Grafton High School (West Virginia) graduates Class of 2023

On a bright and sunny evening, the Class of 2023 made their way onto McKinney Field one final time, in a celebration that brought both laughter and tears. Their friends and family filled the bleachers to watch as they crossed the stage to claim their diplomas.

Principal Lori Shumaker welcomed the guests to the celebration, who were then serenaded by a beautiful rendition of the national anthem, performed by senior Entertainer member Wyatt Davis.

The class then sat proudly and listened to the wise words offered by this year’s valedictorian, Garrett Hutson, who reminded his classmates that they were not experiencing the end of their journey, but a new horizon on which to launch their dreams.

“Today is the moment that has long been awaited by both my peers and me. It is the culmination of all that we have accomplished in the last four years,” Hutson expressed. “With that being said, there will still be those that find sadness within our celebration. When we turn our tassels not long after I finish delivering this speech, I can guarantee you that there will be tears shed somewhere on this field, whether they be happy, sad or somewhere in between.”

He told his classmates that commencement was not the end of something, but instead, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

“This ceremony marks the continuation of our journey, a starting point into the future of our plans and goals that we have worked hard to align this year. Whatever the next chapter of your journey includes, there is something that I want each of my fellow students to remember,” voiced Hutson. “Have confidence in everything you do.”

He urged them to always face life with confidence and with the attitude that nothing could stop them from achieving their goals and dreams.

“Everything you do in life, do with unwavering confidence. Have so much confidence in what you do that people begin to wonder if there’s anything that you can’t do and there isn’t,” he expressed. “I do not believe that there is such a thing as overconfidence. Confidence in yourself is the gateway to success. How could you possibly have too much of that?”

After taking a moment to thank his family, friends and teachers, Hutson addressed his peers for the final time as a Bearcat.

“To the Class of 2023, thank you for making the last four years memorable. I wish you the best in whatever life brings you,” he intoned. “I know success will find you no matter where you are. Believe in yourself so much that when your success arrives, it does not come as a surprise. You will have known it was coming from the moment you left here today.”

Salutatorian Hayden Derk pointed out that the class has learned many lessons throughout the years, including how to use Quizlet and sleep in class without getting caught, but most importantly, who each and every one of them is, who they want to be and what they want to become in life.

“We still have a lot to learn as we continue on to higher education and our careers. In our careers and higher education, we will experience many great opportunities, and what we choose to do with these opportunities will shape us and it will open up many paths that we never thought possible.”

Derk pointed out that looking back over his past four years at GHS, he has noted missed opportunities and regrets that he wishes he could change. But those regrets have shown him that you must take chances in life.

“From here on out, only we have control over our futures and our lives, and only we get to decide who we will become,” he noted. “Our path in life is made by how we live and the decisions we make, so make sure you approach your future in the best way possible to achieve your dreams.”

He reminded his classmates, “With high risk comes high rewards, so never let in so never be afraid to jump an opportunity when it presents itself. With everything, it is better in moderation, so don’t always put all your chips on black. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and finding success now let’s get out there and show the world what we know and let’s make our mark and I know we’ll do it in style and I have no doubt the class of 2023 will benefit this world beyond belief.”

Following the student addresses, Shumaker spoke to the class, imparting three key points that she hoped they would keep in mind moving forward.

“The first thing that I know that I’m going to say about you is you guys are nice. Of all the classes I have worked with, you are just one of the nicest groups of human beings,” she declared. “That said, life is going to get busy and you’re going to get busy, and I want to remind you to keep that kindness and that desire to be somebody’s biggest fan and that desire to support each other.”

She urged the students to never get too busy to check on those that matter most to them.

“The second thing I know about you guys is that you are overcomers,” Shumaker said. “In your four years here you have pushed through and grown. What I challenge you is to remember that growth, your growth, happened in the struggle. Remember, when the struggle starts to get real, that’s when you define yourself.”

She encouraged the Class of 2023 to never run from struggles, but instead, face them head-on, running at them full force.

“The third thing is that you all are flexible. I mean that you all have have adapted to whatever we’ve had to do, and that is wonderful skill to take into your adult life,” Shumaker noted.

“But remember, don’t be so flexible that you accept mediocrity. Do not become complacent, because that is where we don’t find success,” she imparted to the students. “So, don’t allow yourself to decide that being flexible is good enough, because sometimes you’ve got to set an expectation, and you’ve got to stick with an expectation. I know that that’s what you guys are going to do.”

Shumaker left the class with a final thought: “In the words of the very wise Winnie the Pooh, ‘When you see someone putting on his big boots, you can be pretty sure an adventure is going to happen.’ Well, Class of 2023, it’s time to put on your big boy and big girl boots, because this is the beginning of anything you want to do!”

With that, she presented the Grafton High School Class of 2023 to Superintendent Christy Miller, who accepted and congratulated them on their graduation.

The students were called one by one to accept their diplomas, before turning their tassels and tossing their caps.

Hugs, high fives, laughter and tears were seen as the students celebrated their successes over the past four years, as their class song, Scotty McCreery’s “Five More Minutes,” played in the background.

After the alma mater was sung, the newly graduated class exited the field, on a mission to follow their dreams.