Class of 2020 is ‘what the world needs’
MERNA - Starting their senior year in August of 2019, the graduating class of Anselmo-Merna had circled the date of May 9 for graduation to complete their high school education and look forward to the next chapter of their education or working career. Instead, 70 days later, July 18, the 12 graduates took the stage to receive their diplomas. As with all graduations, the gym was not packed, there were a good number of special guests for each of the 12 graduates.
Special greetings were sent to the class via video presentation. First off was 1st Sgt Matthew
Branch, Marine Corps. 1st Sgt. Branch is the uncle of graduate Wyatt Porter, Branch was deployed during their second-grade year, as a project, the class wrote letters which Branch still has. Since he was deployed again and unable to attend graduation, Dr. Lightfoot reached out for his special greeting.
Next up was Governor Pete Rickett. He encouraged the class to help him grow Nebraska in either going on to higher education and returning to Custer County or to build Nebraska through their career path.
Last was Eric Crouch. In 2001, Crouch won three major national awards for the Husker football team including the Heisman Trophy. Crouch’s company, Crouch Recreation, is working on replacing the bleachers at A-M so he has been out and seen the school first hand. He said he could not wait to see what the students would do in the State of Nebraska.
Salutatorian Rhett Safranek referred to their class as one big happy family, and hoped over time that would remain and that they would remember to support each other wherever the future takes them. Their senior year did not go as they planned, but God had the plan and everything happens for a reason.
Safranek felt they would look back at this time and see it differently, not as a ruined senior year, just as their year. He said he realized that small things meant a lot to him like running late into class, failed science experiments, lunch room chats, late night homework assignments and even the sound of the school bell.
He acknowledged A-M school is great because of the teachers, because the principal and superintendent keep things running smoothly, the lunch room ladies who serve the food with a smile and the janitors who have cleaned up every mess from Kindergarten to Senior year.
“I don’t know if we appreciate enough coming into a clean school every day,” reflected Safranek. He closed by encouraging everyone to “Value time and never take for granted the life you have with each other, and to live in the moment and cherish the little things in life.”
Valedictorian Courtney Kastnes pointed out the class was born right around Sept. 11, 2001. Their kindergarten year Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast; their freshman year marked the fist female presidential candidate for a major political party. She recalled growing up over dial-up Internet, rewinding videos.
“Graduates of 2020 have always been surrounded by turning points in history, from 9/11 to the coronavirus pandemic,” Kastnes pointed out. She said they have grown up in a constantly-changing world but they are exactly what the world needs in the coming years.
“Our country, our world needs people who carry on when the current circumstances seem unending, and we are the perfect generation for it,” stated Kastnes.
Dr. Logan Lightfoot closed with the “Top 10 Pieces of Advice for High School Grads-Custer County Style.” - Own the Custer County work ethic, do what you love not what makes you the most money, define your morals and don’t forget where you came from just to name a few.
Diplomas were dispensed and A-M graduates finally can say they are an alumni of the school, 70 days after their original graduation. It will be good to see what they do in the next 10 years.