Lind-Ritzville graduates 34

RITZVILLE – Gilson Gymnasium was a scene of jubilation and exhortation as the Lind-Ritzville High School commencement took place Saturday, June 1.

Attendees sat in 17 rows of folding chairs spread across the gym floor. There were folks wearing shorts, jeans, T-shirts and flowered dresses. A man in a wheelchair sat in the front row and held a squirming infant on his lap.

The commanding strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" filled the gymnasium as parents raised cellphones to record 34 graduates marching in pairs down a red-carpeted pathway.

Wearing traditional black-and-red gowns and caps, the graduates sat in three rows behind the podium as Principal Kevin Terris stepped to the microphone.

He asked a series of questions beginning with "If you..." and students answering in the affirmative stood.

For example, he asked, "If you earned Washington State University college credit in Mr. Pulliam's math courses, please stand."

Further queries recognized student achievements in sports, FFA, FBLA, band, scouting and other activities. When students stood, the crowd responded with whistles, hoots and raucous clapping.

The class's four valedictorians - Brock Kinch, Blake Earle, Harlee Hennings and Megan Melcher - were honored, as was the class salutatorian, Shawn Steinberger.

Kinch began his 2-minute speech by claiming distinction as "the coolest valedictorian at Lind-Ritzville High School," a distinction playfully disputed by fellow valedictorians Earle and Melcher in subsequent remarks.

Steinberger and others thanked administrators, teachers, classmates and the broader community for their support and encouragement.

Terris then shared the number of college credits earned by graduates during high school. Earned credits - applicable toward academic programs at state universities and community colleges - ranged from 5 to 56.

Pointing to parents in the audience, Terris concluded, "That's a total of 694 credits. At an average cost in Washington State of $243 per credit, that's $168,000 that you and these students don't have to pay for."

Next up was high school guidance Counselor Kayla Walker. She recognized students who had been given scholarships and awards, noting that various organizations had granted 55 gifts totaling over $374,000.

Daryll B. DeWald, Vice President of Health Sciences and Chancellor at Washington State University, gave the keynote address.

In his 18-minute speech, "Climbing Your Mountain," DeWald shared personal anecdotes about his academic journey and family life, including a story about his father, a football coach and retired senior master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.

He encouraged graduates to build "base camps" consisting of several elements: understanding and building core values, developing a growth mindset, cultivating relationships, practicing faith and spirituality, and pursuing lifelong learning. He also admonished students to identify mentors and heroes.

"The people who have inspired me have deliberately invested in others," DeWald concluded, encouraging graduates to follow that example.

After a brief closing address by class Vice President Lane Tellefson, Terris and school board members passed out diplomas.

Superintendent Don Vanderholm then certified the class, and the newly-minted graduates marched to a nearby plot of grass where they enthusiastically hurled their black-and-red caps into the air.