Thirty-Three Graduate from TRHS

Tongue River High School graduation, held Sunday, May 30, drew a large crowd to watch the 33 students accept awards, scholarships, valued at $230,500, and to be granted their diplomas. The TRHS choir sang, “Just Believe” and Principal Colby Lynch presented the honor cords. Jesse Rodriguez was Salutatorian and Grace Sopko was Valedictorian.

Grace Sopko spoke about life putting us where it wants us to be, and used the sports analogy of a race and a finish line as a way to look at life. “Life, like a race, can get hard, but the finish line is ahead.”

Keynote speaker Steve Hanson, coach, had this to say to the class of 2021. “I feel blessed to work here. I believe the world has three groups. One group doesn’t care, one group is surprised that you have it, and one group cares and supports you.

I asked the seniors what I should talk about, and they said, “Be woke, be lit, and don’t be a hater.”

The world is different now, and I wasn’t sure I could relate. But, twenty years ago the best selling music groups were the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.” he paused. “They still are.”

He said that “We measure success at the end. Today, you are at the end of your education career.”

He told the students that there are “no good times, and no bad times. It is how you respond to things that happen that makes the memories either good or bad. There are only moments in our lives and how we choose to respond makes the memory.”

Life is challenging at times. Sometimes we think nothing can go right, other times it seems as nothing can go wrong.

“You have to master yourself before you can master others.”

There was a slide show with photos of the students and quotes that they found inspirational. They also received some good advice from the Tongue River Kindergarten students at the end of the slide show.

Tassels were turned and hats were tossed in the air and 33 students are now looking towards the next finish line.