Resiliency, respect and relationships resonate at Burchell graduation

During the Burchell High School graduation, held on May 17, 2024 at the Menard Center, there was one unifying theme that resonated throughout the ceremony-the values of resiliency, respect and relationships.

“These values resonated with me on a deeply personal level. Respect and relationships are amid the bedrock upon which I built my own life and during my time in the Air Force, I gained valuable insight, notably during my time as a resiliency facilitator, all while overcoming my own challenges and hardships,” said Keynote speaker Jason Atkins, USAF veteran who partnered with Burchell as community coach this year.

“Accepting the position as mentor to these wonderful students was a heartfelt decision that I could not refuse.” He said that he started with just two students, then three and four, eventually Atkins had seven remarkable individuals. “These young adults were amazing, each brimming with dreams, goals, and desires.”

Atkins recalled his own graduation as a time filled with uncertainty, with no confidence, clear idea, or plan for what his next steps were going to be, believing that college was an unattainable dream. That’s when he said he decided to join the military.

“It was there that I met key leaders and mentors who helped me build confidence I desperately needed. They helped me find my voice.” He says that one other thing he took away from his time on deployment was self-talk, which Atkins says was a key to helping him build his confidence as it became his lifeline during dark times when he was deployed to Iraq when the ever-increasing and approaching sounds of mortar rounds threatened to drown out his hope.

“Each day I would say to myself ‘just one more day. One more day before I could go home,” he said, adding that no matter how tough the times were, he knew he just needed to survive one more day, and that that one more day could be the catalyst for monumental change.

“One more day can change the lives of our family, our friends, our peers, and our communities. We just need one more day.” Atkins went on to say that the seniors graduating also should look ahead to one more day, when they might be asked to lend support, make a difference, to begin their next journey.

“Through self-talk, I found solace, strength, and resilience. Lessons I eagerly imparted to my students”

Sydney Keskemethy, the Student Speaker for the commencement, said that when she began high school, she experienced fear-fear of the unknown path that lay ahead, fear of leaving behind the friends, school, and the life she had known up to that point.

“But somewhere beneath all the fear and anxiety, a small part of me knew that it was all going to be okay.” Keskemethy said.

She also said that for most, the high school experience was not like “High School Musical,” where kids would break into song, but was fraught with imperfections, and those provided some profound lessons.

“Within those imperfections were lessons learned. First, we learned about how to be resilient in the face of adversity, whether it was the pandemic and necessary protocols, limited transportation, or even the loss of a loved one.”

She said the next lesson learned was respect for themselves and each other as they grew into themselves.

And the final lesson was learning about relationships and the impact they play in changing the courses of their lives.

“What made high school bearable was the community we shared at Burchell, and one of the things that made that so special was the relationship between students and teachers who not only helped academically, but also helped us navigate the world. They never made us feel like our dreams were unreasonable and unattainable, and instead made us realize our dreams were achievable if we persevered.”

Keskemethy left her fellow graduates with a quote from ‘High School Musical,’ saying: “We may be leaving high school, but high school will never leave us.”

Peter Burchell, who founded the school back in 1988, was also on hand and took time to address the graduates, recalling that during the first commencement for the school, they only had two graduating seniors in half of a portable, with a 6-pack of muffins to celebrate, and a total of eight people in attendance. Unlike that commencement, Burchell said that this was the largest graduating class in the school’s history.

“And not only is it the biggest one, but the teachers tell me it is also the smartest one.” He then awarded a $1,000 scholarship to the Student of the Year, Shaylee Haggard, telling the audience that she took more classes and earned more credits than anyone in the history of the school.

“She had a disadvantage-her mother worked at the school. So to get a ride home, she had to have something to do all day long, so she just kept taking more and more classes,” Burchell said, adding that not only did she take more, but also excelled at them.

Dr. Mary Gardner, the Director of Mat-Su College was also in attendance to present UA Scholarship Awards, celebrating the top academic from each high school in Alaska. Recipients receive a $12,000 scholarship that can be applied to an UA campus in the state. The UA Scholars for Burchell High School Class of 2024 are Natalie Bedingfield, Querian Lopez, Jordan Melton, Vassa Tipikin, and Faye Hurst.

Natasha Kemp, A.B.L.E. Counselor and Lisa Burke, Summit Counselor, presented two Burchell Scholarships to students displaying academic excellence and an ability to express how the school was able to help them achieve their goals during and after graduation Scarlett Enzweiler and Kanesha Prader.

They also presented the Linda Myers-Steele scholarship to Dylan Fellers. The scholarship is given to a student enrolled in post-secondary institution, has a solid plan in place, and will make a positive contribution to the community.

“You students are wonderful…Congratulations!”