Local high school seniors set to graduate

CHENEY— Hundreds of Cheney and Medical Lake students will put their high school days in the rear view mirror this weekend and transition to their next stage of life. Valedictorians and salutatorians from both institutions were as asked to share past experiences and a glimpse of what lies ahead for them.

Cheney’s commencement ceremony is on Friday, June 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, 100 N Hayford Road in Airway Heights. Medical Lake’s commencement ceremony is on Saturday, June11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, 100 N Hayford Road.

Cheney High School Valedictorians

Hayley Barrera

I plan on getting my bachelors in Spanish and my masters in business and getting rich.

I did swim in sophomore year and that was terrible. I have a lot of anxiety and I get panic attacks during situations like that. Doing homework was my extracurricular activity.

My favorite teacher is John Pigott. He truly cares about the students and he even helped me out a lot with choosing a college. I’ve never felt so cared for by a teacher.

My favorite subject was Spanish. Now I’m doing a double major in it.

I’m going to miss feeling like a kid. Going to recess and having designated lunch times was really nice. I’m looking forward to becoming my own person independently.

Ella Hilliard

I will attend Cornell University to study pharmaceutical and biotechnological law.

I served as varsity cheer captain and a member of the National Honor Society. I also represent Cheney High School in the Lilac Royalty Scholarship Program.

My favorite teacher is my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Pratt.

My favorite subject is chemistry.

Throughout my K-12 experience, I most enjoyed exhibiting school spirit and serving our community. After completing high school, I am most looking forward to experiencing life on the East Coast.

Anna Kropidlowski

I plan to go to Washington State University to study bioengineering after high school.

I played the violin in orchestra in 9th and 10th grade. I also did some sports such as volleyball, track and field, and swimming. The summer of 10th grade I got a job, so I did that instead of sports 11th and 12th grade year.

My favorite teacher was my orchestra teacher, Miss. Hollenbaugh, but I also loved my 9th grade English teacher, Ms. Delaney.

I did not have a favorite subject. I enjoyed all of my classes.

I think I will miss the friendships and relationships I had the most. I hope I am able to stay connected with the friends I have now, but it may be hard since we are all going different ways.

I look forward to moving away and having the college/adult life experience. I have lived in Cheney my whole life, so I am ready for some change.

Jenae Potter

After graduation I will be attending Western Washington University.

I was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. This past year I was president of our ASB, secretary of NHS, president of H^3 (High school Health Helpers), as well as a member of Key Club, All things mountain club, and class officers for the class of 2022. I was also a four-time varsity athlete in both tennis and swimming.

I have had so many absolutely wonderful teachers throughout my academic career thus far, so my favorite teacher varies from year to year and even month to month, but right now I’d have to say Mrs. Leonetti.

English was my favorite subject.

I will miss the free food. I’m looking forward to going on adventures and living spontaneously.

Dylan Thornburg

I’m going to Santa Clara University for computer and electrical engineering.

I was involved in National Honors Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Track, Cross Country

Adam Smith was my favorite teacher. My favorite subject—Math or Science. Math as a subject was better but the science teachers were superior to the math teachers.

I will miss my friends and most of the teachers.

I’m looking forward to the increased freedom and change of scenery that comes with college.

Salutatorians

Jackson Redder

I will be attending Montana State University to pursue a degree in Business and Marketing.

I have been very involved at Cheney High School. I have served as Editor-In-Chief of Yearbook for three years, vice president of DECA, president of All Things Mountain Club, ASB Social Media Director, secretary of High School Health Helpers, Student Advisor to the Board of Directors, and many other things. I have also competed in Cross Country, Track and Field and Boy’s Swim.

I have had many teachers that I liked. Mrs. Silvieus has made the biggest impact on me however. She has led me into the person I am today. She was my yearbook advisor and we have essentially made the entire yearbook the previous two years. She has helped me get through high school and has made a special impact on me that will last a lifetime. A special shout out does go to Mr. Conrad Martin, Mr. Marsh, Arendizzle, Mr. Cagle and Mr. Pike.

My favorite subject is all CTE classes. I have really enjoyed my time in the CTE program at CHS and it has taught me life-long skills that I will use for the rest of my life. My favorite CTE classes have been Digital Design 1 and the Computer Apps series. 

I will really miss the people and the memories I have made. I will miss all the fun times I have had CHS from pressing apple cider in All Things Mountain Club, to playing Hammerschalgen and Poker in Mr. Marsh’s class, staying at the school late finishing up the yearbook. There have been so many great memories I have made, but I look forward to the new ones that lie ahead.

I am really excited to just take a breather and start fresh. I have had such an awesome high school experience, but I am ready for something new and to take a “restart.” I have been consistently busy my entire high school career, but I can’t wait until I just relax and have no obligation to anything or anyone.

