001[Music] so [Music] welcome welcome to the 2022 commencement celebration for village high school my name's my name is marin masters and we're excited to have you join us today for the fourth graduation ceremony of our school we're excited to share this time together as we celebrate the many accomplishments of our outstanding class in this beautiful venue here at the pikes peak center at this time i'd like to introduce my classmate emma feikert who will be singing the national anthem if you are able please stand hello could we stop the pumping circumstance please it's a beautiful song but could we please stop pumping circumstance [Applause] [Music] light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming who's brought stripes [Music] we watched [Music] bursting gave proof for the night that our flag was still there
002oh say does that star spangled [Music] or the land [Music] and the home of the press [Music] [Applause] please be seated thank you emma now i'd like to introduce mr nathan gorsh principal of the village thanks marin it's my pleasure to welcome all of you to the commencement ceremony for the village it's hard to believe how fast the last four years have gone and i have very mixed emotions as we see this very special group graduate it seems appropriate that we're gathered in a location that has hosted world-class performances because this group of graduates is also full of world-class performers we have amazing athletes musicians actors and actresses artists scholars and other talented individuals and each of you have made a mark on our school and we're grateful to have been a part of your
003journey you've seen our school grow from 120 students to 430 students you've helped us open two different locations than the center for modern learning and our current building you've survived and thrived through a global pandemic and through it all you've maintained the kind spirit and sense of humor we will remember about this class class of 2022 congratulations to you this day is all about you we want to acknowledge your outstanding accomplishments reflect on the last several years and dream about how each of you will make this world a better place and as we embark on this journey please remember to silence your cell phones and just soak in the beauty of this day our hope is to share some laughs maybe some tears and demonstrate gratitude for the opportunity that we've had to journey together
004joining us today in support of our graduates are the district 20 board of education representatives from d20 administration and the staff of the village students you're also supported by family and friends that are here to celebrate at this point i would like to acknowledge your greatest supporters your parents with the parents of our graduates please stand and be recognized [Applause] as you all know i meet with each incoming student to talk about our school and the differences in our school model and i in each of these meetings talking about the same thing our staff basketball our staff's awesome [Applause] staff please stand and be recognized [Applause] basketball didn't work basketball's my go-to to not be emotional mr gregory told me to think about football so i'm gonna put on my game face lastly we also
005want to take just a few minutes to thank all the medical workers front line workers essential workers and others that have continued to answer the call to keep our society moving forward over the last few years please join me in a round of applause to thank them for their service [Applause] now at this time it's my pleasure to introduce mr tom gregory superintendent of academy school district 20. mr gregory joined the academy 20 staff in 1991 as a middle school math teacher at challenger middle school shortly after he transferred to rampart high school where he served for 11 years as a math teacher math department co-chair football coach softball coach baseball coach and finally as the rampart high school assistant principal and athletic director for four of those 11 years in 2009 mr gregory became
006our chief financial officer and served in that capacity until 2016 when he added the duties of deputy superintendent along with the cfo in 2019 mr gregory was named the superintendent of academy school district 20 and we did have a global pandemic in his very first year mr gregor earned his master's degree in educational leadership and his principal licensure from the university of colorado colorado springs he earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics and his secondary school teacher licensure from the university of southern colorado please welcome a great supporter of village high school mr gregory [Applause] thank you mr gorsh uh before i get started i want to take a few minutes just to recognize some folks up here on the stage um board of education president mr tom lavallee board of education vice president mr will
007timbe board treasurer miss heather cloninger board director miss nicole cons board director mr aaron saltz now with us this morning is our liaison to the united states air force academy colonel william sullivan and last but not least up here uh and the person who's responsible for setting up most of the graduation i should say him and his staff responsible for setting up uh and um acquiring this venue uh for the first time ever dr jim smith [Applause] well congratulations village high school class of 2022 i hope you take this very special moment in celebration of your accomplishment capture the sights sounds emotions support and pride you're feeling today and use this to help propel you forward i'd like to take a moment to celebrate and thank two village high school students diane stover and devin
008cruz for participating in my student advisory council this past year their honest feedback insightful input and energetic engagement represented the village high school student voice admirably thank you diane and thank you devin [Applause] today as we gather with family and friends to recognize and celebrate you i want to tell you about my uncle mike it has been nearly 40 years since i was sitting in your seat and nearly that long since him and i had a very casual conversation one day yet his words of wisdom stick with me today in fact his words have shaped my life but before i share his wisdom with you it is important to first understand a few things about my uncle mike and maybe not you graduates but maybe some of your parents uncles aunts can can relate to
009someone like my uncle mike my father was the youngest of five siblings and it was 15 years separating my dad and his eldest sister my uncle mike married my dad's eldest sister she was 18 at the time he was 30. so you see he born in 1912 was more like a grandfather by age than an uncle to me uncle mike lived through the great depression and experienced the same poverty and hardship so many others faced during that time this experience left him a no-nonsense no frills hard-working brutally honest strict but yet sometimes gentle man his nickname was froggy i never learned exactly where that nickname originated but it stuck with him his entire life he grew his own fruits and vegetables in a garden that occupied most of his one acre property in canyon city
