Eighty-eight grads celebrate mountains, milestones

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By Christina Scanlon

Bags of M&M candies were distributed to the graduating seniors at Granville Junior-Senior High School Friday night, as a reminder of both the mountains and milestones they’ve faced and have yet to come.

“Some are small … and some will take your breath away,” said principal Camille Harrelson. She encouraged the group to not give up, when those hardest moments hit.

Before her and the 88 students dressed in blue and gold were a sea of family and friends gathered under a cloudless sky on the school’s front lawn, with real mountains in the distance.

Salutatorian Jacob Young spoke to his fellow graduates, reminiscing, saying that “knowing it is graduation day brings bittersweet emotions.”

He echoed Harrelson with two quotes. The first, a hopeful message: “Chase your dreams, burst out at the seams, never stop trying, never stop learning, live life to the fullest, give it nothing but your best.” The second, “Life is too short to be anything but happy,” he said, will help live a satisfying life.

Valedictorian Hannah Jones also spoke about creating future happiness.

“Appreciating what we have now is what actually constitutes the bulk of this happiness,” she said.

She told her classmates to never stop setting goals, and she shared a unique list she’d created in third grade for herself.

Pay attention, be nice, have manners and go outside more, these were goals then that could still apply to the group today, she said.

One endearing goal, to “look and smell pretty for boys,” has now changed. While it drew laughter, it also represented, she said, progress and a change in priorities that can measure growth as a person.

The senior band’s rendition of “Life is a Highway” and the choral version of “My Wish” offered many more encouraging words.

Those not speaking, singing or playing, however, found another way to spread their thoughts.

Graduations caps were decorated with paper, paint, jewels and sequins.

Some were comical, such as “I don’t even go here,” a reference from a 2004 high-school related movie, and “Kiss me I’m a grad.”

Others announced their names or where they were headed to college.

Some, however, took the opportunity to address their whole class: “Wherever we may fly, this isn’t goodbye.”