Quincy seniors take the last walk of high school
A diploma earns a thumb's-up from Quincy seniors during graduation ceremonies Friday.
QUINCY - In his speech, co-valedictorian Trey Petersen said graduation seemed like a long way off, back in freshman year. But the Quincy High School class of 2014 made it all the way to graduation ceremonies Friday in front of a packed house at Jaycees Field.
"Congratulations, class of 2014. We did it," Petersen said.
Co-valedictorian Titus Berndt had what he called a final fun fact, that the class of 2014 had been in school about 3,240 days. "We see just how far we've come," said senior class president Jackelyn Benitez, reminiscing about the baby animal fair, a traditional stop for kindergartners in Quincy.
Berndt said the class had learned lessons it could apply to the future. "Life will go by fast - too fast," he said.
The class has already had an impact on the school, the town and each other, Berndt said, and that was another lesson. "Each and every day, we affect others," he said.
When they were freshmen and graduation seemed far away, kids thought the decisions they made wouldn't affect their lives, Petersen said. They know better now, he said, and need to think about how decisions made today will affect their future.
The class of 2014 has already faced challenges, Benitez said. "It's not all happiness and smiles." They needed help from their parents, their families and their teachers, she said.
"We owe a lot of people a lot of thank-yous," Petersen said, parents and family, teachers, all pushing them to be better. The challenge after high school, he said, will be to set high standards and work to reach them.
Berndt said it will be a bumpy road ahead, good times and bad times, but the struggles teach a lesson. "We fall so we can learn to pick ourselves up again," he said. The seniors have faced obstacles before and have beaten them, he said, and they can do it again.
What happens next is up to each student, Benitez said. "It's time for us to follow our own path and create our own future," she said.
Counselor Rod Luce announced that 73 seniors and 10 Quincy alumni had received about $376,000 in scholarships. Diplomas were awarded by JoAnn Garces, a member of the Quincy School Board, and district superintendent Burton Dickerson.
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