The Washington High School Class of 2024 graduation ceremony took place on Friday, May 24 in the Washington High School gymnasium, with a capacity crowd on hand to take in the joyous occasion.

The 148th commencement began at 7 p.m. with a prelude that led into the traditional processional, “Pomp and Circumstance.” The National Anthem, played by the WHS band came next, followed by the Alma Mater, which featured Amara Corsbie leading the band and Jefferson Liston leading the choir. Corsbie was noticeably sporting a Hawaiian shirt in honor of her band director, Matt Stanley.

Natalie Truex gave an invocation, and dean of students, Louis Reid, followed with introductions. He introduced the first speaker of the evening, class president Garrett Wahl.

“Many of us walked into the doors of Cherry Hill Primary on our first day of kindergarten and we became ‘Little Lions,’” said Wahl. “We may have been intimidated walking through those big halls and meeting our teachers and our new friends for the first time, but we were all in it together. This is when we became the Class of 2024.

“For those of us who attended kindergarten at Cherry Hill, one of our first tasks was to earn our letter and sound necklace. In case you haven’t looked at it in a while, it reads, ‘This Lil’ Lion knows 26 letters and sounds!’ Mrs. Robertson, thank you! Once we mastered all of our letters and sounds, our teachers would give us this necklace that we would proudly wear for the rest of the day and maybe the rest of the year. Little did we know, this was the first milestone that we would accomplish as Blue Lions. As we progressed throughout the grades, our tasks became more challenging. Those letters and sounds turned into words and those words turned into reading novels.

“All of those harder tasks could not have been accomplished without first earning this necklace. This was our foundation, and over the course of 13 years, we have been given the opportunity to build upon it. With the help of our teachers, they taught us to spell our names, and then stood by us as we began to find out who we were. These same teachers have nudged us to find our passions and given us the tools to succeed outside these walls.”

Superintendent Dr. Tom Bailey addressed the seniors next, assistant principal Scott Landrum recognized Academy of Scholars recipients, and then principal Brady Streitenberger stepped to the podium for reflections and comments about the senior class. Streitenberger was chosen by the Class of 2024 to be their speaker.

“When Mrs. Hoppes came to me and said that the senior class wanted me to speak at graduation, I was humbled, to say the least,” said Streitenberger. “Knowing that 18 years ago today, I sat in those same seats and listened to Mr. Frederick address my senior class to talk about hope and perseverance, I knew this was an incredible honor.

“I have watched these Blue Lions grow from going to Washington D.C., performing ‘Aladdin Jr,’ playing middle school sports and the COVID shutdown, to finish up their musical, academic, and athletic careers by participating at district and state competitions, working multiple jobs, and enjoying their last proms and homecomings. Each one of these graduates have an incredible future ahead of them. They are the next generation of world changers.”

Streitenberger then shared some words of wisdom from several public figures and mentors of his, including Eric Thomas, Jack Harbaugh, Steve Ross, Jim Harbaugh, and Inky Johnson.

During his address, he asked everyone in attendance to pull out their phones and send a text expressing gratitude to someone they looked up to.

Streitenberger finished, “Seniors, while you have dreamed of this day and are ready to face your next steps as adults, never forget where you came from. The same thing I told you on August 17 will ring true the rest of your life. You, the families you’ll build someday, your communities, will be what you make of it. Whatever your next chapter looks like, go be great.”

The symphonic choir played special music with the song “The Light That Will Lead You Home” following Streitenberger’s address.

The seniors were then addressed by their nine classmates who graduated with Honors with Distinction.

Grace Bailey was the first to speak.

“There’s a song by my favorite band, BTS, that’s titled ‘yet to come.’ One of my favorite lyrics from this song is, ‘We gonna touch the sky, before the day we die.’ This particular song encompasses the idea that our best is ‘yet to come.’ Whether you are going to college, or going to join the workforce or the military, I urge you all to be passionate. There are two types of people in this world. Those who fail and give up, and those who fail and get up. Trying again is going to take time, but whether you do it or not, the time is going to pass anyway. Use the time that you are knocked down to gain perseverance and strength, so that the next time you fail, you come back better than ever.”

Margo Funderburg spoke next.

“After graduation, all of us will be headed in very different directions. Whether going to college, into the workforce, into the military, or something else, we all will be forging our very own paths. And while some of us won’t stray too far from home, others have long awaited their travels to another place. Tonight, however, I am here reminding you to keep your hometowns close to your heart. Do not forget where you came from. Your hometown is not just the place you happened to grow up or graduate from. It is the streets you know by feel, your friends, your family, your community. It is your favorite coworker that you just know will make your shift great and perhaps even those coworkers who are going make your shift much longer. It is your experiences.

