by Erik Nelson
Reporter
It may be a cliche, but following one’s dreams is an important way to find success in life.
That was a common message by the commencement speakers at Rogers High School’s 2024 graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 5, in the RHS field house.
After the RHS band under the direction of Keith Saxton and the RHS choir under the direction of Samuel Eckberg performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” RHS Principal Jason Paurus welcomed the graduates, family and friends to RHS’s 20th graduation ceremony.
The first speaker of the evening was ISD 728 Superintendent Dr. Dan Bittman. This was the last time that Bittman spoke to an RHS graduating class. He will be retiring at the end of 2024 after more than seven years of service to ISD 728.
“As you stand on the threshold of this new chapter, I want to encourage you to carry the lessons that you learned here,” Bittman said. “Embrace curiosity, nurture your passions and strive to make a positive impact in whatever you decide to do. Remember that your success is not measured solely by your achievement, but also by the kindness that you show each day to others and the integrity that you use to live your lives and make daily decisions. Class of 2024, the future is yours.”
The next speaker was RHS senior Alex Euphosin. Euphosin graduated with high honors and received the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. He was a member of the RHS chapter of the National Honor Society and was a member of the Royals boys track and field team. This fall, Euphosin will attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to study biomedical engineering. In a speech titled “IAGDTBAR” — an acronym for “It’s a Great Day to be a Royal” — he told his fellow graduates to be proud of themselves for what they achieved in four years at RHS, because it was no small feat.
“As we prepare to venture into the next stages of our lives, remember that you all are the most interesting and extraordinary people in the entire universe,” Euphosin said. “We made RHS a great community. Everyone in this room is capable of amazing and beautiful things.”
After Euphosin finished speaking, the RHS choir under Eckberg’s direction performed “The Road Home” by American composer Stephen Paulus.
The final speaker of the ceremony was RHS social studies teacher Ann Froemming. Froemming has taught at RHS since the school opened in 2003 and is retiring this year after 21 years of service to the school. She has taught human geography, AP Human Geography, government, psychology, AP Psychology and CIS Psychology during her time at the school. Froemming has also served as the National Honor Society advisor for all 21 years in RHS history.
“Focus on living your best life instead of just dreaming how your life could be,” Froemming said. “I have lived my dream. The best thing you can do now is live your dream.”
Following Froemming’s speech, Paurus presented the Class of 2024 to Bittman and the ISD 728 school board. Twenty-two students graduated with high honors (4.0 GPA and above) and 76 graduates had a GPA between 3.51 and 3.99.
After Brigitte Zenk received her diploma, Paurus thanked the employees at ISD 728 for shaping the lives of the Class of 2024. He told the graduates to be kind, follow their dreams, never give up and take care of themselves.
Following those remarks, the Class of 2024 was introduced and the graduates threw their caps in the air.
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