010colorado when he visited his home you knew to follow his rules if you didn't he had a special voice that demanded conformity it was gruff direct and short on words he had an innate ability to be intimidating he loved to fish and hunt not necessarily for the sport but out of necessity he did so for food he had a non-negotiable rule when fishing you had to eat what you caught there was no such thing as waste if you caught four fish you better be prepared to eat four fish i learned to be very aware of how many fish i was catching and may have even secretly released a few back to the water out of fear and respect as a result of living through the great depression malcolm mike did not trust banks he was
011reluctant to deposit money did not use credit and refused any sort of debt he operated only in cash if he wanted to invest i wish i would have known this earlier but i didn't find out until i was a bit older if he wanted to invest he bought gold and hid it throughout his home and throughout his property uncle mike was never one who liked having a boss he was not of a personality to accept oversight or being told what to do as a result he and my aunt opened a drive-in restaurant in canyon city and named it froggy's poor boy the drive-in was very successful in canyon city and after a few years they opened froggy's poor boy drive-ins by the way you can google that and read more about it opened froggy's poor
012boy drive-ins throughout the west he had restaurants in waltzenberg durango cortez and the last one in moab utah he operated these drive-ins until he retired in 1963 he worked extremely hard to build his business scattered over five cities in two states customers drove miles to have a froggies hamburger and a beer for 15 cents he did hamburgers better than any competitor of the day it's a little bit about him well one summer when i was home from college i think it was after my first or second year of college my mother and i went to visit my my uncle my uncle mike and my aunt as i was sitting with my uncle in the small living room in the house he built we began discussing his life experiences and my future when when with uncle
013mike i felt tremendous pressure to answer his questions in such a way that he could and would be proud of me and maybe even impress him i wanted him to tell me that i was going down the right path making the right decisions and that i was going to be successful he asked my what my college coach of study was i proudly and confidently told him i was either going to major in mechanical engineering or mathematics i felt good about my answer i felt my course of study would impress him and he would express his admiration or at least his approval however his response was not what i expected he offered neither admiration nor approval instead he said young man i think it might have been son he always liked to use the word son
014that's fine but that's not what's important let me tell you something he said in his stern non-apologetic way it doesn't matter what course of study you choose or even if you finish your studies he continued what is most important is that whatever you choose to do in life you do it better than anyone else does it it doesn't matter if you go into medicine construction law trust trash collection or the restaurant business whatever it is you must do it better than anyone else does it and this is almost an exact quote if i remember right from almost 40 years ago you can become a ditch digger he said if you dig ditches better than anyone else digs ditches you will be successful this was not what i expected to hear from him but to this
015day it stands as the most accurate important and impactful piece of advice i've ever received i've tried to live my life as he advised and i have seen his wisdom play out over and over again in the lives of friends relatives and co-workers my uncle bike passed in 2003 the age of 90. but our conversation that day years ago and the wisdom he shares has has lived ever since i share excuse me i've shared his his advice probably too many times with my own children and i share with you today two degrees a life of learning and 32 years in a career later and still the most important and impactful learning of my life i received sitting on the plastic covered sofa from my uncle mike in his living room so my advice to you
016today as you leave high school and enter college trade school military or the workforce comes from my uncle uncle mike success is not determined by what you do it's determined by how well you do it whatever it is you do or you decide to do do it better than anyone else and success will follow these words were true at the turn of the 19th century the turn of the 20th century and they will be true for the rest of the 21st century congratulations village high school class of 22 i wish you all a hopeful fulfilling and successful future be well and be safe thank you [Applause] thank you mr gregory and thank you for your support for our school and the ways you've advocated for our students and for our staff at each graduation members
017of the senior class are asked if any of them wish to speak this year we have two students that wanted to share their thoughts with you first i would like to introduce maddie hemsley [Applause] oh boy this is a lot bigger than my average um morning meeting okay so i just want to take a second and say congratulations class of 2022. we finally made it it's funny to think all the way back to our freshman year we always had upperclassmen telling us that high school would go by fast i would be sitting in my algebra one class thinking to myself that it would never end and yet here we are i know i have carried on the tradition of telling the underclassmen that will go by in the blink of an eye because honestly i
018still feel like i'm in the midst of covid and i know that most of you do too if you would ask me four years ago how my graduation would go i would have said at a different high school in the district and a lot of the students graduating today would tell you the same thing village high school is one place i never expected to be and let me tell you the story of how i got here i was a student at another school and was having a really hard time fitting in by sophomore year i had maybe one friend did not enjoy my classes peers or teachers i felt looked down upon disliked and outcast one day i had a conversation with my mom about how i was unhappy at my school and i thought
019about transferring i had heard about village before but didn't know if it would be the right fit for me i thought transferring schools was going to leave me in the same place that i had been the past two years eventually i had the meet and greet with our principal mr nathan gorsh it was a facetime at this point covet had changed everything to virtual including as some call him mr bossman i sat on the call with my mom and as soon as it was over i stood up and i said i am going there pretty sure she looked at me like i just lost my mind but i just had the best feeling about the community and the atmosphere that nathan explained and i was excited for the first time in a while it is
020sad to think that some of you sitting here today had a similar experience but the community that we have had access to has changed our lives forever first of all on behalf of our class i would like to thank all the teachers i have had a conversation with every single teacher at this school even the ones i have never had a class with before and they have all made me feel involved safe welcome and seen and as nathan said they're pretty awesome i will never forget when i first transferred to the village i was so used to walking the halls with my head down straight to class and i was shocked when every single teacher and staff member would say good morning when i walked past them i never would have thought that a good
