Moses Lake names top graduates

Ceremony is Friday

MOSES LAKE - Eleven Moses Lake High School seniors rose to the top of their graduating class.

Graduation for Moses Lake High School's class of 2008 is Friday at 7 p.m. at the Wallenstien Theater.

Gurpreet Brar, 17, Ben Nye, 17, Andy Su, 17, Stephanie McFarland, 18, Jeremy LeFave, 18, Paul Asfour, 18, Hayden Jensen, 18, Nanako Era, 17, Alec Robillard, 18, Jennifer Braun, 17, and Michelle Reynolds, 17, are the top 11 graduates this year.

"The class of 2008 is an outstanding class because of everything that's been laid on their plate in terms of the WASL, and all the state requirements in addition to the district requirements. These students have really stepped up and answered that bell," said Principal Dave Balcom.

"We have 97 percent of our kids graduating with all pieces, the district and the state, I think for a school our size, that's a credit to our students, our staff and our community. That's a pretty good feat," he added.

Approximately 330 students are in the class of 2008, Balcom said.

To get into the top 11, the students studied and took challenging classes, said Reynolds.

Brar said she wasn't sure that it was difficult to become a top graduate, but it was time consuming. She said some of the tactics were late nights, early mornings, and plenty of coffee and chocolate.

"Early mornings, that helps," McFarland agreed.

The students participated in multiple activities during their high school careers. For example, Robillard was in soccer, cross country, jazz band, knowledge bowl, key club and honor society.

"Most of us have a job, or sports, or community service, church, in addition to academics," said Nye.

Era said a big challenge in high school was juggling all of the extracurricular activities.

Even sleep is a challenge, Su added.

Nye said many of the students took an honors physical-science course as freshmen. With the study habits the students developed, the course would have been easier, he said.

"We have grown up a lot as people and as students," Nye said.

Students said they are excited to graduate.

"It's really hard to get up in the morning these days," Era said.

"I'm still working hard," Robillard countered, receiving laughs from his classmates.

Robillard said he will miss participating in high school soccer, Reynolds said she will miss the teachers, Braun said she will miss competing in knowledge bowl, and Su said he'll miss "being irresponsible."

"I'm going to miss the people that I grew up with," McFarland said.

After graduation, the students will go their separate ways, though many chose to attend the University of Washington. Nye plans to study business finance at the University of Washington and Asfour plans to study psychology through the University of Washington honors program.

Era plans to select a computer-related major at the University of Washington, Jensen plans to study mathematics at the University of Washington, and Braun plans to study computer science at the University of Washington.

Brar is undecided about her major but plans to attend the University of Washington.

Su plans to study computer science at University of California, Berkeley,

McFarland plans to study secondary education, with a major in history and a minor in theology at Whitworth University.

Robillard plans to attend Washington State University to become a high school math teacher.

LeFave plans to study engineering at Washington State University.

Reynolds plans to study secondary education with a major in history at the University of Puget Sound.