Family gathers for CBSS grads
Crystal Lloyd gives her valedictorian as school officials listen attentively. From the left are guest speaker and former CBSS student, Eowen Rosentrader, CBSS principal James Yonko, superintendent Michelle Price, and Allan Burritt of the Moses Lake School District Board of Directors.
MOSES LAKE - Columbia Basin Secondary School's graduation Friday night was a family affair.
In the Wallenstein Theatre, CBSS staff members watched their children graduate. Students thanked those closest to them for all the support during their education.
And nearly everyone acknowledged the family that the class of 2013 had become.
In her speech as valedictorian, Crystal Lloyd thanked her father, who had flown in from Texas specifically for this occasion, and her mother for "always putting up with me." Then she turned to her classmates.
"I want to thank all of you guys too," Lloyd said. "I couldn't have done it without you."
The ceremony continued its intimate, family feeling as teachers and staff members introduced the graduates with whom they had close relationships and told brief anecdotes about their time together.
Andrew Palmen was introduced by his mother Lydia, also a staff member at CBSS.
"I promised myself I could get through this," she managed before breaking into tears.
Principal James Yonko introduced a student he had met during his time at Moses Lake High School, Yvonne Prado.
"I remember I was running across the school to an altercation and that was how I met Yvonne," he said. "Then, a little later I was running to a different altercation and I met Yvonne again." The audience chuckled as Yvonne ducked her head to her graduation gown.
"But here you are today," Yonko continued, "and I have to say, I am so proud of the beautiful young woman you have become."
Not all of the ceremony was as serious, though. Guy Rutherford was teased with the story of his mother, a staff member at CBSS, taking apart his bike piece by piece and telling him he could earn each piece back by focusing on his schoolwork.
"Now Guy has a car," she said as she took the stage. "I know how to take that apart piece by piece too."
Even more laughter came when Xzavier Garcia convinced one of his teachers to join him in showing off a dance he called "the Xzavier Dougie."
In one of the night's more memorable speeches, Martin Lopez Arizona summarized the feeling of graduation with a metaphor that made his classmates laugh.
"We're all baby birds," he said. Then, throwing his arms up like wings: "This baby bird has flown!"