Sayonara seniors: School’s out for Class of 2016

Every graduating class claims it’s unique. It’s a commencement speech staple. “We’re the most accomplished, most ambitious, most service-oriented seniors you’ve ever seen. Watch out, world.” But in Saturday’s sea of royal blue and raindrops, co-valedictorian Ryan Cox left the cliches at home.

Every graduating class claims it’s unique. It’s a commencement speech staple.

“We’re the most accomplished, most ambitious, most service-oriented seniors you’ve ever seen. Watch out, world.”

But in Saturday’s sea of royal blue and raindrops, co-valedictorian Ryan Cox left the cliches at home. His Bainbridge High School class of 2016 really was unique, he proposed.

Just not for the reason you’d expect.

“This class is unique because we’ve had not one, not two, not three but four principals,” Cox said.

“Not every graduating class can say that they singlehandedly caused three principals to flee the school,” he added.

Brief as they may have been, their tenures were not in vain. This “revolving door of principals” had passed on an arsenal of lessons that survived their stays.

The principals’ principles.

“Brent Peterson showed us the value of knowing who you are,” Cox recounted. “Alas, even that strength of self was only enough to get him through one year with our class.”

Jake Haley taught the Spartans to explore the world, just before leaving to explore California.

Mary Alice O’Neill passed on the importance of knowing what you want and going after it.

And Duane Fish, “the cagey beast,” shared the value of sacrifice, Cox said. “Instead of enjoying an easy honeymoon, he wasn’t afraid of sacrificing his own popularity in efforts to instigate change,” the valedictorian noted, before adding his own endorsement for the administrator.

“As a senior leaving this school behind, I am confident that BHS is in capable hands,” he said.

The rain raged on through much of the ceremony, but student performers were undeterred; “Rocket Man,” “Brooklyn” and “For Good” filled the stadium with depth and gravitas from soloists and the Bainbridge High School Band.

Before diplomas were presented to the BHS and Eagle Harbor High grads, Duane Fish took a moment to elucidate their accomplishments.

Out of 304 seniors, 125 received honors for graduating in the top 10 percent across the state. Two were Presidential Scholars. Four, National Merit Finalists. Altogether, the class had been awarded $1 million in tuition and scholarships and would be attending 102 colleges in 27 states and three countries.

“With so much success, it’s very easy to lose sight of who you are becoming versus who you truly want to be,” Fish concluded. “Despite all you’ve already accomplished, it’s my one hope that you will always see the value and the life skill of being kind.”

He had a little help from Tim McGraw as he drove home his point.

“When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you,” Fish recited, “when the work you put in is realized, let yourself feel the pride, but always stay humble and kind.”

Superintendent Faith Chapel had lofty words, too, for the seniors, as she recounted a poster from her early days of teaching, 40 years before.

If you want to touch the past, touch a rock.

If you want to touch the present, touch a flower.

If you want to touch the future, touch a life, it said.

“As a class, you definitely have touched the rock,” she said. “In fact, you’ve touched it so much that you’re ready to leave.

“But I hope that in a symbolic sense that you’re also aware of what kind of foundation has been provided to you by your teachers, by your parents and by the community,” she added.

The flower is a sign of how short life can be, Chapel said. It’s a reminder to connect and acknowledge that today is important.

As for the life?

“Wherever you go, where you work, where you live, where you choose to spend your time and you raise your family, you’re going to have the chance to make a difference in someone’s life,” the retiring superintendent said.

“And I hope you’ll really take that opportunity and pay forward the kind of investment and the kind of love and care that you have experienced so far.”

Caps in the air, the sun finally shining, their journey began.