Posen’s Class of 2008 graduates

by Richard Lamb– Advance Editor

The Class of 2008 said goodbye to Posen High School at commencement ceremonies last Friday. Superintendent Dru Milliron and school board president Ken Wozniak handed out diplomas to the 20 graduates who celebrated with shots of string and mortarboards thrown into the air.

Salutatorian Ashley Styma thanked faculty and staff for helping the graduates achieve their goals and for the efforts of parents of the 20 graduates. ?You will never know how much it means to have your mother and father behind you. It gives you confidence to move forward when you may have otherwise backed out. A parent is someone who will praise you when you have taken the right turn and gently criticize you when you have not,? she said. She also thanked the community of Posen for its support of the students. Styma had words of congratulations for her classmates. ?Your hard work paid off. The diploma you will receive today is proof of the hours spent in pursuit of this moment,? she said.

Valedictorian Ashley Sobek followed Styma to the podium, first thanking all in attendance for coming to mark the special day in the lives of the students. ?Every new beginning comes from some other beginning?s end. As we set out to start the rest of our lives, we look back on our years here. It?s been a tough but rewarding journey we?ve made to get here today. We?ve accomplished things we never thought possible, made friendships that will last a lifetime, broken boundaries, and pushed ourselves to the limit,? Sobek said. She said graduation is a ceremony that celebrates a series of gradual changes and offered some advice to her fellow graduates. ?We are all capable, unique, amazing individuals. Find your passion. Live life to its fullest. Leave an impact on this world and don?t ever give up on your dreams,? she said.

Elyse Perrault, the reigning Miss Posen and a member of the Class of 2008, brought tears to the eyes of many with a stirring rendition of ?Its Never Easy to Say Goodbye? made popular by Wynonna Judd.

Milliron, in his first

full year as superintendent, told the graduates it is important to thank their parents for their sacrifices made out of love ?Let them know how much you love them,? he urged and told them not to forget where they were from. ?We are all blessed to be from a town that is built on strong character and family values.?

Board president Wozniak offered his comments to the graduates. ?We are proud of your accomplishments at Posen High School,? Wozniak said. ?We hope that you never forget Posen High School.? He offered a way to remember PHS, by thinking of the letter ?P? for pride, ?H? for honesty and ?S? for success.

Earlier in the evening, the Rev. Harold G. Molzan offered an invocation and Megan Haske presented a video show, displaying photos of the graduates.