021morning would make such an impact on me but it has not only teachers but the staff has also been accommodating welcoming and friendly nathan miss lindsey jake miss kimmy officer jeff tim and all the other staff has made just as much of an impact on us all our class would like to give the biggest thank you to you all teachers you make the biggest impact on a student's life sorry um and you've all done your job to the extreme i wasn't gonna cry basketball basketball you have given every student a mentor a reason to come to school and have seen them as a person not just as a number in the class oh my gosh i will miss all the relationships and inside jokes that i have with you all and then i built with
022you i could never thank you enough nathan i would like to give one last thank you to you for creating an environment where kids can create relationships grow as people and become prepared for adulthood class of 2022 we have all grown so much as individuals and as a community village high school has been the perfect atmosphere for us to grow and learn and as ms lindsay would say make mistakes and i think i can say that we all have mistakes just mean that we are learning and we should be we should never be ashamed to make them our journeys have just started and this school has allowed all of us to flourish in some way that will improve our futures and i hope that all of you will continue to live through our seven pillars
023independence literacy wellness collaboration communication passion and creativity and never forget the lessons that we have learned while we have the time to learn them without repercussions keep being who you are and never let anyone put you down take risks even if they feel like a giant terrifying leap don't let fear dictate your life create your own journey through confidence and love and finally we have been taught a million things these past four years how to write an essay how to solve for x how to balance a chemical equation and how to procrastinate on accelerate but we have learned so much more than just how to succeed in our academics we have learned how to live like our teachers have shown us have empathy be involved respectful resilient confident care about others and never fail to
024find joy in what you love my final and greatest advice to you all teachers parents and students is to make the effort to say good morning it is such a small but impactful phrase and it can make the biggest difference in someone's life next i would like to introduce gemma ponce [Applause] good morning village and happy tuesday when i think back on the last four years a lot comes to mind there is a lot to remember it was four years after all i remember the cml the building in which we started as freshmen where miss lindsay's office was the clubhouse where we had grade level electives in the fishbowl and where that poor betta fish was gifted to miss lindsay i think of all the friendships i've formed and the mentors i've had and of
025course i can't think back on high school without thinking of school of the classes i've taken from beekeeping to math and of the place i look forward to spending my time every day and i can't think of school at the village without thinking of how we start out each day with morning meeting morning meeting has been more than a time for maddie to remind us to buy our senior hoodies or for groups to make announcements or for teachers that remind us that we need to be at 25 percent by the end of the week always really concerning um it has also been a time for miss lindsay and now some other teachers to share with us small daily goals or friendly reminders to be friendly show kindness and to stay present and sometimes to just
026breathe and fellow graduates i have some mildly concerning news for you there will no longer be weekly morning meeting reminders to check your emails so i guess we just have to hope that somewhere along the line we picked up the habit of checking our emails but all joking aside parents we promise that we can check our emails without someone reminding us and it feels fitting that given that this is how we started out each of our days together to have one final set of reminders to send us into our final day together as village students and into this next chapter of our lives first just in case here's everyone's last and final reminder please check your email every day and along with that here's a reminder to bring with us all the professional habits we've
027formed this one is kind of boring but nonetheless important because as crazy as it might seem we are prepared for this next step we have everything we need to be successful adults in fact we have some of the most important professional characteristics and skills we are independent and we know how to problem solve through unknown situations we also know how to ask for help when we need it it is okay to not always have the answers and in fact you won't always have the answer but by asking for help you will know how to get an answer next a reminder to stay present and to enjoy the time we have with loved ones and each season now that we're here we see just how quickly four years can go by even if there were moments
028that felt like they would never end shout out to ap chem and titrations here we still are four impossibly quick years later but looking back the bright colorful moments that stand out are the times i was enjoying the moment and being in the moment with friends i hope to always have those bright memories with me while most of the work has just blurred together to become a sort of beige blob nothing particularly special or noteworthy and fortunately not a memory i will always cherish along with a reminder to stay present here's a reminder to take a moment and reflect every once in a while reflect on the good times and on the mistakes on what to do more of and what to avoid next time especially right now as we come to the close of
029a chapter in our lives let's all think back and reflect on what those bright colorful moments were for each of us and let's make an effort to have even more of them moving forward by being present finally at risk of sounding cliche here's a reminder about kindness we all know the power of kindness and the impact the smallest act of kindness can have on your day so here's your reminder to use this powerful tool to brighten the world around us even when it feels impossible when we don't think the other person deserves it when we just don't have any energy left or when we just aren't feeling it let's show kindness as we've learned kindness doesn't need to be an overly thought out grand gesture kindness can be small a smile a compliment or a
030simple good morning and kindness is infectious it leads to more kindness and at least a kindness in others and it fills our lives becoming part of who we are so let's make kindness the one infection we do spread and cultivate in our own lives now granted this is all easier said than done and i suppose i was a beauty of morning meeting reminders big concepts and goals broken down into small reminders each day so that in the end we've been working towards being kind present independent people for the past four years so if nothing else if we don't do anything more with these reminders let's just think of the people we've become the lessons we've learned and the people we've become sorry the lessons and skills we've learned and let's carry that person those skills