“As all of you are taking your own paths, don’t forget the home you have made at Washington Court House. Come visit your old teachers, family, and friends. Don’t ever hesitate to come back. If you are ever in need of support, this town will always be here and willing to help. You are always welcome back to your hometown, don’t forget that.”

Mitchell LaFollette followed Funderburg.

“Since kindergarten and throughout my school career, I always thought about this moment. 2024, the year of my class, the year where all of the schoolwork and learning will all payoff and be celebrated. And how well-deserved it is. We all remember what happened in eighth grade with COVID, stealing pivotal time from us as we transitioned into high school. Even though we went into high school under such strange and confusing circumstances, we pulled it through. That’s not to mention all of our individual struggles. This class is made up of some of the hardest workers I know, people who take what they are given, no matter how hard their circumstances are, and work through them. Many of these struggles go unheard and unseen, especially for those who suffer mentally, and yet these people stand here today. And yet, even though these individual battles may go unnoticed, that effort to not give up even in the lowest of moments is what got us here.”

Evan Lynch addressed his peers next.

“The only way to truly progress is to learn from our mistakes. While we have all certainly gone through failure in high school, it has helped us become who we are today, and we can look back on it with gratitude, knowing that it has made us unique. Recognizing the need for improvement is a very valuable attribute, and allowing yourself to make necessary changes is critical to getting through difficult times.

“I can say with confidence that without taking time to introspect and recognize my weaknesses, I likely wouldn’t have seen the growth I ended up seeing. I am beyond thankful for all of the people that have pushed me to be the best version of myself, and most importantly, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for bearing my sins and loving me unconditionally. He is my firm foundation, and without Him, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Arik Patel’s speech followed Lynch.

“While high school is now over, it is the beginning of something new, whether it be college or the military or a job or something else. All of these new journeys will come with hardships, but to make them a little more bearable, seek meaningful and friendly relationships with those around you. I do not want to remind you all that life is tough and will be difficult at times or even most of the time, but to remind you that positive relationships with people can give you a type of fulfillment that nothing else can.”

Siddhi Patel was next to the podium.

“Our family, friends, and the staff here at Washington High School have seen us grow up and have supported us through these past years. I hope this evening we can not only celebrate all of us but also use the opportunity to express our gratitude to each and everyone here. But along with everyone else, I hope you can also express gratitude to yourself. Be proud of all you have accomplished. We have made so many memories over these years. From athletics events, clubs or just hanging out with friends. And I wish we can use this moment to express gratitude for all the fun memories we have made and for the work, each and every one of us has done to get here.”

Pia Robinson followed Patel.

“Today marks the conclusion of one chapter of our lives and the start of a new one. After graduation, we will all go our separate ways and write our own stories. However, no matter where we go or what we do, it is important that we live a life of integrity. Integrity is doing what you believe is right and remaining truthful to not only others but yourself.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘It is easy to live for others, everybody does. I call on you to live for yourself.’ What are you doing to live for yourself? As we step out of our comfort zones and into the future, we should think about what we want to do in our lives and what we want to make of it.”

Panth Shah was the penultimate senior speaker.

“With the decision to pick your career, there is an ample amount of pressure, as it is the factor that determines what your future will entail until you reach the age of retirement. It is an intimidating decision. I would like to dedicate this speech to this simple statement: it’s okay if you don’t know. We are encouraged to pick now, but your pacing in finding your interests may be different from your peers. There is nothing wrong with taking as long as need be to realize what makes you happy, even if that realization comes after high school. I believe there is never a lack of time to make the choice to pursue something new. Your aspirations and interests may change. There is no wrong choice, as long as you are able to justify it with self-happiness and contentment.”

John Wall was the last of the group to speak.

“As we leave high school, we will enter an unfamiliar part of life that will present many difficult challenges. Life is not easy, and there will be more times we come short of what we set out to do. All of our lived experiences have taught us that we can overcome these challenges and become stronger individuals. We’ve all made it this far, and I am confident that we all will continue to succeed, regardless of the adversity we face.”

Following those addresses, guidance counselor Lisa Hoppes recognized those who received local scholarships.

Streitenberger returned for the presentation of the class, and Washington Court House City Schools Board of Education members presented the diplomas to the graduates.

Wahl led his classmates in the switching of the tassel, and the ceremony ended with the recessional, played by the WHS band as the recent graduates exited the gymnasium.