MOUNTAIN VIEW — Last week Friday, May 27, will prove to be a night to remember for the 2022 MVHS graduating class as they received their diplomas, embarking on the next stage of their lives.

It will also prove to be a memorable night for their families, friends, teachers and school staff, which has shepherded them to this point in their lives.

The auditorium echoed with the talk and laughter of the people who attended the ceremony, giving an air of anticipation and excitement while waiting for the ceremony to begin. Pictures of the seniors as small children and now were flashed on the screen giving the audience a glimpse into their lives.    

A theme the high school has utilized this year is “Celebrating 100 Years” attesting to the longevity of Mountain View High School, with the earliest graduation and prom held in 1922.

American Legion Post 36 presented the colors to kick off the ceremony. It was followed by a musical rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. The strains of ‘Pomp and Circumstances’ brought the crowd to their feet as the graduating seniors walked in to take their seats at the front of the auditorium.

This year’s addresses were given by Valedictorian Tanner Erickson and Salutatorian Anna Jo Short. The keynote speaker was Kolby Christopher, an MVHS teacher. Christopher graduated from Natrona County High School and has taught in Mountain View for several years. She heaped praise on the seniors and talked about what they had learned and what the teachers had learned from the students.

Short was the first to take the spotlight and noted, when younger, she had “always looked up to the older kids” She praised Bridger Valley as a great place to live and talked about the “tremendous support” that comes from the community. Although she is headed to college, Short talked about how the time in school flew and felt like the “time had slipped through my fingers.” She also remembered a kind, little old lady giving her advice, which was to “Be Happy.” Short urged her classmates to “Be Happy” as they moved on. Short extended her thanks to the school, family and community.

Erickson talked about the class opening their time capsule they created in the fifth grade. Class members had put in their dreams and what they hoped to accomplish. Erickson talked about potential and the class studying to achieve their potential. And, Erickson said, “The staff at Mountain View had helped me on the way…and the need to work for it.”

Christopher praised the class for pushing each other to succeed and said, “It’s never too late to try something new.” She reiterated what the class had taught the teachers and gave a running litany of special traits of each graduate. She told them to, “Enjoy your struggles and to relish the little things.”