031and those lessons forward with us to make it a great day a great month year and life so one last time turn to your neighbor and tell them make it a great day yes and our ground and our graduation ceremony would not be complete without a speech from our principal mr nathan gorsh [Applause] thanks gemma i'm pretty sure someday gemma's going to rule the world we're going to say we knew were in high school when i think of each graduating class i try to come up with a few words that capture the class as i thought about you class of 22 i have a lot of memories that come flashing back you're a very special class to me on a personal level i remember when some of you were born and even visited some of
032you as newborns in the hospital one of you i worked with your mother when she was pregnant with you for one of you i was even present at your birth i thought about all the different names you've called me all of you have called me nathan mr nathan or mr gorsh depending on your preference some of you have called me coach as we put together a baseball team when you were 9 or 10 years old some of you have called me mr boss man much to my chagrin i don't like the term boss some of you have called me mr principal man and some other terms that may not be appropriate for graduation right joey taylor but the thing i hope you all call me his friend and that's where i want to spend some
033time on packing this morning because i think that's probably the most important role any of us will have in our lifetime as a spouse a parent a worker in your church mosque or synagogue in your neighborhood or other social settings i hope you focus on the idea of always being a great friend with the rise of social media the idea of friendship has taken on a different meaning we use the term friend to describe an acquaintance someone in our social circle or in some cases maybe even somebody that agrees with us politically but i challenge each of you to be a different kind of friend my hope is you're the first person others call when they experience a crisis in life of losing a job the passing of a family member or an unexpected illness
034i hope that you sacrifice a large number of friends for a smaller group that you get to know on a deeper heartfelt level where you're open to share your greatest successes and your greatest failures that you're the kind of friend who's able to finish the sentence of another because of how well you know them or can know someone better than maybe even they know themselves when i look up the definition of friend webster's dictionary describes it as one attached to another by affection or esteem one who's not hostile one that's of the same nation party group one that favors or promotes something or a favored companion it's kind of lame those are all very clinical but i love the list of synonyms that are also in that same entry amigo buddy chum compadre comrade confidante
035crony musketeer powell and mate so as you leave your high school years you've had a wonderful training ground in friendship you've made some mistakes in who you trusted and who you did not and as you launch into the world my hope is you take those lessons and build upon them to take care of others know that you will always have folks at village high school keeping up on your outstanding accomplishments and that you'll always have an amigo a buddy and a mate cheering you on and now mr lavallee it's with the greatest of pride we present to you the members of the class of 2022 as principal i hereby certify that these young men and women have met the requirements for graduation from village high school and academy school district 20 and i recommend all
036of them for their diplomas [Applause] you nathan on behalf of the board of education of academy school district 20 i accept with pride and pleasure the 2022 graduating class of the village high school mr gorse thank you your faculty and your staff for an outstanding job [Applause] are you ready all right graduates with the first row please stand up at this time and line up staff members would you please prepare to present our seniors each graduating senior has the opportunity to choose one of our staff members to present them this is a very high honor for our staff and they will do the best their best to hold it together and to not cry and i now present to you the graduating class of 2022 [Applause] mackenzie adams i would like to thank my parents
037for always being supportive and pushing me to succeed i would also like to thank my mentor kimmy and my dance coaches for their patience thank you to my sisters and friends for sticking by my side always i will be furthering my education at colorado state university in the fall majoring in psychology with an emphasis in neurology madison allen i want to thank specifically my mom and ms lindsay for getting on my back to get work done not only have they pushed me to be a better me but they've been great people to look up to throughout high school i'm very grateful for them both and i can't really express that through words i love you mom i'll be going to the university of utah honors college starting this august with hopes of going into the
038medical field as a career samantha ambreeze i would like to thank my mom and william they have pushed me to be the best version of myself they've been there for me no matter what and i am so thankful to have them in my life i will start my college education at fort collins this will be the beginning of my journey to becoming a clinical psychologist i hope to one day become a doctor of psychology so i can give back to the youth of the next generation [Applause] cooper babcock growing up i have always looked towards graduation and it seems so far away but suddenly it is here through this process many people have helped me achieve my goals i would like to especially thank my parents girlfriend friends and the many teachers that have always
039believed in me i will be attending grove city college in pennsylvania where i will be studying mechanical engineering as well as continuing my baseball career [Applause] abby bonnie i would like to thank my parents for being there through thick and thin and listening to all my high school antics i would also like to thank the amazing teachers at the village who gave me the confidence to get through whatever life throws my way thanks to these excellent educators i plan to become an elementary school teacher to pass along what i've learned so far lastly i would like to thank my friends for being such a positive influence on my life and giving me endless support [Applause] gabriella baiju after these past four years i'd like to thank all my family friends and teachers especially my parents
040sister marissa and the village staff for helping me stay motivated and pushing me to do my best [Applause] sydney bartoma bartolomeo the past four years have each held an adventure of their own i would like to thank my family for being with me through every twist and turn my teachers who have been so kind and genuinely caring about my well-being and success and my beautiful friends who have made my life so much brighter and more wonderful since i met them i know very little about what my future will hold but i do know the type of person i want to become someone who shows kindness and grace to everyone i meet [Applause] caitlyn bird i would like to thank my mom and dad brother my friends and family for helping me get to where i
