Class of 2009 – Kent-Meridian, Kentridge graduates celebrate at ShoWare in style

The ShoWare Center was packed Saturday in Kent as four local high schools celebrated their seniors’ achievements during graduation. Read these stories of Kent-Meridian and Kentridge high school graduations, and stay tuned for the Kentlake and Kentwood graduations from our sister paper, the Covington Reporter.

Kent-Meridian

As the graduates walked out in their blue or white caps and gowns, Lillian Simon could barely contain herself, jumping up and down and waving to get the attention of her daughter, Lacy Simon, as she went by.

Lillian danced around her seating section and beamed as Lillian, the youngest of her children, sat proudly among the other graduates and waited to be called for her diploma.

“I’m so proud and so pleased,” she said. “It’s God’s blessing.”

The Simons were just one of the many stories at KM’s afternoon commencement ceremony, where the jubilation and excitement among the 250-plus graduates and thousands of friends and family could hardly be contained.

Speaker after speaker congratulated the students and urged them to remember their time at KM, but to never stop looking ahead to their future.

“Today we get to reflect on all the movements that make up our life,” said graduate Davina Fuiava during her speech. “Look around and make this very moment a memory that will last a lifetime.

“We are and forever will be Royals!” she said.

Graduate Amy Vo echoed the sentiment, telling fellow students “reflect and appreciate the enormity of our accomplishments at Kent-Meridian.”

“We must realize it is really only the beginning of the rest of our lives,” she said.

Co-valedictorians Phuong-Quang Lam and Yasmin Habib recounted the high school experience in humorous and touching ways, each reminiscing about their experiences at high school and discussing the strong effects of attending KM.

“Think back to that feeling of excitement and thrills we had when we first started here,” Lam said. “In the end, we all share a strong bond.”

Habib’s speech was more personal, recounting her own story, which began as a refugee, and of moving from school to school and not letting people get close to her until she found a home at Kent-Meridian and began to open up, making friends and enjoying life.

Habib said they were taught to think that high school was about the educational content of the lessons, but the important lessons are in finding oneself.

“It is people that reveal who you are,” she said. “Never forget to love one another because all we have in life is each other.”

Principal Wade Barringer beamed like a proud parent himself throughout the ceremony and spoke of his pride in each and every student and hugged both valedictorians close as they finished their speeches.

“I’m sad to see you all go,” he told the class with a giant smile. “Yes, even those that have driven me up the wall for four years – and you know who you are.”

As the first row stood to move into position to collect their diploma a huge cheer rippled around the bowl at the ShoWare Center, which only got louder as students collected their diplomas and a handshake or hug from Barringer who stood in the middle and met each student before they left the stage.

Outside, the excitement continued as graduates and parents hugged and posed for picture after picture.

“Amazing, plain and simple,” said graduate Artise Gauldin. “I’m ecstatic. I’m in space right now.”

Father Artise Gauldin, Sr. and step-father Larry Anderson also shared in the joy.

“Oh, man it’s the best thing in the world to see him walk across that stage,” Anderson said.

“I’ve been waiting on this day a long time,” Gauldin, Sr. said. “Whoo yeah; real proud!”

Kentridge

The largest of Kent’s four graduating class had to wait the longest to get their diplomas, ending a day of excitement at the ShoWare Center with a 7:30 p.m. ceremony that showcased the talents of what Principal Mike Albrecht said was arguably the most skilled and well-prepared class to ever graduate from Kentridge in its 41-year history.

“There is no doubt our future is in bright and capable hands,” he said, looking out on a sea of more than 450 green mortarboards and anxious grads, as well as a nearly completely full arena. The ShoWare Center seats 6,000.

The evening began with a beautiful rendition of the song “Never Alone,” performed by Zoe Cosford, Jennica Falcon, Lisa McGhie and Stephanie Mount and accompanied on keyboard by Kaley Puckett.

With 10 students all completing their high school careers with a 4.0 grade point average, teachers and students selected Michelle Lane and Michelle Prapasirikul to deliver the student addresses, each of whom praised the education they got and friends they made while learning the “KR way.”

Lane began by reminding her fellow graduates of what it was like to walk into the school on that first day of freshman year and not have any idea what was ahead of her.

“Today, I’ll be walking out of high school with still absolutely no idea of what lays ahead of me,” she said with a big smile.

Lane told her classmates they have a responsibility to use what they’ve learned and quoted the Dalai Lama saying that education is like an instrument.

“Kentridge has given us the music and the notes,” she said. “Now all we have to do is play.”

Prapasirikul basked in the excitement of the day.

“We did it, we’re here!” she said. “My fellow grads, we ARE prepared for the future.”

She even drew cheers with a reason for parents to smile.

“Parents, today you can smile knowing you’ll never have to write a check out to Kentridge High School ever again!” she said.

During his speech, Albrecht laid out the accomplishments of the student body, from the athletic victories to the club participation to music achievement and the more than $4 million in scholarships and grants earned by the senior class.

“Class of 2009, you are truly a class that will forever shine,” he said.

Cheers erupted from various parts of the arena as students crossed the stage to gather their diplomas and the arena exploded in applause as the students moved their tassels and tossed their caps to the rafters.

Outside the festivities continued as silly string was sprayed and photo after photo was taken of the grads.

To some of the students, it seemed as though the past four years had flown by.

“It seemed like it arrived so fast,” said Luke Carpenter as dad Paul looked on.

“I’m very proud of him,” Paul Carpenter said. “It’s been a lot of hard work for this this day.”

“It came pretty fast,” echoed Brandon Bell who posed for pictures with every possibly combination of family member sin attendance, including his father, Mitch Bell, who flew in from Florida for the ceremony.

“It’s awesome, it’s incredible,” Mitch Bell said, adding that it seemed like just yesterday since his own high school career ended.

“Now it’s my son,” he said, grinning ear to ear.