Resilient was a common word used to describe Tri-City United’s class of 2024 during its commencement ceremony Friday ― and for good reason.
In their freshman year — when the students from Le Center, Lonsdale and Montgomery were all supposed to come together under one roof — the students instead remained split apart in different sections as the school grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our class was impacted the most as we didn't know what high school was like,” graduating senior Luke Skluzacek said in an opening address to his fellow classmates. “We didn't know the faces of the people around us, or even half of the school as the in person learning days were split into A and B days. During online classes I still didn't know what people looked like because their video cameras were off.”
The class witnessed the school’s learning model change six times throughout their high school careers, but the students responded to these challenges with flexibility. The resilience of the class of 2024 was evident in the 139 students draped in caps and gowns in the TCU gymnasium on Friday. Despite unprecedented obstacles, the graduating seniors were about to accept their high school diplomas and achieve the goal they had worked for their entire lives.
“Through this interesting chapter of our lives, COVID tested our resilience, as through this we learned the importance of adaptability and teamwork,” said Skluzacek. “We found ways to support each other, proving that in hard times our community can thrive. Community stays with you, even as far back as middle school.”
After a TCU choir performance of “Defying Gravity,” from the musical “Wicked,” Assistant Principal David Reuhs read aloud a speech from Superintendent Kevin Babcock offering words of advice to the students as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
“I want you to move forward, but to follow your heart,” Babcock’s statement read. “The key is to listen to your heart and let it carry you in the direction of your dreams. I’ve learned that it’s possible to set your sights high and achieve your dreams and do it with integrity, character, and love. And each day that you’re moving toward your dreams without compromising who you are; you are winning.”
The Tri-City United band then performed musical selections front he “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack before TCU Principal Alan Fitterer took the podium to remind students of the many milestones they’ve accomplished in their young lives — from their achievements in academics and extracurriculars to stepping onto the school bus for their first day of Kindergarten and getting behind the wheel as young adults and passing their drivers’ tests.
“Yes, as a class you have adapted well, have shown your flexibility, and have been resilient, very resilient. You have seen and achieved many firsts, many milestones,” said Fitterer. “Thank you for your excellence, the enjoyment, the smiles, and the laughs — they will be treasured always!”
The graduating seniors then took their first step into the adult world, crossing the Tri-City United stage one by one to accept their diplomas. Before the students threw their caps into the air, they heard a final farewell from graduating senior Amanda Prigge, who took the time to reflect on her class’ journey from elementary school to graduation. She advised her classmates to take a moment and look at their fellow students sitting next to them, before finishing out with one of her favorite quotes from Beauty and the Beast, “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.”
“There is an adventure out there waiting for all of us; we just have to open our eyes, take a step, and find it,” said Prigge. “So class of 2024, go out and find your adventure, and one more thing… we did it.”
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