Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

EHS confers diplomas on 15

A commencement exercise should always include advice.

But what happens when the commencement speaker is a bit concerned about offering advice?

Steve Kelly, teacher at Emmet and speaker at the Emmet High School graduation ceremony May 16 cited the fact that Socrates was famous for handing out advice

 and he was poisoned.

Kelly told graduates that this particular ceremony was

unique from all other graduation events anywhere.

This time its you, Kelly said. Theres a crowd of people gathered here to witness this unique event.

Kelly then presented a list of emotions that were going

through the minds of all those gathered. First, of course, was pride.

Im proud of you but so are your friends, families and

other teachers, he said.

Kelly said the seniors who achieved this milestone owe much of their success to their friends, family and teachers. He said those gathered had done many things for the students, including changing diapers,

wiping noses and even nursing some through chickenpox.

The next emotion Kelly cited was relief, but he warned

the students not to take that the wrong way. He said the relief was of a job completed well, not that anyone doubted they could achieve it.

Finally, Kelly said there was happiness as well as sadness.

He said he expects that the juniors  who will now be

ruling the roost  are the happiest to see the seniors go.

Kelly then turned to some advice, despite his reluctance

to do so. He warned them not to wait for something fabulous to happen because they might find theyd been waiting for nothing. He quoted Arthur Godfrey who said, Even if youre on the right track, youll get run over if you just sit there.

Kelly said that its vital to make a plan and take action.

Do not wait, he said. The time will never be just

right. Start wherever you are and work with whatever tools you have at your disposal and better tools will show up.

During her valedictorian address, Cassie Daniel

thanked her classmates for the wonderful years of friendship. Then she said that the diplomas are already signed and that meant its time to take credit for some of her actions  and for those of her classmates.

She made a list of pranks ranging from syrup in a chair

to an ice cream cone that served as a trap, and named

those involved.

Seniors included Daniel, Christopher Ball, Cassaundra

Mosier, Heather Berry, Michael Clark, Randi Hoover,

Tyler Syata, Chris Myer, Joseph Hickey, Justin

McKillion, Jonathan Miller, Justin Gatlin, K.T. Hamilton,

Hannah Vermillion and Jessica Willis.