Kelly Garvin.  

 

Strain concluded, "Lastly, to my best friend Garvin. Thank you for hands down the greatest academic experience of my life."  

 

Giving the audience a good chuckle, she added, "Thank you for getting me through history.  I cried...like... a lot.  No, really, I mean... like a lot.  Like three times a week."

 

Jon Kleespies also gave a touching tribute to his late grandmother, who passed away from Cancer not too long ago.  Kleespies gave thanks to God and offered a meaningful verse, Jeremiah 29:11, to help impart wisdom to his peers.  He will be attending George Fox University and will study to become a Nurse.

 

He thanked those people who have supported him, including family and friends, with a special nod to the Fulton family, who have been long-time personal influences and important figures in his life.

 

Mayce McCollum began with a quote from Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

 

McCollum was quick to point out that with knowledge, also comes responsibility.  

 

She thanked friends and family, teachers, and classmates before concluding her speech.  

 

"Classmates - Finally, we can be thankful for each other," McCollum said.  "The friendships that we have made here will last a lifetime, and in the same way we have supported each other and helped each other succeed throughout these years in Brookings, I hope we will continue to provide support and encouragement for each other in future endeavors with both the power and knowledge we have just received."

 

Which brings us to Nathaniel Barnard.  The man, the myth, the legend, if you will.  

 

Interestingly, Barnard took a more unusual approach to his Valedictory speech.  Instead of offering up sage advice about life to his peers, he though it might be more beneficial to seek out such wisdom in those he felt more qualified to give it.

 

"Being that I am the same age as you, and have relatively similar amount of life experience, it felt a bit odd to try to come up with some grand wisdom to share with my peers.  So I didn’t," he said.

 

"Last week, I went to Seaview retirement home and spoke for a while with many of the residents, yearning to glean off of them some grand suggestions about life for today’s youth. After my discussions with the residence, I pulled away a wealth of information. In general though, I found that one characteristic played a huge role in the advice they gave me to pass on to you: diligence."  

 

He spoke of what he had gleaned from the elders.  The importance of perservering and being self-motivated, for example, and of being kind, hardworking and staying on the right path.

 

He concluded his speech with a tribute to his very patient, loving parents, Dan and Jeannine Barnard. His sentiments painted a vivid picture of the wonders/horrors involved with raising a gifted child.    

 

"Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, it has been a long and somewhat rocky journey," he smiled with a sigh.  

 

"I understand that having a mad scientist as a child is not always fun. From lighting candles under suspended containers of water to test their caloric output, to etching every pickle jar in the house, and yes the granite countertop (I’m sorry), and lastly to the smell of sulfur dioxide that was stuck in your nose for a month after that rocket fuel experiment, you have certainly persevered through a ton. When you could have easily said, 'no, don’t cover all of our kitchen utensils in playdoh', or 'No, I don’t want to test the effectiveness of twenty different brands of deodorant at masking the scent of doe urine', you didn’t. You let me explore the wide world around me from as long as I can remember, and for that I thank you."

 

He then joked, "And, now you are thinking to yourself, 'this is the kid that got into Stanford?'."

 

Barnard finished, "And to my heavenly Father I give thanks for all that You have done to make this glorious day a reality.   Thank you."

 

Staff Members of the Year were announced next.  Nominating individuals for this honor provides a nice way for the Senior Class to recognize those whom have made a special impact in their lives during the past school year.  

 

Nominees include Greg Scott, Nicole Acosta, Mark Trailor, Virginia Riddle, Dan Schilter, Keyna Peters, Dave Carrell, Tim Buehler, David Lee, Kendra Gonzales, Adrian Alonso, Sandy Garrison, Lisa Piscitello, David Lee, Victoria Snow, Michael Dunn, Lei'la Bryant, Kristy Kleespies, Gretchen Francisco, Dane Tippman, and Mrs. Tran.

 

As hard as Barnard's act may have been to follow, 'Darth Educator' and beloved teacher, Dave Carrell, somehow reached deep within and found the courage to do it anyway.  

 

To the delight of students and adults alike, he offered entertaining, yet poignant, words of wisdom to the newbs (those new to the game of "adulting"). 

 

In his own special way, and with hopes of leaving an impression that would last a lifetime, he gleaned wisdom from the universe to convey his message.  Yep, you guessed it - Star Wars references.  

 

Carrell said everything he has learned in life can be summed-up in a Star Wars movie.  

 

“Do. Or do not. There is no try,"- Yoda,  and  “Your focus determines your reality.” – Qui-Gon Jinn were just two among several Carrell offered as examples.

 

In addition to the importance of studying up on Star Wars, he advised it was important for new graduates to try new things and be fearless in self-discovery.

 

"Go out and find your weird," he said.  

 

Other great words to live by included, "Use the internet for good," and old standard, "Be nice.  Kindness goes a long way."

 

While left to ponder the wisdom of a 2ft., 2 in. legendary Jedi Master, the audience was treated to a special song by the Senior Sea Breeze Choir.  Immediately following, Mickey Fulton, Senior Class President, took to the podium for Senior Roll Call and the presentation of diplomas by School Board member, Alan Nidiffer and School District Superintendent, Sean Gallagher.

 

Martin and Reyna Canales received an honorary diploma on behalf of their late son, Edgar Omar Canales, who died of brain cancer in 2017.  He will forever be remembered as an important member of the graduating Class of 2019.

 

School Board Chair, Bruce Raleigh, concluded the commencement with the turning of the tassel.

 

Seniors jumped up and began immediately dousing eachother with Silly String, many completely forgetting to throw their hats in the air, as previously planned.

 

Yep, Saturday proved merciful for the 105 or so hats not thrown that day.  The fateful combination of Silly String and short attention spans, probably doomed their flight from the start.

 

Associated Student Body Vice President, and graduating Senior, McKenna Davis- Overley, thinks the promise of Silly String was just too much of a distraction for some of her classmates, herself included.