Although it is Newberg High School’s commencement ceremony that people think of when they picture graduation exercises locally, in fact it is just the most visible of the annual rites of passage associated with public schools.
Friday evening’s June 7 commencement at Loran Douglas Field, where 241 blue-and-gold-clad youths strode across the stage to receive their diplomas, joined the culmination of education journeys at Catalyst, Chehalem Online Academy, GED recipients and the school’s students in the Support Advocacy for Independence in Life (SAIL) program. All of the students graduating faced challenges never before experienced in Newberg.
“They lost half of their middle school years and started the biggest K-12 transition at home on a screen,” counselor Angela Katz said. “When they came back in the buildings they had to wear masks and social distance. They had to relearn what it meant to be a student in the classroom when the stakes were high: graduation on the line.
“We are very proud of every single one of the graduates walking across the stage this year. They each have their own journey to get here yet they have the common bonds of the past four years and what was happening in our world and in our local community. We wish the very best for the class of 2024. I have no doubt they can do anything that they set out to do.”
In addition to the Tigers who took to the stage on the football field, others earned GED diplomas, attended Chehalem Online Academy (COA) or progressed from Catalyst.
Forty-four Catalyst students earned a diploma or GED and 28 COA students were feted a day prior on campus at Drea Ferguson Auditorium. Catalyst principal Chris Stevens “expressed confidence in their ability to shine in whatever they plan to do in life,” a release said, and announced three winners of the school’s Phoenix and Student of the Year Awards.
Hailie Walkowiak and Amelia Kane-Morley earned the Phoenix Award.
“The phoenix, as you may know, is known for rising from the ashes and creating new life out of the wreckage,” Stevens said in his presentation. “(Walkowiak and Kane-Morley) have demonstrated intense grit and resilience, forging a bright future and creating their own stories out of the past by taking advantage of second chances.”
Catalyst student Luke Nelson earned that school’s top honor: Student of the Year.
“This award goes to a student who has been a stand-out student throughout this year,” Stevens said. “They have demonstrated academic excellence, built strong interpersonal connections with students and staff alike, and made a lasting impact on Catalyst. We are all incredibly proud of the growth we’ve been able to see and be a part of, both academically and personally, during this student’s time at Catalyst.”
The SAIL program celebrated the completion of the program on June 5. The program, designed for students age 18 to 21 who experience disability, teaches life and vocational skills so they become more independent. Those completing the program were Mykel Boyd, Elizabeth Sauceda, Amogh Channapatna and Johnathan Davila-Outwater.
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