144 graduated Sunday at 145th Commencement

Published 6:29 am Monday, June 1, 2009

By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Superintendent Peg Stowers presided over her third graduation Sunday on another ideal day outdoors at Dowagiac's 145th Commencement for Union High School's 144-member Class of 2009.
The flag flew at half-staff in memory of Sister Lakes kindergarten student Kaia Gard, 6, killed last Monday, May 25, as the result of a pedestrian-car accident on M-152.
Twenty-one seniors achieved high honors of 3.4 to 4.0 grade-point averages. Twenty-four seniors completed their academic careers with 3.0 to 3.39 GPA.
Thirty-one percent of seniors finished with "B" GPAs or higher.
Forty-one seniors were eligible for early Michigan Merit Exam/American College Test installment payments to their college careers.
Nine recorded exemplary attendance for all four years of high school.
The Class of 2009 earned a record $863,526 in scholarships.
Thirty-five seniors collected 351 credit hours from Southwestern Michigan College while still in high school by completing various classes and academies.
Senior athletes earned 25 all-conference awards during 12th grade and 40 over their four-year careers.
This class received all-state, all-district or all-region honors 19 times in their high school careers. This group of athletes twice broke school records during senior year. They were Wolverine Conference champions five times and Big Sixteen West Division Conference Champions two times, district champions three times and regional champions one time.
Their teams qualified 10 times for state tournaments.
The Class of 2009 had two academic All-Wolverine Conference athletes selected on the number of varsity letters, GPA and SAT or ACT scores.
One athlete was nominated for Detroit Free Press scholar-athlete recognition. There were four Michigan High School Athletic Association scholar-athlete award nominees. Forty-three percent of this graduating class participated in interscholastic athletics during high school.
Twenty-seven seniors earned consistently high ratings at marching band and concert band festivals. Six seniors received individual superior ratings for solo and ensemble festivals. Ten seniors took part in a statewide jazz competition.
Two senior choir members advanced to state solo and ensemble. Two senior choir members represented Dowagiac at honors choir at Western Michigan University.
Ninety-five percent of the Class of 2009 has definite post-secondary education plans. Twenty-two seniors will be attending a four-year college or university. Ninety-eight seniors will be attending a two-year community college. Seven seniors plan to attend technical school. Five seniors will enter the military. Twelve seniors plan on entering the workforce.
"Many adults will have advice for you and your future," Stowers said. "Accept it. You cannot escape it. As you work toward your next set of goals and accomplishments, demand more from yourself than the achievement levels you reach with minimal effort. Hard work pays off for the future. Laziness pays off for now. Remember to let your attitude determine your altitude. Remember the people who have made you feel appreciated and reward them with your continued success. Learn to use your gifts to benefit others … Don't forget to volunteer. Communities are only as good and strong as the citizens who serve. Finally, realize we all love you and support you in your endeavors. You are tomorrow's leaders. Take lessons from today, provide the hope of tomorrow, rule the future with integrity, provide the world character and love for every human being. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.' "
Co-Salutatorian Stephanie Grabemeyer recalled that her class was the "end of an era" – the last to attend 81-year-old Central Middle School in eighth grade before the 1926 landmark's March 19, 2007, demolition.
"Ultimately, your life is made up of moments," Stephanie said. Don't miss out on them by being lost in the past or anticipating the future.
"Spend the next few minutes thinking of all the important memories you've gotten to this moment." Hers include Friday nights cheering on the football team, playing for a softball district championship and dodgeball.
Her experiences are different than those of her classmates. "Though we all went to the same high school," Stephanie said, "we all have different priorities, different interests and different lifestyles. This is what makes the end of high school so special … I couldn't ask for a better moment to remember my high school career than this moment right now."
Co-Salutatorian Amanjot Sarao, born in India, came to the United States at 5.
"I cannot even begin to express how excited I am to have finally made it," Ami said. "I love my class because we truly have so much in common. You are looking at students who have been Miss Michigan Teen, who have full-ride scholarships to some of the best universities, who have broken school records and who will serve our country in the military. From this class I have learned to take on opportunities offered to me, such as joining clubs, sports and community activities and becoming a more competitive student and athlete. By living in America, I get the opportunity to be who I want to be. I cannot even begin to think about how different my life would be if I did not come to this great country. All the memories and inside jokes we take with us made high school important … Twenty years from now I'll think of making it to state two years in a row in varsity girls tennis with a smile. A huge thank you for our teachers, coaches, school administrators and the community of Dowagiac for all their hard work in making us the students and athletes we are today. If you remember one thing I've said, please let it be this: high school is just another step closer to your goals that will change you in so many ways. My family has had to work hard to simply live in America. You're already here with an endless amount of opportunities to make something of yourself being handed to you. Don't waste them."
Valedictorian Emily Primley, who also won the All-Sports Award, said to her classmates, "For all of us, the path leading up to today has a long one. There have been many pleasant, happy moments, but there have also been times of crisis and heartache. From personal experiences, I know these obstacles were put in our path for a reason – even if we cannot quite understand why. As Aldous Huxley once said, 'Experience is not what happens to you, it's what you do with what happens to you.' For some of us, we have already climbed that mountain and we have had to grow up a little quicker than what we may have liked. However, we now realize what makes life important and worth saving. All the cattiness and high school drama that we were all part of at one point or another" is behind them.
"My advice to you is to grow up and realize what's important in life," Emily said. "Don't worry about what others think. Go out and become something great for yourself."
Jeff Robinson's choirs sang "Why We Sing," featuring soloists Chelsea Whiteoak, Steven Baylock, Isaac Longden and Elizabeth Phillips.
The DUHS band, directed by CJ Brooks at his first graduation, played Matchbox 20's "How Far We've Come" as well as "Pomp and Circumstance."