Yelm High School’s Class of 2023 gathered at the Tacoma Dome on June 11 to celebrate the end to their K-12 journey as they turned their tassels to mark their latest accomplishment.
Over 1,000 spectators packed the venue to celebrate their friends, family members, or loved-one’s accomplishment of graduating.
“We are more than excited to be honoring the Yelm High School Class of 2023. Thank you all for being here this morning to celebrate our seniors,” Matt Mounts said as he welcomed everyone to the commencement ceremony. “Before we start today’s ceremony, I’d like to recognize our outgoing Superintendent, Brian Wharton.”
Mounts said Wharton has worked at Yelm Community Schools for the past 13 years, which included six years as the Yelm High School principal and seven as the superintendent.
“His vision has helped mold Yelm schools into what we see today,” Mounts said.
Following the recognition of Wharton, Yelm High School’s valedictorian Ayla Danner-Bunn presented her speech titled “What is For You Will Find You.”
“I want to take a few minutes to thank those who have helped me get here today because I know I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Danner-Bunn said. “First, I want to thank my mom. She has never once told me I couldn’t achieve my goals and she’s always there to make sure I’m heard, valued, and above all else, loved.”
Danner-Bunn then thanked her sister Isha, as well as her track team, coaches and her friends, who she said have stuck by her side through “thick and thin.”
“There are so many different paths in life you can take, and it’s easy to think, ‘oh no, what if I choose the wrong one?’ It’s easy to get stuck on what ifs and regrets,” Danner-Bunn said. “What I have learned is it’s OK if you make a mistake, it’s OK if you mess up. What’s not OK is giving up. It’s never too late to start over or retry with something new. Life is too short to play games and waste it doing something you don’t love, or with people who don’t make you feel like your best version of yourself. Don’t settle for less than what makes you happy.”
Following Danner-Bunn’s speech, valedictorian Madison Westfall presented her speech titled “In My Own Way.”
“I am honored and privileged to stand before you as a valedictorian and say a few words,” Westfall said. “First and foremost, I’d like to thank all the people who made this possible, including my wonderful, wonderful family who has always been there for me, my fantastic friends who’ve stuck by my side through thick and thin, and my fantastic teachers that have always pushed me to be my best.”
Westfall told her classmates that no matter what path they take in life, they need to stay true to themselves.
“As William Wordsworth once said, life is divided into three terms,” Westfall said. “That which was, which is and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit from the present and from the present to live better in the future.”
Salutatorian Brendan Flanagan followed Westfall with his speech titled, “Why Not?”
“Today I’m going to talk to you about a motto of mine, which is ‘why not.’ I use it for all kinds of things,” Flanagan said. “I’ll have an opportunity to do something and I’ll come up with all these dumb reasons to not do it. This morning with this speech, I didn’t want to do it but I asked myself, why not?”
Flanagan said the question, why not, applies to nearly everything in life.
“I think this concept is extra important right now because we’re graduating and we’re right at the point where life is really going to start,” Flanagan said. “One day you’re going to wake up, look in the mirror and you’ll be 60 years old. Are you going to be glad that your life has been so amazing and full of wonderful things, or are you going to realize that there are less days in front of you than there are behind you and that you’ve been sitting on the couch the whole time. Basically what I’m saying is let’s go out there and have some fun, because why not?”
Salutatorian Alexandria Little then presented her speech “Fearless.”
“This honor is something I’ve worked pretty hard for, for a long time,” Little said. “To be completely real with you, it doesn’t feel at all like I thought it would. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of myself for achieving this but I feel like I sacrificed a lot to do it.”
Little said she is thankful for the excitement that graduation brings and for what the future holds, but also felt the pain of regret due to the fear of judgment or failure.
“I wish I could go back and change it. Too often, we look back at all the chances we didn’t take and live with so much regret,” Little said. “I encourage you to take this new beginning as an opportunity to start new and do all the things you were too afraid to do — an opportunity to be fearless.”
Yelm High School Principal Curtis Cleveringa then read his speech, titled “Rise Up.”
“We are excited to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of this graduating class,” Cleveringa said. “As we have been preparing for graduation and reflecting upon our experiences this year, I want to share this sentiment with you. You are called to rise up.”
Cleveringa said he stood before the Class of 2023 with admiration and hope after they overcame obstacles that tested their strength, determination and resilience.
“Now, you’ve reached the beginning of a new chapter in your lives,” he said. “It is time to rise up. In the face of adversity, you’ve learned that rising up doesn’t mean standing alone, but lifting each other, empowering one another and building a community for the greater good.”
Cleveringa said the students would graduate not only as individuals, but as a united class.
“We’ve witnessed first hand the power of unity, the strength of support and the beauty of diversity,” he said. “Our differences, whether they be in backgrounds, interests or aspirations, have shaped us into a remarkable group of talent of potential. As you venture into the world, please remember the challenges you face will be different, but our spirit to rise up remains the same.”
After the conclusion of Cleveringa’s speech, Mounts presented the 2023 Ed Bergh Perseverance Award, which is given to a senior who has demonstrated high levels of perseverance, resiliency and someone who has overcome “significant” challenges while earning their diploma. The award was given to Aiden Kortjohn.
Senior class president Peter Dorhauer and senior class vice president Emma Bacon then took to the podium to announce the recipient of the 2023 Ed Bergh Born to Teach award. The recipient is voted on by the senior class and given to a staff member who challenged and inspired their students. This honor was given to Hillary Hull.
Morgan Schackel and Raleigh Wright then presented the senior gift from the Class of 2023, which included painted Yelm letters in the football stadium, new tables for the courtyard and benches for the campus.
ASB president Meridee Hill presented the final speech of Yelm’s graduation, titled “Resilience.”
“When I think of a word to describe my class, it is reliance, which means the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties and toughness,” Hill said. “Class of 2023 has been through it all. Our world felt like it was crumbling, through a literal pandemic, losing classmates, online schooling, all of it. Yet we showed up, and not only did we show up, but we crushed senior year.”
Hill also touched on the topic of mental health. She said that people never know when someone is struggling, that it could be the person that makes you laugh, the one that always has a smile on their face, or the individual who you think has their life put together.
“For anyone who has struggled or is currently struggling, I want you to know that you’re made for a purpose and you belong here,” Hill said. “Seek help, talk to someone, you always matter. God made you for a reason.”
