By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH, Ind. – One by one Friday night, Wabash High School seniors walked across the Honeywell Center’s Ford Theater stage, shook hands with school officials, received their diplomas and prepared, in the words of Salutatorian Kiley Stone, begin a new chapter in their lives.
Sixty-seven students became the newest alumni of Wabash High School in front of a theater filled with family, friends, teachers and others who have made an impact on their lives.
The students listened to words of advice from Valedictorian Kaitlan Tracy and the aforementioned Stone, watched a slide show, shared memories and, yes, even shed a tear or two.
Tracy encouraged her classmates to visualize the positive.
“Guys, life is nice,” she said. “We are graduating. We are surrounded by friends and family that love us, care for us, and push us to be the best versions of ourselves.
“We are entering the rest of our lives with doors wide open and endless opportunities. We are future doctors. Engineers. Lawyers. Musicians. Artists. Mechanics. Pilots. Mothers. Fathers.
“We are future changers. There is a whole world out there ready to be changed. And we have the power to change it. If that isn’t nice, then what is?”
Tracy noted that she has had many people in her corner, encouraging her to living up to her capabilities.
“My dad, my grandparents, my teachers,” she said, “but most importantly, my mom. My mom has always been my biggest role model, and I’m not just saying that because she’s here today. My dream growing up was to be like her. I wanted to change people’s lives. I wanted to move mountains. I wanted to make her proud.”
When having a bad day, Tracy said, her mother would listen to her woes and then ask, simply, “did anything good happen today?” It wasn’t until later in life that she realized that she was doing her a favor.
“I learned a lesson far more valuable than anything that the school could ever teach me,” Tracy said. “This is life, and bad things happen all of the time. But by making the conscious decision to focus on everything that is good, we have the power to pursue our own happiness.
“Thank you, mom, for pushing me endlessly and never letting me underestimate myself or my capabilities. Thank you for reminding me that although every aspect of it may not be ideal, life is nice.”
Stone reminded her classmates that throughout their academic careers, the students have passed by the same people in the halls, made friends and watch each other grow over the years.
“The last four years of high school, we have gone to Friday night football games, decorated crafts with Mrs. Cooper, and embellished the hallways for homecoming,” she said. “But have you ever really thought of the impact those moments would have on you?”
She took the students back 13 years when, as 5-year-olds, they held their parents hands as they made their way to their first day of school.
“We were nervous and excited as we let go of their hands and walked into the classroom for the first time,” Stone said. “Little did we know, at the time we were meeting people that would mature with us over the years and become some of our best friends.”
As 12-year-olds, she said, they entered middle school and were able to join sports teams, clubs and the choir, things that allowed them to express their own personalities.
“As we joined these different teams,” she said, “we were able to build bonds that have lasted seven years. For some these bonds will last a lifetime.”
In high school, she continued, the students were ready for the adventure that lie ahead. That adventure included such things as cheering in the student section at various sporting events, stressing about finals, and having fun at Harvest Ball, dancing the night away with friends in the school gymnasium.
As seniors, “all the things that had become normal to us began to come to an end,” she said.
Those things ranged from painting the ticket booth and senior parking spots to watching the volleyball, cross country and basketball teams have successful seasons, prom and more.
“As this chapter of our lives come to an end and a new one is about to begin, we will continue to make new memories,” Stone said. “Whether we plan on living on campus, commuting from home, joining the workforce or entering the service, we each have our own path to travel.
“Take time to meet new people, discover who you are, or travel the world to see what lies beyond Indiana. Take a risk, make mistakes, then learn from those mistakes and grow … No matter what you decide to do, enjoy the adventure ahead of you.
“These last four years have gone by in the blink of an eye, but the friends and memories we have made will last a lifetime.”