Cedarcrest High School’s Class of 2011 marked a classy, touching commencement ceremony Friday, June 10, at Kirkland’s City Church.

No longer students, the young adults marched proudly out of their high school careers, reflecting on their own accomplishments, connections, and one student who fell along the way.

Parting words

English teacher Tony Schenk gave the commencement address, hoisting placards with learning targets for his former charges, with phrases like “I can say yes” and “I can be where I am.”

“You filed in here this afternoon as high school students. Soon, you’ll walk out the door as high school graduates, as young adults, as ladies and gentlemen. But not just yet.”

His lesson was that the students need to be actively involved in their journey through life. He urged them to be in the moment, and not put too much time into time-filling activities like watching television or playing video games.

“If you do too much of that, is it really living?” he asked. “Make a choice to be engaged in authentic moments.”

Schenk urged students not to spend all their energy waiting for a future event, or looking back on glory days.

“Don’t be so obsessed with the past or the future that you forget to be where you are,” he said.

As seniors, “you blew me away with your positive leadership,” Schenk said. “I hope that your legacy is that every senior class from now on welcomes the freshman class as you did.”

The class will be missed by many teachers, and Schenk described them as “the smilingest group of people.”

After four years, 3,000 classes and millions of words exchanged, “I get to choose the last ones tonight,” he said.

Schenk closed by asking the audience to chant lines from Bob Dylan’s song “Forever Young.”

“Be where you are,” he said. “Stay forever young. Make a great life.”

Remembering Josh

This year’s senior class has a special bond with Schenk, who arrived at Cedarcrest during their freshman year.

Year by year, the class made many accomplishments, but learned about the fragility of life all too soon.

Their classmate, Josh Ward, died at age 16 in a 2009 automobile accident.

“He touched all our lives,” Schenk said. “I know he’s in your thoughts and hearts.”

Salutatorian Cara Strodel shared memories of Ward’s infectious smile and writing skill.

“We miss him every day,” she said.

Strodel read a poem he wrote that likened individuals to drops of water, every one making its own way as part of a whole.

“It’s best to be different together,” she read. “Make peace and accept differences.”

Big accomplishments

The Class of 2011’s academic deeds got mention during commencement. Of this group of seniors, 40 students had GPAs of 3.8 or better; 87 percent are continuing their education.

“I think we’ve been pretty humble about how smart and talented we are,” said valedictorian Erica Debrecht.

She pointed to the students’ big participation in activities like science fair or advanced placement testing, and remarked on the 5,300 hours of senior volunteerism at groups like Pasado’s Safe Haven, Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA.

“There’s so much more to come,” she said. “Don’t dwell on the fact that it is over today. We did it. Congratulations.”

Commencement ceremonies were punctuated by emotional musical performances.

Grads Tristan Atkinson, Jordan Rogers and Spencer Paul-Jones performed “How Far We’ve Come” on drum, guitar and vocals, while Brady Estes, Sam Hill, Bessie Ish, Jessica Knoth, Grace Stocker, Eric Mahowald and Cody Wilkinson performed a folk-rock farewell, “Shine On.”

“What will always keep this class together are the dreams and promises we’ve made to each other,” said student speaker Sam Panek.

Evening’s energy

The patio and halls of City Church were abuzz with excited chatter prior to the ceremony as Gwenaelle Cattin used a mirrored door to check her reflection. She had already done her make-up, but touched it up anyway.

“It’s got to be perfect. It’s graduation,” said the Running Start student, who will visit Switzerland and then study law at Brigham Young University.

“It’s a chapter in my life being closed,” Cattin said. “I’m sad to see everybody go, but at the same time, I’m ready. I’m sure everybody else is ready.”

Behind her, Eliza Runolfson adjusted her uncomfortable mortarboard.

“I’m the last kid in my family,” she said. “I remember when my oldest brother graduated. It seemed like it just zapped up to this moment.”