John C. Schiffer School Holds First Graduation from New Building

The John C. Schiffer Collaborative School held the first graduation from its new building on Saturday May 28 at 1 p.m., in the Whitney Center for the Arts at the Sheridan College Campus. There was a full house of family and friends attending the ceremony.

There were 19 seniors in the class of 2022; Jenna Allen, Grace Arno, Savannah Barnes, Brooke Bettcher, Tessa Crawford, Dominick DeNovellis-Hiatt, Henry Dickinson, Tyeden Eberly. JW Fort, Parris Goins, Meleah Hicks, Noah Lansing, Sada Messick, Connor O’Leary, Davni Ryan, Betty Siroki, Ashley Spradlin, Kaelic Stephens, and Je’Nelliea Walls.

Jenna K. Allen was salutatorian and Parris B. Goins was valedictorian.

Mike Swan, principal of Schiffer Collaborative School, welcomed the attendees and congratulated the class of 2022. He talked to them about the one constant at the school and in life is change.

Student speakers were Ashley Spradlin, who talked about remembering the good times and the adventures they had had at Schiffer, and she encouraged the graduates to be the ‘best that they can be,” and talked about how they turned Schiffer into their school.

Jenna Allen thanked her teachers, saying they helped her ‘educationally and emotionally,’ and that being at Schiffer gave her a reason to attend school.

Parris Goins said that the teachers taught her to ‘treat everyone with dignity and respect, and that graduation is not the end, but a beginning.’

David Peterson, teacher at Schiffer, was the guest speaker. He said that today a beginning and an ending is happening.

He said they would have challenges in life.

He also urged them to create a support network, and that good things would happen when they surrounded themselves with good people. He also said that Schiffer School had the “highest caliber education team I have found anywhere,” which earned applause from the crowd.

Peterson had two pieces of advice to the graduates.

The ceremony concluded with a slide show of the graduates from childhood until high school, with a special segment about Dave Peterson, who is retiring after this year.

Then Josh Hanson, Melissa Mowry, and Dana Wyatt, SCSD#2 Board member, awarded the diplomas and tassels were turned.