Cheers, tears and miles of sticky string capped an emotional graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 12, at Mount Si High School.
The Class of 2008 strode down the aisles of the Mount Si gymnasium and out into the adult world.
“It’s a great day to be a Wildcat,” commencement speaker Kelcey Simpson told her fellow grads.
“Just about all day, I’ve had the melody of ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ playing over and over again in my head like a broken record player,” Simpson said. That song, interweaved with “Celebrate Good Times” and the hip-hop song “Party like a Rock Star” was her soundtrack for the bittersweet day.
High school is like a lab test, and high schoolers are like guinea pigs, in Simpson’s view. She and her fellow grads have passed their challenges.
“Bring it on, because we’re ready for more.”
“Where will our class be in the future?” asked Simpson, who envisioned classmates as teachers, firefighters or contestants on ‘American Idol.’
Commencement gave Mount Si Principal Randy Taylor a chance to brag about some of the proudest accomplishments of the senior class.
The class has earned $2.9 million and counting in scholarships, as well as numerous leadership awards. Eight running start students are graduating with their two-year associate of arts degree completed at Bellevue Community College – the highest number of recipients from any Eastside high school. Seniors organized food drives, a local Special Olympics, and will leave a legacy of thousands of hours of community service.
“They are really nice young people, with a tremendous future in front of them,” Taylor said. “I will miss their school pride.”
Taylor said that no students in this year’s class were held back for WASL requirements.
Before the ceremony, standing in line in the evening sunshine in their red caps and gowns, Brittney Knott and Katie Duncan were experiencing sadness and excitement at the thought of leaving Mount Si behind. It was a weird feeling leaving the school behind, after being a part of it for so long.
Senior speaker Madison Peck pondered how grads will look back on their graduation from high school
“This may or may not be the best day of your life,” she said. “Today holds a thousand different meanings to each one of us, symbolizing independence to some, and insecurity to others. Some call it an ending, while others find that it is only a beginning.”
Gazing at her class, senior performer Emily Mills gave a rendition of ‘Whenever You Remember’ by Carrie Underwood.
“They thought they’d see us fall, but we stood so tall,” Mills sang.
Wildly cheering grad Sine Schirmer from the sidelines, Vetta Mefi, Tiare Faletogo and Ashley Eneliko sported placards saying “Cali here we come,” and “We love you.”
Visiting from Texas, 14-year-old brothers Ryan and Devin Dow playfully sprayed their grad, Justin Bottorff, with silly string as the group filed out of the building.
The brothers described Bottorff, who gathered them up in a bear hug, as “awesome.”
Jack and Trina Westerlund, who came to cheer on grad Hames Hannah, were impressed by the Class of 2008’s accomplishments and civility.
“Man, for a school, I don’t know of other schools around here that would be able to match it,” Hames said.
As for Hames, “We are extremely proud of her,” he added.
The Westerlunds felt the ceremony was phenomenal, with a true sense of unity and community.
