SILVER CREEK - Michael Wieloszynski conducted the senior high band as the class of 2012 of Silver Creek High School celebrated its graduation on Friday. This was the 60th annual commencement, where these students anxiously awaited their diplomas.
David Kurzawa, superintendent, gave graduates words of wisdom for the years to come. He asked them to think about where they will be five years down the road. Some of them may take the college route, some may start a family and others could decide to work right out of school. They may choose a different path, but it's the memories and experiences that they will take with them years down the road. "Whatever your goals are," Kurzawa said, "state it and achieve it. Your future is determined by what you do today."
Following Kurzawa's guidance as they head out in the real world, Catherine Wielgasz, class valedictorian, with a grade point average of 103, gave her classmates more words of encouragement. "No matter where we go," Wielgasz stated, "we will always be part of the Black Knights of Silver Creek."
Article Photos
OBSERVER Photos by Jennifer Peters
Catherine Wielgasz, class valedictorian, is a proud high school graduate, her family and friends happy for her achievement. (Pictured from left to right) Kristen Wielgasz, Kim Wielgasz, Ken Wielgasz, Catherine Wielgasz (graduate), Tiffany Nowicki (roommate on her China trip), and Cari Wielgasz.
Wielgasz has enrolled in Castleton State College of Vermont for the fall of 2012 and will be studying environmental science. She was very involved during her time at Silver Creek High School. She was co-president of student council, captain of varsity soccer, and a member of the National Honor Society.
While academics is very important to Wielgasz, she still managed to have some fun during her high school years. "Being with some of my friends and going to China was the most fun," she explained.
While many of those students are headed off to college in the fall, some have other plans. Thomas Lahnen II is joining the U.S. Marine Corps in September, and if all goes well, he will be there for eight years. "I was on the varsity wrestling team for three years," Lahnen said. "I got third place in junior varsity tournaments. I also had fun times hanging with my friends."
These students will all take different paths down the road, but they will never forget their high school memories. Some students are eager to leave, while others will miss the teachers who have shaped them and the close friends they have made. They will cherish those moments and those people forever.
Both Kurzawa and Wielgasz said that Dr. Seuss phrased it best: "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go."
Congratulations to the Silver Creek class of 2012!
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