June 3, 2021 at 11:16 a.m.
'We are Hodags': Class of 2021 bids farewell to RHS
'We are Hodags': Class of 2021 bids farewell to RHS
By Jamie Taylor and Heather Schaefer-
A large majority of the graduating class, 186 out of a total of 218, donned cap and gown Friday evening, May 28, and received their diplomas, capping off an extraordinarily challenging and inspiring school year.
Following the traditional processional to "Pomp and Circumstance," district superintendent Eric Burke started the ceremony with a call and response "We are," he yelled. "Hodags" the students and their families responded.
It was the first commencement exercises for Burke, who took over the superintendent's post in July, and he made a point of noting how happy he is to be a Hodag. He also praised the members of the graduating class for the resolve they have shown over the last year, earning all of the necessary credits while navigating a changing schedule that sometimes included online instruction.
"This class may go down as the most resilient group of students ever," he said. "Despite a pandemic, this class accomplished so many amazing things..."
Burke encouraged the group to find ways to put positive energy into the world and make it a better place.
"It's time to ask yourself, how do I want to make a difference, how can I make the world a better place," he said, adding that the resilience the class has demonstrated over the last year "will help carry you after high school and on to the next chapters of your life whatever that may be."
RHS principal Shane Dornfeld advised the group that there's "no script to life" and "the door to the future is always wide open."
He encouraged the group to remember the elements of integrity: honesty, respect, trust, pride, responsibility and helping others. He also reminded them to remember where they came from.
Senior speaker Diego Duarte shared his unique path to graduation, at one point speaking in Spanish to thank his parents for moving from Mexico and "selflessly sacrificing their own education, while struggling to give me this opportunity."
In his time in Rhinelander, Duarte said he has embraced his passion for music and learned there are three different types of people in this world, "those who wonder what happened, those who watch things happen, and those who make things happen."
He said he's learned that "being a leader means having the courage to make things happen" and that's just what he plans to do.
"Wisconsin's motto is 'forward, we must do our part and pay it forward," he noted. "As the next generation to lead this community and many others, we must not compete with each other to see who comes out on top, but rather compete with our (individual) potential. Class of 2021, today is our last day as RHS students. After today, we must make our first adult decisions as leaders: will we be someone who makes things happen, watches things happen, or wonders what happened? I am humbled and flattered to stand before the class of 2021 and the Rhinelander community, knowing that I will be someone who will make things happen!"
The second senior speaker, Makenzie Denny, held a unique prop - a Rubik's cube - as she spoke.
"You will continue to grow and progress despite heartache, distractions, failures, and successes. But the important thing is that you're putting your time into making the most out of your life," she told her classmates. "You're not giving up and you will greet every milestone with open arms and feelings of success. And graduation is just the beginning as many of you will go to further education, the workforce, or meaningful personal endeavors in which you will continue to thrive. So, don't forget that you are worth every second you spend on your life's puzzle and you greatly impact those around you."
Co-valedictorian Quinn Lamers noted that the challenges of the last year have forever changed the way he and his classmates look at life.
"The little things like seeing friends at school or getting to go to social gatherings were appreciated more than they ever had been before," he said.
After thanking the community for its constant support and praising his classmates for their tremendous accomplishments in academics, sports and the arts, he reminded them that this is just the beginning.
"A Chinese philosopher once said 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' You, class of 2021, have taken the first step in your life journeys," he said. "You've made it class of 2021, you made it. I know you will do amazing things, not just because of the amazing people that you are, but because of the obstacles that you've already had to overcome at such a young age. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and I can't wait to hear all of the great things each and every one of you will accomplish."
The final senior speaker, co-valedictorian Gwyneth Lowery, marveled at the passage of time and the challenges that lie ahead.
"One day we were desperately trying to find a lunch table to sit at, and the next we were arguing over which side our tassels are supposed to be on," she observed.
Lowry also spoke eloquently about attending high school in unconventional times, quoting a nine-year-old from Michigan who described living through the pandemic as "looking both ways before crossing the street and then getting hit by a submarine."
As she ruminated on the question of how this class will move on as the pandemic wanes, she quoted Helen Keller who once said "character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved."
"The world is on the brink of change, and the responsibility to make it a positive change rests on our shoulders," she told her classmates. "Whether going straight into the workforce, serving our country, or continuing on with your education, we have a tremendous opportunity in front of us. It will not be easy, but it will be our greatest trials that define us."
Comments:
You must login to comment.