Palmer High graduates 186 students

PALMER — Bryanna Ash worked tirelessly to get to this point — graduation stage inside the Palmer High gymnasium. Tuesday night that moment had arrived and she expected to receive a diploma as she walked across the stage. Lo and behold, her father PFC Kenneth Gill surprised her by walking across the stage to intercept his daughter and hand her her diploma. He’d arrived back from Afghanistan just five days earlier.

All told,186 Moose became PHS grads on Tuesday night. Principal Paul Reid confirmed graduates for the second year in a row, but the first time as Principal for the whole year. Reid took the stage first and fought off nerves to deliver advice to the grads.

After that, Willie James Nelson took the stage to play the national anthem on the saxophone. Reid told the crowd they were in for a treat. After Nelson had hit the high notes, he hugged Reid before walking off the stage. Reid first addressed the podium to preface the ceremony and give advice to his graduates.

“Slow down,” said Reid. “Soak up times like this.”

“Know that if you work hard and face your fears, you will get to that safe side of the breakers. And when you’re out there floating in the swells, and it’s calm, and you’re enjoying everything, look for that one big swell. Work really hard and catch the right swell and enjoy the ride. They call this surfing. It’s really popular in other places,” Reid said, pausing for a laugh. “Class of 2018, I thank you for the journey that we’ve shared and I wish you the best of luck.”

A series of young ladies graduating from Palmer High quoted rap stars in their speeches. Kassandra Hahn was the first to take the microphone in front of her peers as the MC. Hahn described her 185 classmates as the ‘best looking and most talented class Palmer High and the Valley has ever seen.’ Hahn borrowed from the great hip-hop philosophers Drake and DJ Khaled, rejoicing that all her does class is win and that they truly started from the bottom and now they are here. Hahn thanked the staff before passing the mic off, but quoted the iCarly theme song on her way off the stage.

“Take every chance you get even if there’s consequences always see the brighter side of every situation and give it your best,” said Hahn.

Kassidy Bowman took to the podium to address her classmates. She said she had never truly imagined speaking in front of a packed gymnasium full of people and her only real practice was speaking in front of a class of 30.

“I love to talk, so why not go for it?” said Bowman.

Bowman’s message openly parallelled that of Reese Witherspoon’s character from the film Legally Blonde.

“She tells everyone to give everyone a chance, be thankful and be courageous. Mine is a similar message: be kind give people a chance and don’t always rely on first impressions,” said Bowman.

After an acapella group performed a somber piece, Elizabeth Watchus took to the stage to speak her peace. As the applause subsided from the music and the crowd anxiously awaited the words of Watchus, one voice rang out over a hush gymnasium.

“Elizabeth, your mom and I love you,” said her father.

Watchus failed to quote a rapper during her speech, but succeeded in getting Mr. Bonn to wear a bowtie to graduation, which she thanked him for. Watchus spoke to the community within the school, and thanked all the people who have helped over the last four years. Watchus recalled singing teachers and daily fist bumps from Mr. Bonn as part of the school’s community.

“Now is the part of the speech where I reassure parents that all will be well, where I calmly inform you that life is easy from here on out, that from this day forward we will be limitless in success and we will never have a worry in the world from now on,” said Watchus.

“I was told I can’t lie in my graduation speech.”

The next performance was by Jenni Klebesadel and Nicholas Alano; Klebasadel playing the piano and Alano on the cello performing a piece called ‘Kung Fu Piano Cello Ascends.’

The final student speaker, Eva Venema thanked Bowman for all her hard work and dedication, and compared her own high school career to ‘the infamous rapper Young Thug.’

Where Thugger had an admitted gambling problem in high school, Venema had to exercise her own demons.

“Choosing to ignore or succumb to this sweet siren called Netflix was a decision I had to make more times than I care to admit,” said Venema.

Keynote speaker Kim Akers is celebrating her 30th anniversary of her class reunion, but, somehow, only her 29th birthday. She claimed the secret to looking and feeling young lies within Palmer High School, and invited students to join the 19 alumni faculty.

Former PHS Principal and MSBSD Executive Director of Instruction Reese Everett was in attendance, alongside School Board Member Debby Retherford to confirm the class.