One student plans to be a welder, another a video game designer. Others plan careers in the military and as psychologists, medical doctors and veterinarian technicians.
The soon-to-be graduates of Bonanza and Lost River high schools celebrated their futures with signing day events over the past week, publicly announcing their next steps as they move from high school seniors to young adults.
At Lost River, soon-to-be graduates will represent their alma mater at five community colleges, eight four-year universities and two trade schools. Bonanza’s soon-to-be graduates signed to three community colleges, five four-year universities, the Air Force, the Marines, and a trade school.
Lost River Vice Principal Angie Wallin was the keynote speaker for Lost River’s sixth annual event.
“I know that you can be your dream,” she told the seniors “… Do not just let life happen to you. Create yourself. Be the director of your future. Set your goals, determine the steps to get there and follow through to achieve that vision.”
As family members and fellow classmates watched, students put pens to paper during a ceremonial signing at the end of the each of the events.
Tanner Mestas of Bonanza posed for photos with his parents. He committed to the U.S. Air Force and will start basic training in September. Classmate Andrew Ibarra will play football and study welding at the College of Siskiyous in Weed. Madelyn Cory heads to Stillwater, Okla., where she will study biology at Oklahoma State University.
This was the first signing day for Bonanza seniors. Lost River started the tradition in 2017 and it has now become part of the school’s culture.
Annabelle Ross was a seventh-grader when she watched the Raiders first signing day celebration. Today, with a presidential scholarship in hand, she is getting ready to head to Purdue University to study speech and hearing sciences.
‘This is quite an incentive for our underclassmen to see where self-discipline, a lot of work, and goals can lead you,” said Jen Johnson, Lost River’s ASPIRE coordinator, librarian and leader behind the Signing Day event.
Andy Davis started Signing Day at Bonanza this year and plans to make it an annual event.
“It’s always difficult and a bit scary to make a life decision and we wanted to celebrate that,” he said.
Lost River Junior/Senior High School seniors sign their letters of intent during the school’s sixth annual
Signing Day event last week.
Lost River senior Yoselin Salazar accepts a sweatshirt and certificate from Portland State University
during the school’s Signing Day event last week.
Bonanza Junior/Senior High School senior Tanner Mestas, who is joining the Air Force, poses for a
picture with his family after the school’s first Signing Day event.
Bonanza Junior/Senior High School senior Madelyn Cory is excited about attending Oklahoma State
University this fall. She plans to major in biology with plans for a career in the medical field.