Wapakoneta High School Class of 2024 Embarks on New Adventures
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WAPAKONETA- The air was filled with anticipation and pride as families, friends, and faculty gathered at the Wapakoneta High School 153rd Commencement Saturday morning to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2024. It was a momentous occasion marked by heartfelt speeches, joyful cheers, and a sense of accomplishment that echoed throughout the High School Gymnasium.
The ceremony commenced with a procession of graduates furnished in the traditional red and white regalia of Wapakoneta High School. Among them were scholars, athletes, artists, and leaders, each representing the diverse talents and achievements of their graduating class.
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After an opening prayer from Fellowship of Christian Athletes President Elisabeth Good, Principal Scott Minnig opened the ceremony with words of encouragement and reflection, acknowledging the challenges the students faced and the resilience they displayed throughout their high school journey. "Today is the culmination of 13 years of hard work and you should be proud of yourselves," Principal Minnig remarked. "From the first day you stepped into the high school as 8th graders to this moment as graduates, you've shown remarkable character and resilience. You are a class characterized by your teachers as friendly, personable, respectful, and solid role models. I can honestly say that I've seen these characteristics throughout your high school career in the hallways before, during, and after school. Your achievements have not only brought honor to yourselves, but they have also illuminated the path for future generations.”
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After the choir performed, student speaker Ryan Price shared his classes’ memories throughout his “recipe of life”. Not only did he mention the sweetness or “sugar” the Class of 2024 has, but shared how the recipe was filled with protein or “GRIT”. “GRIT is passion and perseverance for a long-term and meaningful goal. Over the past 13 years, we have had ample opportunities to develop GRIT,” he said. “From an athletic standpoint, thank you to our coaches who made us get up early, take the extra reps, and experience a little pain. This helped us develop the understanding of a solid work ethic, so we can learn to persevere and succeed. Our Apollo classmates also showcased GRIT. Day after day, rain or shine, they were out there learning their skills and trades so they could succeed in the workforce. Shout-out to our classmates who have chosen to go into the Armed Forces. The ultimate definition of GRIT. Thank you for your commitment to our country. Lastly, I am a personal witness of the GRIT of the Wapak Band. They might have been out there practicing longer in the summer heat than the football team.”
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Fellow senior Callie Sutton spoke on the importance of setting high goals in order to be successful. “No matter what you decide will be your small accomplishment, you will empower yourself to persevere through challenges, reminding you that the little accomplishments make the bigger tasks possible. So, whether or not you decide to make your bed, or any number of small tasks to start your day, I encourage you to set goals for yourself to set yourself up for success,” Sutton declared. “By doing so, you are silently empowering yourself to continue to push forward and better yourself every day, despite the obstacles that are thrown in the way of your goals. It can be so easy to get lost in what the world has to offer. The countless tangible matters that so many of us succumb to today, condemn our true internal goals of discovering ourselves. I urge you graduates to keep sight of your dreams, and eventually turn them into realities.”
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Lastly, with a blend of humor and wisdom, Nathaniel Wisener spoke about the good times the class has gone through, and the new struggles that await them. “As things that we were always able to say, ‘I can't wait for next year (to)’, are no longer happening next year for us. We've had a lot of last times this year. The times we've had in these last opportunities have felt so much sweeter, and often we have realized only after how much we will miss them,” he stated. “Within the next year, those before you will go to colleges, tech schools, take up jobs, move to a different city, and begin their new lives as adults. But in all of it, we will never forget the aid you have all given us, the foundation you've laid for us, you who have taken us to those games, those concerts, and those fires. In the years to come, though we will become further in distance, we hope to become closer at heart to you,” added Wisener.
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After Apollo Career Center Assistant Principal Mr. Michael Ward recognized his students and their achievements, Wapakoneta City School Board of Education President Mr. Brian Cossell gave the graduates the realization of the people that have helped get to where they are. “Over the last 13 years, there have been many people that have supported you in many ways to help you get you to today. Parents, grandparents, teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, band directors, choir directors, coaches, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, even fellow students. Then there's our community, which I may be partial here, but our community support is awesome and second to none. Thank you to the community for everything that you do to support these young men and women.”
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Finally, Wapakoneta City Schools Superintendent Aaron Rex took the stage to deliver words of wisdom to the nearly 250 graduates. “It's not what you're capable of, it's what you're willing to do,” Rex embarked. “There are plenty of people who are capable, there are much fewer that are willing. So I ask you, class of 2024, what are you willing to do? As students, you were capable of coming to school and doing the work. Were you willing to put in the extra effort, the study, to the very best that you could? Your grade cards, the honor cords you wear today, your medals, your scholarships, and diplomas prove that you were. If you were in the band or choir, you were capable of playing the instrument or singing the pieces. However, you were willing to put in the practice to earn superior ratings and represent our programs at state and local competitions.”
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One by one, the graduates ascended the stage to receive their diplomas, greeted by thunderous applause and cheers of support from their loved ones. For many, it was a bittersweet moment, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. With diplomas in hand and hearts full of hope, they bid farewell to Wapakoneta High School, ready to embrace the future with one last sing of the alma mater.
As the ceremony came to a close, Principal Minnig said, “Class of 2024, class is dismissed.” With those words, the graduates tossed their caps into the air, symbolizing the end of one journey and the beginning of another.