They spoke of memories, challenges and the road ahead. “Embrace it ... remember every moment of today,” co-head girl and graduate Kourtney Gibson said during opening remarks.
Sunday afternoon, on the Wilson Field at Olathe High School under sunny skies, 78 Olathe seniors took the step from students to alumni, receiving the honor of a high school diploma in front of friends and family.
  
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The graduating class of 2008 had more than $110,000 in scholarships and have donated more than 32 hours to community service within their town. Fifteen of the graduates started as ESL (English as a Second Language) students but now will go on to colleges and into the workforce.
Several members of the class have earned college credits in American government, Swenson said. While others have sacrificed the necessary six hours a week to finish the advanced placement tests in calculus and English.
He also listed the class’ numerous athletic feats and awards.
“Let’s face it, we are pretty darn amazing,” Gibson told her classmates.
Other graduates shared their thoughts to the audience. Salutatorian Trent Moore thanked many of the school’s teachers for helping his classmates reach their goals, bringing up classroom stories that got chuckles from the now former students.
Graduate Haley Branham shared a poem.
The class was honored with two valedictorians, Emerson Lamm and Elizandra Martinez.
Lamm, whose family has passed through Olathe High School for generations, reminded his classmates that though they travel into a different stage of their life, they will take with them their experiences so far.
“We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go we take a little of each other with us,” their class motto states.
He finished his speech by reciting a poem that his grandmother, an Olathan, wrote when she said goodbye to her son soon after graduation.
Martinez also provided wisdom and encouragement to her classmates.
“God never performs his greatest feats in yesterdays,” she said.
As a 1995 Olathan graduate, guest speaker Travis Smith said he could only tell the students of the graduating class of 2008 one thing which he has learned to be certain — change.
“Change is inevitable ... Success in life depends a great deal on how you handle it,” he said.
As the students shook the hands of teachers and administrators, and received their diplomas from OHS Athletic Director and Dean of Students Brent Wareham, the smiles and excitement showed brightly on their faces. Sunday would be a day they would always remember.
“It feels different ... it’s scary, real scary knowing that our days aren’t planned to a ‘T’ for us anymore, we have to do all that on our own,” graduate Shane Suppes said just after throwing his hat into the air with the rest of his classmates. “It got monotonous showing up every day for four years but it really pays off to stay there and graduate.”
During the ceremony, Montrose County School District Re-1J Superintendent George Voorhis presented David Underwood, a 1963 Olathe graduate, with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Underwood could not attend the ceremony because he is in Rome, Italy presenting a paper on the detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from other galaxies by using radar. However, his parents were in attendance.
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
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