Wawasee High School graduates gathered outside for a farewell toss of their caps following the commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 4.

Text and Photos
By David Hazledine
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — On Sunday, June 4, 184 students of the Wawasee High School class of 2023 received their diplomas in a commencement ceremony, which took place in front of a packed gymnasium filled with fellow students, family and faculty.

This yearly rite of passage held special significance for Wawasee High School Principal Geoff Walmer, who during his farewell address noted the class of 2023 were freshmen when he and Assistant Principal Steve Snyder also began their first year in their current posts.

“Your freshman year continued as normal until it came to a screeching halt on March 13, 2020. You were excited for your first pow-wow as it was scheduled for just a few hours later; spring break was just around the corner, and you were soon to be sophomores. But instead, you found yourself at home accessing your classes virtually, missing the interaction with friends and classmates that you were so accustomed to. The unknown of what was to come was a great fear for many,” recalled Walmer, describing the COVID-19 lockdown.

“However, as a freshman you might not have comprehended the fear of the unknown that you do now as young adults, not knowing what college will be like, what the workforce will be like or what serving in the military will be like in the coming months. … In these these moments I challenge you to do what you did your freshman year. Forget about the worry of tomorrow and do everything it takes to dominate today. … You not only survived the ‘unprecedented,’ but you defeated the ‘unprecedented,’ by not allowing it to keep you from your dream of having a normal high school experience. … Graduates, you are prepared…you know how to achieve great success through those difficult challenges.”

The ceremony began with the class processional, followed by the Wawasee Choir’s rendition of the National Anthem, an invocation by graduating senior Cameron Zimmerman and an introduction by Wawasee Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Steven Troyer. Student body President Clay Coblentz also spoke.

Troyer noted the 184 graduates were made up of two certificates of completion, two alternate diplomas, 15 general diplomas, 86 Indiana Core 40 diplomas, 11 technical honors diplomas, 60 academic honors diplomas and seven academic and technical honors diplomas.

Following Troyer was class salutatorian Kiah Farrington, who observed, “Now we get a chance to branch out and explore all else that life has to offer. These past 15 years together have been very memorable, and I wish us all the best for wherever this life takes us.”

During her valedictorian address, Nadia Whalen thanked the teachers, custodians, office workers, counselors, lunch cafeteria workers, bus drivers, tech workers and others who all played a part in her and her classmate’s graduation. This included librarian Miss Fowble who, said Whalen, “worked endlessly to educate us in the power of reading,” and also re-catalogued every book following the “infamous cyber attack of 2023.”

Whalen also noted how her grandparents “emigrated to the US from Greece without any form of education and without knowing how to speak English, and now I’m beyond honored to be graduating along side each of you.”