Officer Tim Sammons delivers a commencement address to family and friends of the PES fifth grade class after its successful completion of the D.A.R.E. program.

PIERCETON — Parents, faculty and staff gathered together on April 20 to celebrate students from Pierceton Elementary School’s fifth grade. Throughout the past school term, students have been actively participating in Drug Abuse Resistance Education, more commonly known as D.A.R.E.

Three classrooms from Pierceton Elementary School received D.A.R.E. certifications. The students had been studying under the direction of Officer Tim Sammons, the local D.A.R.E. officer with more than 20 years of experience who has graduated more than 7,000 students throughout his career.

Pierceton Elementary School students from Beth Woodard’s classroom line the hallway as they prepare to enter the gymnasium for the ceremony.

The three five-grade classrooms are under the instruction of teachers Tasha Kinney, Bill Rhodes and Beth Woodard.

The culmination of the award program came when Sammons read through the three student winners from the essay competition. Each essay was read aloud to those in attendance and was a surprise to the student winner. In order to win, each student’s essay was read before a committee and three winners were chosen — one winner from each of PES’s fifth grade classrooms. In addition to the winners of the essay competition, three students were also recognized for the Mental Attitude Award.

The essay competition winners were Austin Shively, Juan Nino Macias and a third student who requested to remain anonymous. All three were given a stuffed animal version of the program’s mascot, Daren the lion. The winners of the mental attitude award were Emily Knight, Hannah Long and Chris Menzie, who each received a commemorative D.A.R.E. soccer ball.

As each student’s name was called for recognition, graduates received a certificate of completion for the program, as well as official D.A.R.E. pins, bumper stickers and water bottles donated by Paragon Medical. Of those in attendance on stage to honor the students were SRO Scott Geist, School Board Member Georgia Tenney, Superintendent Steve Clason, representatives from the Pierceton’s town board, as well as representatives from Paragon Medical.

“This is kinda bitter-sweet for me,” admitted Sammons during his speech, “because it’s my last D.A.R.E. graduation.” His words did not fall on deaf ears as the audience began thunderous applause for Sammons.

“I hope that they find someone who can get as much enjoyment out of the program as I have,” said Sammons during his commencement speech.