041am i could not have done it without them especially my mom i plan on attending uccs in order to take my time to heal and recover then plan on playing volleyball sophomore year i will major in criminology to become an fbi agent or phys physical therapy to be a physical therapist [Applause] cameron brown thanks to my brother who has sheltered and fed me since the summer before sophomore year this thanks also extends to my mother who sent economic assistance throughout i am going into the navy as a cryptologic technical interpreter [Applause] grant burback first of all i would like to thank my parents for always helping me with everything i would also like to thank my friends families teammates and the morgans and my teachers i have learned a lot during my high school years
042and couldn't do it without all these people i'm not sure what the future holds but i'm excited to see what's in store [Applause] zoe burton i would like to thank my parents for their love support and help getting me where i am today i would also like to thank my friends and dance family for always being there and creating moments that will last forever this fall i plan on attending grand canyon university and majoring environmental science and i'm excited for this next chapter [Applause] zoe kane i'm so lucky to have been able to attend the village and am beyond grateful for the incredible people i've met and experiences i've had i've gotten a lot of support especially from my family who i can't thank enough after high school i'm going to college traveling and going
043to figure out what i want to do for the rest of my life [Music] [Applause] benji carrington first and for benji carrington first and foremost i would like to thank god my parents siblings family members and friends for belief my future plans are to attend the masters university in california majoring in kinesiology sports medicine with a minor in biblical studies while also playing baseball thank you to everyone that got me here i love you guys [Applause] devin cruz i would like to thank my immediate family for all the support and love they have shared with me over the years i am also incredibly thankful for my dance family including my teachers mentors and peers who have helped me find my love of dance and become the artist i am today i can't wait to head
044to las vegas where i will be attending the theater arts preparatory school to launch my professional dance career [Applause] bobby culver the last few years have been a roller coaster full of ups and downs i want to thank all the teachers at the village especially mr savage you've all been great mentors and friends when i needed you i'd also like to thank all my family and friends for always being there to motivate me and help me i don't know where my future might take me i couldn't have made it this far without you all thank you jackson daniels i'd like to thank my teachers mentors coaches teammates friends and family i thank them for helping me at my lowest points and congratulating me at my highest no matter the challenge my plans are to attend
045embry riddle aeronautical university in daytona florida to major in aeronautical science i truly made it to my dream school and i couldn't have done it without the village haley daub thank you susan for having a positive attitude and motivating me to perfect my work ethic thank you carolyn for getting me out of my comfort zone thank you to my sister savannah for the unconditional support when i practice being a therapist on you thank you dad for your undying love and support wu-tang [Applause] autumn doudle as i start a new chapter in my life i'm feeling so much gratitude for everyone in my life thank you to all teachers and everyone i've been able to meet in the time i've spent here at the village and i'm especially grateful for my family and friends who have
046always been there for me in so many ways you know who you are you all have no idea how much i appreciate you kelly eisenhart to my biggest cheerleader i am so thankful but words can't even explain my love and gratitude towards you i not only have the incredible have an incredible mom but my best friend you are the strongest bravest and most passionate person in my life an example of what i strive to be as an adult without the landscaping though the painful sixth grade math in the middle of the night through through the painful sixth grade math in the middle of the night to the early morning coffee talks where we cannot stop laughing i can't imagine where i would end up if you weren't by my side cheering me along along the
047way carson elrod i would like to thank all my teachers at the village that have helped me with school i would also like to give a big thank you to my parents for always helping me and being there when i need you my future plans are to go to college autumn i'm in i want to thank first miss sherry my mentor and friend who has impacted my life immensely i would also like to thank mrs redinger mrs colgate mrs lindsey and mrs kimmy for their never ending love and support i especially want to thank my family for never giving up on me and for always loving me and finally i could never ask for a better group of friends this fall i will be staying in colorado springs and attending arizona state university in hopes
048of becoming a child life specialist emma feikert thank you so much teachers for shaping me into who i am today especially my art english and choir teachers thank you mom and dad for helping me through the past two crazy years and thanks for working with me even when i'm crashing i'm very excited to go to college and go into music education i hope to be a music or choir teacher but no matter what i'm never going to stop singing [Applause] amelia fish i would like to thank my sisters and brothers my coaches teammates and teachers for helping me get here i plan on attending and swimming at colorado mesa university i would finally like to thank my mom and dad for their endless belief in me i couldn't be where i am without you i
049want to thank all of the teachers who have helped me pass struggles especially cr for making me eat lunch and my third grade teacher for skipping me ahead three years in math in attempt to prove me wrong most of all i would like to thank my parents for everything they have done to inspire my creativity and to support me through the last four years next year i will be studying mechanical engineering at colorado school of mines [Applause] alex german i'd like to thank the village for being so flexible and accommodating so that i could attend a high school and yet pursue opportunities in hockey both locally and even out of state i'd like to thank all of the teachers i've had especially mr and mrs colgate mr dale and senora dlg i would also like
050to thank principal gorsh and mrs lindsey for being the for being great mentors i couldn't be more thankful for all they've done for me to support me through high school lastly i'd like to thank my parents for everything they've done for me their love encouragement and support throughout my life has helped me stay focused and able to follow my dreams jaren gorsh first i would like to thank my family teachers and coaches for helping me succeed in school and on the field i would also like to thank my dad for creating a place where i look forward to going every day i'm going to attend uccs next year to play baseball [Applause] sarah gutierrez first i would like to thank my parents for always being in my corner making sure i have food to eat
