Farewell to the seniors
Graduations are bittersweet, eliciting joy and sadness in equal measure; from preschool to grad school endings, I love celebrating past accomplishments and anticipating future ones. I seldom miss a high school graduation that includes our peer educators. Typically, I’ve worked very closely with these young people for four to five years. I feel like a coach saying goodbye to a championship team. At first, one wonders how young people this outstanding will be replaced. In time I’ve grown to realize that they won’t be replaced but that other excellent teens will step up to take their places.
Each person is a person of worth. 2013’s graduates leave amazing memories of field trips, educational dramas, conference presentations, Teen Center events and classroom activities. I’ll miss these young people a great deal. I know from past experience that they will move forward and serve as role models, peer facilitators and educators. More than 90 percent of our trained high school peer educators become resident assistants, peer educators or peer mediators in college.
This year, 15 peer educators graduate. Congratulations and gratitude to Taylor E. Allen, Amanda Campbell, Troy Frazier, Natalie Gloady, Weylin Gomez, Dominique Levy, Brittany McGary, Hunter McClain, Briann Moye, David Pascoe, Taylor Pieper, William Reusch, Raelynn Marie Sanders, Jordan Smith and Sabrina Tecklenberg. Our Common Ground Teen Center staff will move on – thank you to Amanda Campbell, Troy Frazier and David Pascoe. Two of these young people (Amanda Campbell and Sabrina Tecklenberg) not only received our Inclusion Award for demonstrating uncommon respect for all but have earned places as their school’s valedictorians. David Pascoe and Natalie Gloady were recipients of our coveted Peer Educator Award for service above and beyond.
The following graduates supported our Outreach without going through peer educator training: Alex Beighle, Jake Cumpston, Carolyn Hock, Cody Fernandez, Drew Manko and Sarah Piecknick.
Our seniors were given one last opportunity to offer their thoughts and give advice to next year’s freshmen. Please enjoy!
Troy Frazier: In high school, you see a lot of good and bad. You make a lot of friends, and you lose a lot, too. You may even hate it at times, but hey, what can you do? You have to go to school, so live it up and make a lot of memories because when you’re done, you’re done.
Weylin Gomez: When you start your freshman year, graduation seems so far away that it’ll never come, and in only four short years you find yourself a week away from graduation and all you can say is “wow” where did all the time go? However the mistakes you make freshman year don’t even cross your mind senior year. It’s the great memories that do. So if something happens brush it off, because four years from now no one will even remember it. Strive to create those great memories with the people you may only have a short time with.
Brittany McGary: As my high school career comes to an end, I’m starting to miss being little and having no worries. I’m afraid to leave my friends behind, but I’m also excited to start my life over and make new friends. My advice to freshmen is to enjoy high school and don’t worry about the small things. You have your whole life ahead of you. Enjoy it while you can; it goes way too fast.
Taylor Pieper: I’m gonna miss high school. Yeah, it’s rough, but that’s where a lot of your memories are made. Just live your life to the fullest because days come and go and you’re gonna miss it!
David Pascoe: Graduating from high school has really gotten me thinking. I’m really going to miss all of the fun times I’ve had with friends, both in and out of school. To those of you reading this who are still in school, just try to make the most of it. To people who are graduating this year, I hope you do well on the road of life.
Raelynn Sanders: I’m glad it’s finally over.
Sabrina Tecklenberg: “Imagine others complexly” by John Green.
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The Outreach also would like to honor our graduating Adolescent Advisory Board members: Ben Bench, Amanda Campbell, Jason Dalesandro, Matt Devenney, Ray Fiorentini, Ashley Fleming, Natalie Gloady, Will Goodwin, Chelsea Howard, Kristen Keagy, Yasmin Kotar, Chris Lacey, Ian Lodge, Joe Luisi, Brennah Martik, Casey McCauley, Hunter McClain, Katelyn Miller, David Pascoe, Maggie Phillips, Sophia Scarmazzi, Connor Schram, Victoria Smith, Cody Stoner, Harleigh Wujcik and Stephanie Yuhas.
Congratulations to these fine young people and to all high school graduates.