WHS celebrates class of 2015
Angst, tears, but mostly smiles filled the Whitefish High School gym Saturday afternoon at the school’s 101st commencement ceremony.
That joy was undeniable as the graduates huddled at the center of the track and tossed their caps high into the sky as thousands of family and friends cheered their accomplishment.
All totaled, 113 students in the class of 2015 walked across the stage to receive their diploma and a yellow rose traditionally given to Whitefish graduates.
“It’s nerve-racking, exciting, terrifying and unbelievable all in one,” Peyton Twete described of the day.
Micah McFeeley had to hold back tears as she delivered a passionate final address to her fellow seniors.
“Today is the day we are finally done with high school,” she said. “The day where a long and sentimental chapter of our life ends and a new one begins.”
She recognized the significant role parents played in helping guide each of the grads through 12 years of school.
“I know it is not easy to see your child graduate, and it probably hurts a little,” she said. “Not because you don’t want it for us, but because you’re amazed at how quickly it has all gone by.”
She talked about how lucky the class is to have grown up in Whitefish, a place with the comforts of a small town but with big adventures.
“Despite this picture-perfect town we grew up in, I think many of us here today are ready to move on, either mentally or physically,” she said.
She advised the class to follow their dreams into the next chapter of their lives
“Listen to your inspirations, fuel your passions, recognize your purpose, pursue your dreams, stay focused, get distracted, work hard, play harder, learn more, love yourself and others unconditionally. But most importantly, let your heart guide you,” she said.
Georgia Donaldson and Haley Delagnes detailed the success of the class, which included seven state championships in five different activities and $1.4 million in scholarships earned.
The class will go to 22 different universities in 10 states across the U.S.