WHS graduates 127 seniors

Whitefish High School’s commencement ceremony Saturday squarely focused on the journey that brought the seniors to graduation day and the bright future they now face. One chapter closes, another begins.

“Here we are commencing and beginning again,” graduate Mariah Drown said in addressing her fellow classmates.

“It’s where we go from here that matters.”

Family and friends packed the high school gym to cheer and celebrate with the 127 seniors to graduate with the class of 2016. The many accomplishments of this group, from the classroom to athletics, were noted by Bergen Carloss. An astounding 16 seniors graduated with a 4.0 GPA, she said, and the class earned more than $5.5 million in scholarships that will send graduates to Harvard, Duke, Princeton and beyond. State championships were earned in track, drama, cross-country, speech and debate, golf, soccer, tennis, and the school’s first football state championship since 1979.

Sam Benkelman described the high school journey, calling it a sometimes bumpy road that ultimately shaped the seniors into who they are today.

“It was long and twisting and often steep, and sometimes we couldn’t keep the end of it in sight,” Benkelman said. “But when it’s all said and done, we did make it here today.”

“The heart of our experience, good and bad, was figuring it all out. That act of figuring it all out, together, is exactly what makes the experience worthwhile.”

Principal Kerry Drown offered the seniors a few parting words of advice and encouragement. Having been with the class as the middle school principal, and then through all four years at the high school, he said he knows these seniors as well as anyone.

“I’ve witnessed your incredible successes and I’ve watched the agony of your challenges,” Drown said. “I’ve seen your blood, sweat and tears.”

While the successes in life are to be celebrated, he said, it’s the moments of adversity that will shape character.

“Everyone in this room has and will face adversity,” Drown said. “No matter how smart, clever and careful you are, you will face challenges, difficulties and sometimes heartbreaking advertises in your life — plan for it.”

And thank goodness for it, he said.

“Adversity is an opportunity for personal growth,” he added.

The key to transferring life’s challenges into an opportunity, Drown said, is all in the response.

“Life is 10 percent what happens to us, and 90 percent in how we respond,” he told the seniors.

“Fly with grace and tenacity and power through gale force winds head on.”

“And when the going gets tough, stand tall, stand strong and say to yourself, ‘Bring it on.’”