Mat-Su Career and Technical High School graduation offers something for everyone

Whether conservative or liberal, electric or acoustic, the Mat-Su Career and Technical High School (CTHS) graduation offered something for everyone, and the CTHS Class of 2022 certainly left their mark on the ceremony.

CTHS is a career and vocational education driven school, with programs that focuses on 8 different pathways-Building, Business, Culinary/Tourism. Fitness, Health, Human Services, Natural Resources, and Transportation. With such an array of pathways, it is no wonder that the seniors had a little something for everyone.

The ceremony kicked off with an electric guitar rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner performed by graduating senior Terje Decovich, which was then followed by an acoustic piano and saxophone singing of the “Alaska Flag Song,” by seniors Sam Fry, Gloria Shomer, and Katherine Goss.

Master of Ceremony, graduating senior Avery Palenske, took time to address the trials and tribulations that the graduating class had to endure-not only navigating burgeoning adulthood, but having to do it in the face of a global pandemic and looming worldwide geo-political tensions can offer a gloomy future, however she did point out one good thing to come out of it-Wordle.

She compared the strategies needed for the online game to the tools needed to navigate the future: “In Wordle, the goal is to correctly guess the word, but you can’t do that making the first move. In life, sometimes we have no idea where to begin, but we must make that leap of faith, take the first step and go from there.” She reminded her fellow graduates that they know more than they think, and armed with that knowledge can face the future, whatever may come.

Student selected speaker Glenda Root focused on procrastination, and the damage that can result from not only putting off homework, but also procrastinating on relationships and work opportunities, “You have the power to become something, be someone, and build something for not only yourself, but for what comes after you.” Root went on to tell seniors, “You have the power to start today… the longer you wait, the more you will be too late for.”

Fellow student speaker Tyler Belliston focused his message on sticking together. “Our lives have not, are not, and will not ever be simple, and that’s why we need to stick with each other,” and reminded students to reach out to loved ones in times of need and rely on emotional support systems for guidance and care.

CTHS Salutatorian Abby Novak opted to use her time to address environmental issues, warning her graduates that as the newest generation to be coming up in control of the world, and the responsibilities of determining its future.

“The earth we are being given is compromised and imperfect. It is wrought with disasters created by the enormous influx of carbon entering our atmosphere,” she said, pointing to CO2 emissions created by running fossil fuels are forming a “gaseous blanket in the atmosphere-a blanket getting past the point of toasty to suffocation,” along with the melting artic ice and glaciers, intense droughts, and even the melting permafrost as causes for concern. “We are deciding its future. Not the old people in suits and skyscrapers…we are being handed an earth blanketed with mistakes of the past and we are obligated to fix it,” she said, hoping that each person works to reduce their carbon footprint, no matter what that may look like.

Valedictorian Samuel Fry acknowledged his parents, crediting them for all they have done to help him before passing on his hopes that the Class of 2022 can be good people, calling upon his classmates to discipline themselves, develop trust in themselves and other, and have some perspective.

Fry also reflected on the need to forgive, recounting a previously strained relationship that has healed due to forgiveness. “Your life will demand that you forgive people sincerely and often. Since no one is perfect, someone will make mistakes, someone will break your trust,” he said, and advising students to not use resentment as an excuse to not forgive someone.

Quoting Luke Skywalker, Fry then called upon his fellow graduates to “Let go of your hate,” trust more willingly, forgive more freely, and compromise more frequently. “Your life will be more joyful and less restrictive,” Fry added.

The final speaker of the ceremony, Keynote speaker and faculty member, Zach Lanphier, kept his message to the seniors short and sweet, with a simple message: “Adversity reveals who you are.” Lanphier spoke of all the changes the 166 graduating seniors had to overcome, including new administration, new teachers, new schedules, and new classes, yet still the students returned to do it all again.

“This is a class of doers, learning in the face of adversity, the face of obstacles, you have persevered, and I am so proud of you,” he said, and reminding students that perseverance is a life skill, and that it may be more important than some of the things learned in books.

“You are more prepared for life than you realize,” Lanphier said.