84 grads toss mortarboards at Houston

HOUSTON — Eighty-four high school graduates strutted down the aisle at Houston High School Thursday evening, leaving behind homeroom and homework, and looking toward what lies ahead.

The ceremony packed a sweltering hot Houston gymnasium with families craning their necks and hoisting cameras to get a look at their kids accepting diplomas from principal Mike Vrvilo.

Moms and dads alike could be seen fighting back tears.

“It's been a great year,” Vrvilo said before graduation began. “We’re real sad to see them go.”

As graduates corraled themselves into Houston High’s atrium area before the ceremony began, many said they were nervous about walking the stage, but ready to get it done with and put high school behind them.

“A 12-year journey is over for us,” said Ethan Bishop, who will attend Mat-Su College in the fall.

Fellow graduates Nathaniel Foster and John Sullivan II echoed Bishop’s enthusiasm for the future. Foster said he’s ready to attend Mat-Su College in the hopes of becoming a police officer one day. For Sullivan, like many other graduates at Thursday’s ceremony, the military will be the next destination. Sullivan has enlisted in the Navy and hopes to make a career out of it.

As graduation began, a parade of speakers and performers took the stage to reminiscence about the past four years and entertain.

Graduate Mariah Warner played the song “The Music of the Night” by A.L. Webber on her flute, receiving a raucous applause from her classmates.

In a speech, valedictorian Katherine Hoppe gave her classmates some pertinent advice.

“Don’t waste time wishing for the future,” Hoppe said. “Go out there and make it happen.”

Hoppe looked back at the past four years in her speech, aligning change with becoming an adult.

“We’ve had to learn to adjust, that’s what I consider growing up,” Hoppe said.

The lights dimmed soon after Hoppe’s speech, setting the mood for a video slideshow featuring pictures of graduates from their time at Houston High School.

More musical prowess took the stage with Ashlee McDougall’s singing of the Corey Smith song “I’m Not Going to Cry,” with lyrics fit for graduation.

The moment everyone was waiting for came accompanied with air horns, stomping feet and deafening cheers and students strode across the stage, accepting diplomas and grinning for photo ops with friends and families. When the last student had crossed the stage — and each one was recognized as an official high school graduate — silly string and party poppers launched from an armory of well-stocked grads.

Perhaps the best description of the Class of 2008 came from English teacher Scott Helle, who, as he watched his former students stroll in, smiled at each one.

“This senior class is one of the tops we’ve had come through,” Helle said.

Contact Frontiersman reporter Michael Rovito at 352-2252 or michael.rovito-@frontiersman.com.