Here comes the Spartans’ Class of 2015

Published 11:08 am Sunday, June 21, 2015

Speeches done, songs sung and selfies snapped, nearly 300 new high school graduates left last Saturday’s commencement ceremony at Bainbridge High School with eyes cast toward the future and whatever unique challenges and adventures lay before each one of them.

Two hundred and eighty-two students graduated from BHS and Eagle Harbor High School in this year’s annual combined ceremony, presided over by BHS Principal Mary Alice O’Neill, EHHS Principal David Shockley and Superintendent Faith Chapel.

“We are here today to celebrate you and your accomplishments,” O’Neill told the gathered students. “You have excelled in and out of the classroom in amazing ways.”

Some things the principal said she had noticed about the 2015 class in particular were wonderful, unique and in high demand in this day and age.

“You are kind,” she said of the students. “You are accepting. You take good care of one another. Your presence here today is evidence, not only of your hard work, but of your kind hearts.

“As a class, your personality of kindness and acceptance has helped each of you achieve more than you would have otherwise,” she added.

The class of 2015 boasted an impressive résumé, O’Neill said, including eight valedictorians, 20 National Merit Commended students, one National Merit Scholarship finalist, 14 Washington State Principal’s Scholars and 121 Washington State Honors Award recipients, which meant “40 percent of our graduates achieving in the top 10 percent of graduating seniors statewide,” O’Neill explained.

Three graduates had managed to earn associate’s degrees through the school’s Running Start program, the principal said, and the graduating National Honor Society members had racked up a total of approximately 17,000 community service hours as well.

The investment so many hardworking students had made in their own futures while still in high school, O’Neill said, was clearly reflected in those figures — as well as the more than $2.5 million bestowed upon graduating seniors in scholarships and grants this year.

Several stirring performances were intermixed with remarks during the ceremony, including songs by the BHS chamber choir and band as well as Alex Fuller, Hannah Krus, Lesley Lemon and Aria Minasian.

Superintendent Chapel remembered that the students of this class would have been starting kindergarden in 2002, her own first year with the district.

“I can still remember what that kindergarden orientation was like in 2002,” she said.

There, she recalled, one of the teachers said to the gathered parents, “Welcome to the future Class of 2015.”

“There was gasps,” she laughed, adding that more a few eyes misted up — even way back then. “I really thought your parents were going to faint.”

Though they’d had years to adjust to the idea, Chapel said, certainly there would be a few more parental tears again by the end of the ceremony.

The things the students were excited about had changed, Chapel added, saying that the highlight of kindergarten orientation, the thing the kids were most excited about, was riding on the bus.

“There really was a time when you thought it was one of the coolest things, to ride a school bus,” she said. “And your principal, when you got to school, had to stop you from running to class.”

Things had changed a little bit, Chapel joked.

As the students then formed lines to accept their diplomas — and prepared to then run in the decidedly opposite direction of class — colorful custom caps, festive bubbles and even a large beach ball abounded.

Then, finally, with their diplomas in one hand the students switched their cap tassels over with the other.