051in a warm bed to sleep in second i would like to thank ashton hammer the kind of soul i've ever met for inspiring me with your loving heart and wholesome nature third i would like to thank tak for never giving up on me despite my struggles and helping me overcome some of the greatest obstacles i've ever faced finally i would like to thank god for listening when no one else would in keeping faith when others did not thank you for teaching me how to love [Music] [Applause] sequoyah harris i'm so grateful for those who have encouraged pushed comforted and loved me through my high school career the people at this school have changed my life for the better and i wouldn't trade those memories for anything although i'm sad to leave i'm excited to attend
052dixie state university in the fall i'll be working towards a degree in business as well as the prerequisites to get into medical school billy hecker to those who brought me atop the purple mountain majesty over these many years to those people who as different as the white snow in the white desert sand the cold and the heat likewise can be together in peace to those who gave me a wealth of information as great as the crop of the golden plains thank you for the wonderful experience of life and education so far [Applause] maddie hemsley i want to thank my parents my sister for always being there for me and never failing to provide unconditional love i also wanted to thank all my teachers and staff of the village who have helped me and have supported
053me through these past few years next year i will be attending colorado christian university to pursue a degree in psychology with an emphasis in clinical counseling and can't wait to see where god leads me [Applause] vivian hong win i want to thank my mom for constantly encouraging me to do better and achieve more in life i want to also thank my brother for always supporting me and acknowledging my successes and failures speaking of successes i hope to attain more as i head to college and eventually law school with offers from university of michigan and university of connecticut i plan to pursue political science with the goal of being a lawyer abby hobbleman dad thank you for always being there love you mom thank you for annoying me every day about college in school i will
054make you proud one day thank you for going to all of my band performances and every symphony practice i love you [Applause] mahalo horn i want to thank my family and my friends particularly tyler orf and ruby sherman in addition i would like to thank my mom because she has always been there for me and she has never let me down i plan to go to kerris bible college and go into youth ministry [Applause] grant howard i'd like to thank my parents as well as all of my teachers for being so patient with me over the past several years my plans for next year involve continuing to work at 11 16 studios as a producer and audio engineer as well as continuing to work on my solo music products in addition to exploring exploring opportunities
055elsewhere [Applause] jonah michael johnson a student at village high school for two years previously attended discovery canyon and today i celebrate the best decision in my life so far to dump the purple and black for blue and silver i would like to thank and recognize these high impact teachers mrs redinger dale dan and erica as my favorite teachers at the village i will never forget them finally i would like to thank my family who are here today and those who can't be i want to thank my friends who came along this ride with me from dcc to the village ryan cooper and chase and i want to thank my sister morgan and brother mark and of course i want to thank my parents senior quote it's hard to beat a person who never gives up
056babe ruth [Applause] liam joyce first off i'd like to thank my family friends teammates and billet family all of these people have been important people in my life and i just like to take this time to say thank you i'd also like to thank my teachers and i'd like to personally thank miss krista for being my mentor these past two years i have not decided on my future but i cannot wait to see what it holds [Applause] harper keene my favorite part about this school was the ability to make your own path and pave your progress individually i appreciated my parents and my teachers reaching out and helping me when i needed it and giving me the space to grow noah keller i would first like to thank my family specifically my parents for supporting
057me through all my goals and giving me the inspiration to pursue each one of them i thank my golf and basketball coaches for helping me to achieve the goals i set lastly i would like to thank my mentor ms redinger nathan all the village staff and i guess the assistant principal for caring about me as a person rather than another student that will come and go next year i'll be attending colorado state university go rams and plan to major in business real estate seth kennington i'm so thankful and blessed for my great parents thank you for your love and support over these four years i could not have done it without you to all my village teachers thank you for the best high school experience i could have asked for the village was truly the
058best schooling years of my life the next four years are set to be exciting college experience full of adventure and learning logan kozlowski i would like to thank my parents and the lessons and journeys they have taken me on i would also like to thank my friends and distant family for always wanting what is best for me and having my back thanks to all the hockey players and coaches who have taught me life lessons i plan in the future to study pre-med go to dental school and become a pediatric dentist [Applause] zach clocker thanks to cr for constantly yelling at me i think everyone will agree i needed it also thanks to everyone else for everything else gotta cover all my bases i'll be attending uccs and achieving my dream of working in the space
059industry maybe probably i hope hooray [Music] [Applause] holly kitkowski thank you mom and dad for putting up with me for 18 years you've helped me through and taught me so much thank you to all my volleyball coaches teachers and the village for letting me finish out my last two years of high school i appreciate all of you i plan on majoring in either computers or logistics alison curiapolis i would like to give great thanks to my parents my glorious girlfriend may each and everyone who came to the prideful student alliance meetings my mentor ms sherry and all the other teachers i've had the pleasure of meeting at the village plus a very big special thanks to music and to all friends of mine who made the whole experience extremely worth it i love you all
060each of you are amazing and should expect a hug for me later tyler lambert i want to take the time to thank my family for loving and supporting me during my high school career i also want to thank ms de la garza for guiding me in the right direction and always being so helpful i am currently an apprentice electrician and my future plans are to continue my apprenticeship and become a master electrician [Applause] eat in love thank you to the village and all the staff and teachers there for their flexibility and kindness throughout these last few years thank you also to my whole family for supporting me and advising me to take breaks for i probably would have hit the books all night without you thanks to all your help i am able to stand
