Brookville Area High School says farewell to Class of 2023
BROOKVILLE — The long-awaited day and hour came for BAHS seniors on Wednesday as they walked across the auditorium stage at graduation, the first step into a larger world.
After the processional, BAHS Class of 2023 President Maverick Riddle gave some opening remarks. He said the day seemed long in coming and it is important for every graduate to remember they will be the ones who determine their success.
“The diploma we are going to be presented with today does not determine our future. Our family members who have raised us to the men and women we are today do not determine our future. Our teachers who have taught the curriculum in this education system do not determine our future. No matter how important these people are to us, no matter how hard they worked in the last 18 years to help us succeed, they cannot determine our future. The teachers and parents lead the horse to water, but it takes effort from the horse to get a drink. No matter where we go and what we do, we must always remember our values,” Riddle said.
Valedictorian Alex Reynolds then gave his address. He said achieving valedictorian was a hardfought battle and he recognized other students who put just as much work into their academics as he did. He said the focus should be on the collective success of the class of 2023, whose decades-long journey was fraught with many challenges, not the least including a global pandemic. He said their pursuit of truth has made them develop a “stubborn persistence” that drives them toward confrontation and controversy.
“We are the Class of 2023. We will forever question the norms of society and battle the relentless pressure of conformity. We have committed ourselves to a life of free thought and we will never submit to the appeal of complacency,” Reynolds said.
He said the graduates need to thank their parents and teachers who have raised them and taught them wisdom and character, and had several personal notes of thanks toward his family. He said they will always remember the life lessons taught through experience rather than in a text book.
He said they need to be active social participants in their world. He said the past four years are only the greatest if you allow them to be and they have so much to look forward to in their “sequel.”
“The best years of our lives are ahead of us and they are starting today. The class of 2023 has accomplished so many amazing things and I have no doubt we will experience many amazing feats in our future,” Reynolds said.
Salutatorian Thomas Bowser then gave his address. He said he couldn’t believe the class was graduating and noted how many things they have experienced in their journey, including the pandemic.
He said the one trait the Class of 2023 shares is resilience. He called attention to the class’s contributions toward the district’s athletic program and said it is well rounded in academics, athletics and the arts.
He said while he may have been a procrastinator in school, his procrastination has taught him that a lot of stress is very superficial in the grand scheme of things.
“If you are determined to perform quality work and you give yourself the time to do it, you can and will get it done,” Bowser said.
He thanked teachers, staff, parents, family, close friends and classmates for contributing to his success.
“People can say what they want about our class, but I can confidently say we will be quite the unforgettable class, whether that is a good thing or not,” Bowser said.
Class vice president Kat Kelly gave a tribute of appreciation. She said her class has garnered a reputation for being a bit mischievous, but the teachers and staff at Brookville rose to the challenge to teach them many lessons, in academics, athletics, the arts and life.
Class Treasurer Kendra Himes gave a tribute to the classmates, noting how much the class has survived and been through. She said it seemed like yesterday since they started kindergarten. She said she is already looking at high school through the rosecolored glasses of nostalgia as high school is something they will never have again. She said their roots will always be intertwined with each other. She said they have a blank canvas in front of them to do great things.
Brookville Superintendent Dr. Erich May gave the class a few words of wisdom and said he is so proud of the district, staff, students, and the Class of 2023. He said he has been proud of their character, talents and efforts. He said he has seen their blood, sweat and tears in athletics, in the musical and other aspects of their journey. He urged them to consider the sacrifices of their ancestors as they settled the country, the sacrifices of the armed forces, first responders, teachers, coaches, staff and everyone in the community, as they have contributed in some way to their education. He highlighted retiring principal Ruthanne Barbazzenni and their parents and families, as they have given the class their blood, sweat and tears. He said he hopes in their journey, they have learned a little about sacrifice.
“Soon it will be your turn to carry the country, build the community, to raise a family. It will take creativity and competitiveness, reading and writing, math and science, patience and kindness, and more than anything it will take blood, sweat and tears,” May said.
The concert choir then gave a performance of Jay Althouse’s “Homeward Bound” before the diplomas were presented by Barbazzenni, Assistant Principal Shawn Deemer, and May. Barbazzenni, in her remarks to close the ceremony of her last graduating class as BAHS principal, had these words to say: “I would like to say how excited I am for this young group of men and women. Through the ups and downs, the goods and bads, they have prevailed. I am proud of you. I must say this class and I have a couple of things in common. They started their journey 13 years ago here in Brookville, so did I. Today, in 2023, marks of the end of their Brookville Raider journey. As it does mine.”