Valley Pathways celebrates commencement

WASILLA — Valley Pathway’s Class of 2017’s Friday afternoon commencement exercises focused on the benefits and lessons learned by the graduates. There were no valedictory or salutatory addresses. Two senior class speakers, Autumn Merrill and Miles Durand, shared their feelings on how the school’s staff made it possible for them to succeed.

After a brief introduction by principal Jim Wanser, Merrill was first to take the microphone.

None of us thought it would come this quick,” Merrill began. “Education is slammed into your head day after day after day...but after 13 or more years of education, you slowly learn to appreciate who is around you. As graduation grew close, I slowly started to realize how many people I was about to lose.

“None of us know where we are going. As we move on we need to find the friendships to hold on to and hold dear to our hearts,” said Merrill. “(There are) kids that came into this school with nothing...before this school we never felt like we belonged. Other schools didn’t see us for who we really are. Every single one of are going someplace now.”

Merrill said none of her success would have been possible without the skills, knowledge and love taught to at Valley Pathways.

Durand followed noting he came to Valley Pathways halfway through his sophomore year.

“We were given the tools of success,” Durand said. He said students were provided the chance to face reality or ignore their own true potential. The school staff “show you you are capable but also challenge you with newfound confidence.” He said none of that would have been possible without “some of the most remarkable and genuine teachers in the world.”

Valley pathways is, was, and will always be a life changing school,” Durand concluded.

Valley Pathways Class of 2017

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