061proud here today and will be able to attend uccs next fall thank you all so much for always helping me and guiding me in the right direction ella love thank you to my family especially my parents for giving me the encouragement and laughs i needed throughout the years i would also like to thank the village for making me feel welcomed and helping me through the roller coaster ride that is high school in the fall i plan to attend the university of colorado colorado springs anthony lovejoy i want to thank my friends siblings and other family members for helping me loosen up after the essays and assignments thank you chris for being someone who cared for me and saw something in me you gave me strength to make it here i also want to thank my
062teachers at the village and my mentor dale you inspire me and make me strive to overcome challenges every day i know god has a great vision for my life with twists and turns but in august i will be going to study psychology at pace university in new york while pursuing my modeling career [Applause] anna rose loyo i would like to thank my parents for motivating me to do school every day thank you to my grandparents and brothers thomas and sam for always being people i can talk to i'm still unsure about the future but i hope to pursue a career in the culinary arts [Applause] max marciglio i would like to thank ms lindsey for being the greatest mentor she's helped me through my high school career tremendously miss fear i would also like to
063thank for being another great mentor she's helped put me on the right path for success thank you to nathan gorsh for accepting me and having me at the village i think he's doing an amazing job for athletes who are looking for a great education marin masters [Music] first i want to say thank you to my sisters marlo and maggie and my mom throughout my high school career i've been through a lot and they have always been there for me i also want to thank the village they have given me so many opportunities to further my education and my i am so grateful for that next year i'm planning to attend arizona state university and major either in financial advisement or investment banking [Music] thanks quinton mccarty i would first like to thank my parents for
064helping me become who i am today they have provided everything i could ever imagine and more i love you i am blessed to continue my journey at nc state next year go pack jacob morgan i first want to start out by saying thank you to my parents they're the only reason i'm out here i would also like to thank ms lindsey she really has been my rock and is the best mentor out there the village has helped throughout my hockey journey they've been able to adjust my classes so i have time during the day to focus on hockey my future plans are to finish out my last year at rampage play juniors and attend college [Applause] kyle neff i would like to start off by giving all the glory to god for making me who
065i am i want to thank my family especially my mom for getting me to this point to the point that i am today i'd also like to thank all of my teachers that have helped me succeed in my high school journey thank you to my family and friends in attendance today for being here to support me i would also love to thank all my baseball coaches that helped get me to this point but especially mr gorsh for getting me started in my competitive baseball career i'm still undecided about my future plans but i will be playing baseball next year nicole norman i would like to thank the teachers at the village for their love support and devotion to every student creating a special learning environment thank you to my dance family for continuously encouraging and
066helping me accomplish my goals thank you to my parents and sister for helping me achieve i plan to attend the conservatory of dance at university of missouri kansas city mason nunn mom and dad thank you for the support and guidance you've given me throughout my life especially the past four years of high school you've set me up for the next chapter and i could not have done it without you i love you guys mason will be attending a national outdoor leadership school for the fall semester in wyoming and utah he'll be gaining knowledge in college credits in wilderness medicine risk management and environmental studies joseph olavares thank you to my teachers for making my learning bearable my peers for making socializing bearable and my mentor for making the unbearable workable after this i will be
067getting a cyber security degree at ppcc and entering the military to earn a bachelor's degree presley paladino [Music] i would like to thank my mom for helping me stay on tack through all my years of high school i would also like to thank the village staff for helping me thoroughly whenever i needed it gage perry i would like to thank my family especially my mom dad and teammates my plans are playing junior and college hockey in the future gemma ponce i would like to thank my parents for supporting me and all my interest in pursuits for these 18 years even when it involved absurd levels of essay editing or filling out egregious government documents i would also like to thank all the dedicated individuals who made my incredible high school experience possible particularly mrs redinger
068for being the mentor i needed ncr for agreeing to teach the nightmare that is ap physics i will be attending colorado school of mines in the fall to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering [Applause] seth rokowski thank you to my parents brother extended family and all the people in my corner that helped me reach this moment thanks to all my teachers at the village and my coaches i will be continuing my hockey career with juniors hannah reinhart thank you to my parents my grandparents and my sister for all the love and motivation you have given me i would also like to thank my friends for supporting me you are the most precious and important people in my life and i wouldn't be who i am today without all of you [Applause] savannah rizzo thank you
069to the incredibly kind and understanding teachers who encouraged me to grow and discover and thank you to my family and partner who gave me endless love and support even in the tougher times i plan to pursue a higher education in environmental studies tina robinson the individuals who have impacted my success in high school include my parents grandparents sisters and my boyfriend without the support and the love from them i would never become the person who i am today i like to thank my mother for raising me to be the woman i am today and my father who has passed in my freshman year he hasn't been able to make it to all my first but i know he'd be proud of me today next year i will be starting college on route to be a
070marine biologist thank you to all the village teachers for guiding and helping me when i needed it [Applause] irene schaefer i want to start off by showing my gratitude towards all my teachers friends and family for not quitting on me even though i'm a pain i know they love me though i plan to go to cu denver and study the general fields of liberal and applied arts love you all and peace out seraphim shields thank you to all of my friends and family who have supported me the last 18 years and thank you to those who will continue to help me i hope to continue working hard to make you all proud diane stover i would like to thank miss redinger miss kimmy and miss stacy for being compassionate kind-hearted and uplifting additionally i would