Finn Syrie

I plan on attending Eastern Washington University to complete a finance degree. Then, I am going to embark on a career in commercial real estate.

As far as sports go, I ran cross country and track. I didn’t love running at first, but I grew to love it as well as the people on my team. After training hard and running hundreds of miles in the off seasons, my hard work paid off and I became one of the fastest on the team. The club I’ve been most involved in is FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), which has been bountiful with relevant and rewarding experiences, and I’m excited to be competing at nationals this summer.

I never had him as a teacher, but my cross country and track coach Derek Slaughter helped me find a love for running and taught me more than I could list not just about running but life too. I have a deep respect for him and I know we’ll remain in touch for years.

My favorite subject as of now would have to be economics. By graduation, through Running Start at EWU, I’ll have completed five economics courses and have a minor in economics, which is pretty exciting. I find the theories and principles to be the most interesting aspects, but if there was less math involved I’m sure I’d like it even more.

I’m sure I won’t be the only one that has this answer, but I will miss the people. The people make the experiences and memories so special, so I hope I can stay in touch with those who really matter to me.

Immediately, I am looking forward to going on a cruise to the Bahamas with my family. The only other country I’ve ever been to thus far is Canada so I think the Bahamas will be a nice change of pace. Looking ahead to the future though, to put it simply, I’m excited for this next chapter in my life and whatever it may bring.

Medical Lake High School Valedictorians

Velerie-Rose Dancel

Along with all other students of the class of 2022, my experience in high school was, indeed, unique: four years spent between the social environment of classrooms in Medical Lake High School and the comfort of my own home. I faced a couple of obstacles throughout the past four years. Zoom meets? Not fun when your Wi-Fi is extremely laggy. Break-out rooms? They’re actually a lot less interactive than teachers anticipate.

Now, don’t get me wrong—online schooling wasn’t the only thing needing troubleshooting. At the beginning of high school, I struggled to find my niche; stay true to myself, and not conform to the crowd. While life is filled with challenges, they only serve to better you and motivate you to persevere. They unveil your inner self. Besides, there were always things occurring during the difficult times that made the long days a little less stressful.

Here are some of the best highlights of my high school experience: spirit weeks; volleyball games; homecomings and proms; lab dissections; Kahoot games; band half-time shows for the Harlem Globetrotters; and most importantly, all the times with my friends. In fact, the people of Medical Lake High School are what I will miss most. upon graduation, I will be attending the University of Washington to become a Registered Nurse and then further my education to obtain a Master’s Degree and then advance to the role of a nurse practitioner.

Karissa Makus

My last four years at Medical Lake High School have been full of many highs and lows. Each one made the experience that much more worthwhile. The biggest obstacle was most definitely keeping motivated and engaged during the pandemic. During this time it was hard to keep clubs such as Key Club and National Honor Society going as no one was able to meet and work on community service projects. But despite this hurdle we have come back better than ever and ready to be active in our community.

High school has many challenges, such as deadlines and keeping yourself motivated throughout the years. I often found myself struggling with procrastination and many assignments, but I knew that ultimately the struggle would be worth it. With being back in school there are little day to day things that make my day. Things such as getting to talk to my friends and teachers everyday.

The thing I will miss most about Medical Lake High School is the relationships I cultivated with my peers and teachers. Many of my teachers have made huge impacts on who I am, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to know and be taught by them. Without them I highly doubt that I would have the honor of calling myself a Valedictorian.

Salutatorian

Alivia Gies

High school has been one of the most rewarding and challenging things throughout my life. Having the ability to go to school with so many amazing people for almost 12 years has been one of the best experiences of my life. Not only the friendships, but the connections I have made with the faculty and staff in the last four years has made my experience so much brighter. The care and time they put into helping the students develop academically and mentally is something I’ll strive to achieve when I’m older.

High school definitely came with its challenges, losing friends, pushing myself too hard, worrying more about my studies more than my health and not putting enough effort into my family and friends. Throughout these four years I’ve been able to develop a balance between the importance of my family and my school work.

But high school also came with its bright sides. Putting school colors on and painting our faces for football games, going to spirit games and seeing almost the whole school in the crowds. The sense of community in high school is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. High school has also prepared me and made me so excited for my future.

The mentors and teachers that I’m never going to forget are the reason I plan to pursue Secondary Education at University of Idaho in the fall. I want to be as kind, caring, and resourceful as the teachers at Medical Lake. MLHS has been such a big part of my life for so long that it’s hard to even imagine leaving my classmates, mentors, teachers, and the welcoming atmosphere that Medical Lake has given to me and the ample opportunities presented to me because of this school. Truly a place I will never be able to repay or forget.