CREMONA — A large and vocal crowd of friends, family and other supporters gathered at the Cremona School gymnasium for the 2022 graduation cap and gown ceremony on Saturday morning.
It was the first indoor graduation event held at the school since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies held outdoors, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anna Doege and Ben OlfertWeins were the Class of 2022 co-valedictorians. During their address they praised their classmates for making the most high school despite the challenge posed by the pandemic.
“Life became exponentially more difficult for a time,” they said. “Tournaments were cancelled, we couldn’t see our friends, activities we had been looking forward to for months didn’t happen, yet somehow, through all the troubles COVID brought, we still managed to receive a decent education and are fortunate to be able to gather here today and celebrate our achievement like normal.
“This has not been the story in the last couple years, and we should not take it for granted. Today is a day to be proud of all of our accomplishments. Graduating high school is a milestone that is not accomplished without effort and dedication.
“We are all here celebrating the same achievement which we have worked so hard toward. We hope that you will take the fun times, challenges, interesting discussions and learning and build one it as you venture into the world.”
Doege and OlfertWiens also commended the school’s teachers, staff members and parents.
“Teachers cannot be thanked enough for the effort they put into online school during the pandemic,” they said. “We also want to say thank you to the parents who have always been there to support us.”
Principal Joanna Harvey said the members of Class of 2022 can go forward knowing they are well prepared for the future.
“With all that you have learned through your books, community, teachers, family, friends and classmates, remember that your journey has only just begun,” said Harvey.
Village of Cremona deputy mayor Joseph Shi, who son Joshua was one of the graduates, called on each of the members of the Class of 2022 to make the preservation and protection of democracy a life-long goal.
“The world is in your hands, and we all need to work together,” said Shi.
Other dignitaries at Saturday’s graduation ceremony included Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) superintendent Kurt Sacher, Mountain View County councillor Greg Harris, CESD trustee Melissa Copley and guess speaker Trish Murphy.
Darryl Korody was the master of ceremonies. The message from the teachers was given by Michael Moorhead and Katlyn Young, and the message from the students to the teachers was given by Hunter Cameron and Hunter Guhl.