071like to spread my gratitude to my family your love support and guidance means the world to me the next chapter of my life includes attending uccs and studying medicine ryan swint i would like to thank my friends family and the teachers that i have had in my life throughout my high school years they have shaped me into the person i am today through lessons and new experiences and for that i am extremely grateful i will be studying human and exercise science at colorado state university next year [Applause] sophia switzer i want to thank my family for always reminding me of how strong i am and supporting me when i lose faith in myself i thank my teachers for giving me reasons to keep going despite how challenging life may be i thank my dearest friends
072for loving me unconditionally because i wouldn't be where i am without you i love you all so much thanks for sticking around anya tabor i want to thank my mom and dad and grandparents who have taught me so much and have encouraged me to grow and pursue things for my future my little sister who is a joy and makes me laugh my friends who have listened and been there for me always and lastly my teachers my principal and my mentor who have not only helped me learn but feel comfortable and cared for because of your support i'm able to pursue college and my future goals of writing krista taylor first i'd like to thank my parents i couldn't have done it without you all you will be receiving your third of the diploma later just
073let me take a picture first i plan on going on into psychology either forensics or clinical [Applause] joey taylor i would first like to give all glory to god and i would like to thank my family friends coaches and teachers that have gotten me here today if it weren't for them i would not be the young man i am today this upcoming fall i will be attending the university of arizona for architectural engineering bear down [Applause] amelia eubal a simple thank you could never fully express my gratitude for the people who have supported and encouraged me on my journey through my educational career namely my mom my friends my mentor mr savage my teachers cr and mrs redinger my counselors miss kimmy and jake and every other teacher and staff member who made the village
074possible it was with these incredible people that i truly discovered myself in the upcoming year i will be attending the colorado school of mines to study astrophysics and aerospace engineering [Applause] rowan vandemark i would like to thank my mentor ms sherry for always being there for me i would also like to thank dr hughes for supporting me academically and all the other village staff i am thankful to my wonderful friends and family that supported me through the last four years i am looking forward to my next adventure [Applause] maddie wade [Music] first of all i'd like to thank me for all the hard work i did the past four years to get here i can not only thank me but my teachers and parents for encouraging me these past 12 years i'd like to give
075special thanks to ms smith for being the best teacher and mentor to me since sixth grade i'd like to thank mcdonald's for all the sweet tea and french fries that gave me the brain power to finish my classes [Music] [Applause] emma wald to start i would like to thank my parents for supporting me throughout this last school year next i would like to thank the staff for all of their kindness patience love and support lastly i would like to thank mrs redinger for always keeping me on track and for some of the best hugs i have ever received i love you i plan on taking a gap year to open more opportunities college-wise but i plan on majoring in theater and dance [Applause] lucina washburn i would like to thank all of my teachers here
076at the village for being patient and working with me when i was struggling i would also like to thank my parents for helping me academically even when i didn't necessarily make the best choices after graduating from the village i plan on attending college in denver i would not have been able to make it this far without all of the support i have received and i'm more grateful for it than i can say caleb i would like to start off by thanking my parents who have pushed me to be the best version of myself i want to thank my teachers who have encouraged me i would also like to thank my mentor who has kept me on track throughout my journey at the village after high school i plan on going to college to study business
077i also want to continue to play roller hockey and eventually become a coach mia westbrook i'd like to thank my nana and papa for supporting me through this journey i'd also like to thank my mother who i know is watching this moment from above i plan on attending grand canyon university in the fall i'll be majoring in psychology and minoring in forensic science hayden wolk i'd like to thank my mom and my dad for always being there and supporting me when i needed it most and i'd like to thank high school sports for making these four years fly by and the village for making my senior year amazing my plans after graduation include attending oklahoma wesleyan to play golf and study sports broadcasting [Applause] i'd like to thank my parents for all they have done
078thanks to mr norris and cr for being supportive and helpful thanks taylor and luke you're the two best siblings i plan on attending ppcc [Applause] bailey yayton [Applause] i want to thank my parents for supporting me and raising me to be the person i am today i would also like to thank my huge family there's too many to name for their love and support throughout my life i would like to thank susan camelin for being an incredibly amazing supportive friend mentor fantastic listener and teacher lastly i would like to thank all of the teachers who have helped me through my journey not only teaching but loving and mentoring me next year i plan to attend the university of colorado springs at university of colorado colorado springs and pursue a degree in history education [Applause] class
079of 2022 please rise you guys ready to graduate doesn't matter we're moving on because nathan will kill me if i don't please join me in moving your tassel from the right to the left we did it [Applause] [Music] all right seniors you may pick up your diplomas from miss stacy after the ceremony at the table in the lobby and a special shout out to miss stacy for all of her work on graduation [Applause] just a couple last pieces thanks again to the board of education mr lavallee mr gregory [Applause] the photographer for today the lovely studio also has a booth set up in the lobby and will be available to take family or group pictures after the ceremony staff at this time if you prepare to receive our graduates class of 2022 you will now
080begin the recessional as high school graduates [Applause] [Music] i don't care i don't care so call me crazy [Music] we can live in a world [Music] the brightest colors fill my head a million dreams are keeping me i think of what the world could be [Music] [Applause] [Music] there's a house we can build every room inside is filled with things from far away special things i [Music] it all sounds crazy [Music] all right thank you for being here you are now dismissed [Music] the brightest a colors dreams keeping me awake i think of what the world could be a vision of the one i see a million [Music] let me be part of it share your dreams with me [Music] you may be right you may be wrong [Music] see [Music] million dreams a million
081dreams is [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you