Posen seniors celebrate graduation

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Twenty-four young men and women entered the Posen High School gymnasium Friday evening as students and departed less than an hour later as graduates. Many of their families and friends crowded into the gym to see each of them take the all-important step. Everything went smoothly as the young men and women enjoyed their final moments at PHS. The ceremony began at 7:30 p.m. As ?Pomp and Circumstance? was played by pianist Janice Ahlgren, the graduates walked down the center aisle to take their seats that awaited them.

After they had been seated, Rev. Kevin Jones of Peace Lutheran Church, whose wife Amy Jones is the high school Spanish teacher, opened the ceremony with a prayer. He was followed to the podium by salutatorian Robert Klein, who opened his speech by saying another year came to an end, yet it was different for the seniors. ?WE HAD the seniority, we were in charge of the events, we got to do the things the way we felt they should be done and we received the respect that we have earned over the years,? said Klein. He thanked parents, teachers, school administrators, family and friends.

?The past 13 years of my life has been a blast and I would like to thank my classmates for that,? he said. Valedictorian Luke Bruski spoke next, proclaiming his pride for the school. ?I am so grateful to be able to say that I attended Posen High School,? he said. ?While we’re offered a great education here, this institution moves beyond than. We’re taught more than simply a curriculum; here, we are prepared for life.? Bruski said the faculty deserves more accolades than can be fit into a speech, while parents have shaped the people the graduates have become.

To his classmates: ?I’ll never forget how we came together during our final year here at Posen. Best friends or enemies, we were always there to help one another, laugh with each other, or simply keep everyone’s egos in check,? said Bruski. ?As these 13 years come to a close, we find ourselves at commencements. As we all know, to commence means to begin; so rather than seeing this stage of our lives as an ending, let us look to it as a new beginning, as a stepping stone towards what we might one day become.?

A VIDEO slide show, with pictures of the Class of 2010 in kindergarten to their trip to F

lorida a few months ago, was presented, before board of education president Ken Wozniak had his address. He said it was a privilege to congratulate the Class of 2010. ?The administration and staff have educated themselves to prepare you for the future,? said Wozniak. Later in the speech, he said, ?There has been a lot of talk in the news about small schools versus big schools. Remember, the size of your graduating class has no bearing on your ability to do well, because at the end of the day, the personal attention you received in the smaller classes has left you uniquely prepared for whatever path you choose.?

One-by-one, the graduates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, before superintendent Dru Milliron had them turn their tassels. Bruski then counted down and the graduates threw confetti into the air. Milliron had parting words: ?You have been given the foundation to accomplish great things, to become successful in whatever you choose to do,? said Milliron. ?All of us here know that you can do it. All of us know that you are capable.?