MONTICELLO — With packed stands of bleachers cheering them on, the 338 members of Monticello High School’s Class of 2024 turned the tassels on their caps from right to left Friday evening, stepping forward into a new chapter of their lives.
On a sunny but cloud-filled late-spring night June 7, the crowd of about 3,000 family members, friends, faculty and guests witnessed as the city’s 137th graduating class earned their diplomas in the traditional commencement ceremony at Monticello’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“This particular graduating class stands out,” noted MHS Co-Principal Matt Coalwell as he introduced the grads. “They’re a very relational group of students. They’ve built strong connections to so many in our school system and our community, and that impact has rippled across our school district.”
One individual they’ve left a lasting mark on is Superintendent Eric Olson, who gave an often-humorous and touching address in which he shared lessons the Class of 2024 has taught him.
“Our graduates sitting in front of me are an extremely talented class, they have kind hearts and engaging spirits,” he said. “I have to be honest here tonight, I’ve learned a lot more from you than I have been able to teach you this year.”
“You have taught me how to be authentic. I’ve learned more teenage lingo this year than ever before. By the way, your ‘fits’ are on fire tonight,” he said playfully, using the Gen Z slang word for “outfit,” eliciting an eruption of laughter from the graduates.
“You’ve taught me how to be brave … ” Olson continued. “You’ve taught me how to be spirited as I’ve watched you stick up for your brothers and sisters on the field, or you battled for each other in competition.”
“You taught me how to be responsible citizens. And I’ll tell you that the administration received several messages from other communities this year thanking us for how you presented yourself across the communities.”
“Last but not least, you have taught me how to reflect the light of love into any of the dark places that need me,” Olson said. “I guarantee that many of you are going to make people’s hearts lighter, brighter and not so heavy, because that’s who you are.”
Like Coalwell, Olson also pointed out the Class of 2024’s ability to make lasting connections, for which he credited the loved ones watching from the sidelines, along with the faculty sitting among the students.
“You have learned these last 18 years from the people on the stands and the people on the field how to make human connections like no other,” he said. “This is your day, use it as a spring into all of your next adventures.”
Co-Principal Lori Hanson introduced the 19 valedictorians from the Class of 2024, all of whom maintained a 4.0 grade-point average throughout their entire four years of high school.
The 2024 MHS valedictorians are: Allison Beilke, Gabriella Cruz-Longley, Keegan Ellis, Paul Fasen, Rylan Feierabend, Sydney Fuller, Jack Geislinger, Erin Gilbertson, Adrienne Hansen, Makenna Lutes, Lauren Moorhouse, Natalie Nemeth, Evan Raske, Dinah Schaffer, Gina Schaffer, Gunnar Simon, Nicholas Thovson, Bella Vasoli and Reagan Wahnschaffe.
Instead of each of these top students speaking, the valedictorians made a video in which they all appeared, answering a slate of questions, with queries such as “where will you be in five years?”; “who is the scariest teacher?”; “what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?; and “what’s your most memorable moment of high school?”
This was aired on a large screen, as was pre-recorded music by the school’s chamber singers, wind ensemble and a’cappella choir, which were played during various portions of the ceremony.
One of the valedictorians, Keegan Ellis, introduced the group’s video, and gave a short speech in which he spoke of his homeroom teacher, Rachel Starr, who, he said, is currently battling breast cancer.
“In the short time that I’ve known her, she has truly made a positive impact on my life,” he said. “She looks for the good in people and is the kind of person who seemingly attracts happiness. Mrs. Starr, please know that everyone here today supports you, stands alongside you, and we all pray that you make a fast recovery. I truly hope that one of the graduates walking across the stage today can come up with a cure for this terrible disease.”
Fellow valedictorian Bella Vasoli shared a longer speech after the video was shown, giving a more traditional address to her fellow graduates.
“Over the years, we’ve grown, changed and learned so much,” she said. “And now, as the sun sets on our senior year, we can look back at all the amazing memories we made on our journey together with nostalgia and a sense of accomplishment.”
She touched on the impacts of the pandemic on their education, and acknowledged the importance of their families in achieving this milestone.
“Our parents have dedicated their lives to create bright futures for us,” she said. “They’ve been our biggest supporters for sports and activities, and our biggest pains when they see a bad grade on a test.”
She also spoke of her fellow peers with fondness.
“Our friends and classmates who we’ve grown up with have been the best shoulders to cry on and the best people to make us laugh. I can say, for myself at least, some days the only motivation to go to school was so that I could see my friends’ faces.”
Lastly, Vasoli showed appreciation for faculty in the school district.
“Let’s give thanks to our teachers and staff,” she said. “They’re what makes Monticello High School all that it is. They’re the ones that push us to be the very best versions of ourselves possible.”
“They’ve taught us so many valuable lessons, and no, I’m not talking about geometry proofs or bull versus bear market economics. I’m talking about the important lessons: How to advocate for ourselves, how to make connections and relationships with people and how to be kind humans.”
Vasoli finished her speech on a positive note, sharing her high hopes for the class.
“Everyone has such a bright future ahead of them, and I know we’re all gonna do amazing things,” she said. “The sky’s the limit for the impact we can make on this world.”
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