Colony High celebrates class of nearly 200 graduates

Colony High School senior Kailah Eichelberger provided a speech on Wednesday evening during the graduation ceremony, despite having an emergency appendectomy the weekend prior to graduation.

She received a round of applause from her fellow graduates when she asked them to celebrate the achievements they had accomplished to be on the stage that evening together. She celebrated how close her graduating class was to one another, and the memories and connections she will cherish for years to come.

“Here we are, on our big day. The caps are on, the gowns are flowing and those connections still remain,” Eichelberger said. “Because what we built here doesn’t end when the tassels are turned. It will follow us into the next chapter… but reminding us no matter where we go, we’re never truly alone.”

The CHS graduating class of 2025 brought a crowd to a very packed Menard Center where family, friends, teachers and faculty filled the stands to cheer on the 198 graduates. Out of the graduating class, 46 graduate with a grade point average over 4.0, and 96 with a GPA of a 3.5 or higher.

The ceremony began with a performance of the National Anthem by the CHS Senior Vivace Choir and seniors in American Sign Language for National Honor Society. A musical performance by seniors Finn Gagnon, Robert Whitlatch, Sebastian Brooke, Braden Holtz and Bridger McIntosh also received a warm round of applause from the audience.

The role of leader of ceremonies was shared by seniors Kodiak Collingridge and Braden Holtz. The two took turns on the microphone to welcome and thank everyone in attendance both in person and all over the world online.

“Your support these last four years has been instrumental in guaranteeing our future success in finding ourselves here today,” Holtz said.

Class valedictorian Mason Wallstrum and class salutatorian Austin Bunch exchanged a series of light-hearted messages peppered with contemporary pop culture references. Wallstrum received a large cheer as he referenced the Lord for his assistance in achieving graduation and the strength to solve every challenge he has faced along the way. Bunch echoed Wallstrum’s gratitude towards the Lord and the support that he has had in their lives for which he also received a loud cheer from the crowd.

The two celebrated CHS state championship victories in boys swimming, boys skiing, girls basketball and the state championship in football two years ago. They poked fun at one of their teachers for keeping them humble in class.

“We’ve discovered that true success isn’t just about getting the right answer. It’s about the resilience we build along the way,” Bunch said. “The future is uncertain but it’s also full of opportunity.”

Bunch joked about investing in faith, family and bitcoin, while Wallstrum said that if you can’t find the answers to life’s hardest questions, perhaps they could be found on Chat GPT or by scrolling through reels on Instagram.

“Senior year wasn’t just a test of knowledge, it was a battle against the algorithm,” Wallstrum said into the microphone with a smile.

In closing, Bunch shared his opinion on who would indeed win in a fight between 100 men and one gorilla.

“My final message for the class of 2025 is that 100 men would destroy one gorilla,” Bunch shouted to a crowd that responded in cheers.

English teacher Ross Clifford, advisor to the graduating class, was asked by the students to be their guest speaker. He reflected on his four years teaching at CHS, starting when the current graduates were freshmen. While teachers are expected to make lesson plans for each class, every day of the school year, Clifford said the most memorable parts of life do not come with a plan. Becoming a teacher was never part of his plan, and that every moment he has been at CHS, while at times frustrating and challenging, was memorable because of his students.

“Through our interactions each day, I’ve learned that this job, this job that I never expected to have, this job that frustrates me at times to no end, is actually a job I love,” Clifford said. “And I love it because why else? You.”

CHS graduates turned to face the crowd after swishing their tassels from right to left to receive the largest round of applause of the evening, ending one chapter and starting a new one.