Congratulations Graduates

By
Maryann Miller

The Winnsboro High School class of 2010 said goodbye to high school on May 28 at an evening ceremony at Red Raider Stadium. It has long been the tradition to hold the commencement at the stadium, and for Maurine Lindsay this was her 64th consecutive graduation. "I missed some when I was in college during the war," she said. "But I haven't missed one since 1946."

Now that's Red Raider loyalty. It's understandable that Maurine would attend the graduation ceremonies all the years she taught at the school, but she retired in 1989. Yet, she still comes and said she would continue as long as she can.

Before the class processed into the stadium that evening, representatives from WHS Future Farmers of America posted the colors, and the WHS band played the processional music.

After Kasi Geraci, Senior Class President, (below right) welcomed everyone, Christian Bosold, a Class Officer, (below left) did the invocation and prayer. Alex Langhoff, Class Officer, led the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag, and Megan Lowe led the pledge to the Texas Flag. The WHS band played the National Anthem, then Mark Bosold, Superintendent of Schools introduced the guests.

In her Salutatory Address, Deana Knight talked about the "new path" the graduates were going to be taking after this night. She thanked parents and teachers and the school for the "words of wisdom that have guided us."

Speaking directly to her classmates she said, "We are here tonight because it is our time to start new lives. Don't dream life away, live your dreams."

Deana Knight (right) will be going to A&M to study Kinesiology, with long-range plans to work in the field of sports after graduation. She played basketball for WHS and ran track and cross-country, so she would like to go on to coach. She was also a cheerleader and said she will miss a lot about high school, but she is excited about the "new path" she will be going down.

Haley Mills (below left) started her Valedictory Address with a quote from Churchill, "Without victory there is no survival." She challenged her classmates "to be victorious in all future plans. Strive to be best and always achieve excellence."

She marveled at the "long and amazing journey we have taken together" and said that she had three emotions. She was excited about the future and the new experiences awaiting them all. Yet the uncertainties of the future caused a bit of nervousness, too.

This was also a tinge of sadness at the "memories of what will be left behind."

In closing, she asked her classmates to always focus on family and God. "Remember where you came from to take this journey."

Haley will be going to Stephen F. Austin to study business management, and even though she is ready to go on one level, she knows she will miss family and friends. This summer she will be going to a week-long National Leadership Conference in Chicago for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) She was active in FCCLA all through high school and is really looking forward to the conference.

The guest speaker for the evening was English teacher David Pinnell. He joked about giving the whole talk in Chaucer's Middle English, but actually only gave a bit of it in the antiquated language. He adapted the first few lines of The Canterbury Tales to be The Winnsboro Tales, and it was very entertaining.

He, too, spoke of dreams and encouraged the class to "dream no small dreams." He told them that "getting by is not enough. I know you can do so much more.

"Make your dreams come true with hard work, intelligence, and integrity."

(WHS Band under the direction of Ben Scarborough)

Graduation is always a time of mixed emotions and perhaps the sentiments of all the students could be best summed up in the class poem written by Brittany Carter.

Tonight

Tonight is the night our lives begin.

Tonight we become citizens of the world.

Tonight we all become adults.

Tonight we become accountable to someone other than ourselves and our parents: accountable for more than our schoolwork and grades.

Tonight we become accountable to the world, to the future, and to all the possibilities that life has to offer.

Starting tonight, we are expected to show up wide eyed and be willing and ready for anything and everything life throws our way.

To take on any and all responsibilities and possibilities

Tonight my friends our lives begin

To take on life

To take on love,

To take on the world.