001bye oh [Music] so [Music] so [Music] please welcome to the 2021 commencement celebration for village high school my name is jonah crawford we are excited to have you join us for the third graduation ceremony of our school we are grateful that we are able to have an in-person graduation ceremony this year and we hope yeah and we hope you all put on your sunscreen brought your umbrella or possibly both since we live in this crazy state at this time would you please stand remove your hats and welcome emma feikert a junior at the village who will be singing our national anthem oh say can you see by the [Music] at the twilight's last gleaming whose brought stripes and bright stars [Music] streaming [Music] gave birth [Music] still there oh say does that star spangled [Music]
002[Applause] oh you can be seated now thanks emma now i would like to introduce mr nathan gorsh the pretty sweet and awesome principal of the village pretty sweet and awesome we're in the script jonah all right so thanks jonah it is 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 special group graduate for some of you i remember you coming in as eighth graders to meet with me about this new school and for others maybe you just came for this year but you've all made your mark on our school and we're grateful to have been a part of your journey you've seen our school grow from 70 students
003to almost 400 students we've been in three buildings in four years we owe a debt of gratitude to you for your resilience your compassion and the way you've taught us to take care of each other class of 2021 congratulations to you and 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 as we embark on this journey please remember to silence your cell phones and just soak in the beauty of this day a beautiful colorado day our hope is to share some laughs maybe some tears and to demonstrate gratitude for the opportunity that we've been given to journey together and joining us today in support of our graduates are the district 20
004board of education representatives from district 20 administration and the staff of the village but students you're also supported by your family and your friends who are here to celebrate with you and at this point i would like to acknowledge your greatest supporters your parents with the parents of our graduates please stand and be recognized and thank you parents for sharing your most precious resource with us so as you know i meet with each incoming student to talk about our school and explain the differences in our school model and i eat end each of these meetings the same way by talking about our staff while i think we have many amazing elements to our school the best part to me without question are the staff members that you interact with on a daily basis so at
005this time i'd like to introduce each of our staff miss krista bogenreif math miss kimmy kane counselor ms stacy chavarria the brains of the operation and our and our admin assistant unable to be here because of family obligations they're actually at a graduation for a nephew andy colgate and stephanie colgate mr brandon dale social studies miss sherry dineline art miss maria de la garza spanish miss lori derrickson college and career counselor miss tracy dockwell registrar miss christie eustis physical education miss katie flanagan science miss katie fear special education mr joel hampton math who is also unable to be here dr lori hughes french in english miss grace jacobson the smiling face as our receptionist miss lindsay keller tosa and electives coordinator mr jack kim our district technology technician ms susan nolan english mr nash norris
006social studies mr tim park our building manager who's probably out doing stuff because that's what tim does mr jeff potts security ms catherine presnahl academic support ms katie redinger science and i'm going to completely embarrass her because miss katie redinger was just named academy school district 20 teacher of the year i'll pay for that later miss sarah reynolds who is under the weather but is our bookkeeper mr phil savage english social studies in spanish and miss carla ray smith science and then miss linda trumbauer asl and she can't be here because she went to las vegas for a wedding and her rv broke down so what happens in state in vegas stays in vegas it's an amazing group of professionals and i truly hope you understand the gift they are to you and the gift
007they are to me at this time it's my pleasure to introduce mr tom gregory superintendent of academy school district 20. mr gregory joined the academy district 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 math teacher math department co-chair football coach softball coach baseball coach and finally as assistant principal and athletic director for four years in 2009 mr gregory became our chief financial officer and he served in that capacity until when he added the duties of deputy superintendent along with cfo in 2019 right before a global pandemic mr gregory was named the superintendent of academy school district 20. mr gregory earned his master's degree in educational leadership and principal licensure from university of colorado colorado
008springs and earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics and teacher licensure from university of southern colorado please welcome mr gregory well thank you mr gorge before i start i want to introduce some folks on stage to you also from our board of education board president miss karen reynolds vice president mr doug lundberg board treasurer mr tom lavallee and board directors miss heather cloninger and mr will timby well thank you and i would like to start by acknowledging a couple other folks up here dr jim smith and all of our high school principals i'd like to thank for their continuous efforts to plan re-plan and plan again graduation ceremonies over the last few months to keep up with ever-changing guidance their focus has always centered on developing a traditional graduation ceremony with as few restrictions as possible
009and as many guests as possible dr smith and mr gorsh on behalf of the entire district 20 community thank you for making this day of celebration possible i also want to recognize and thank class of 2021 students isabelle harris and jack o'neill for participating on my student advisory council this past year isabelle and jack not only did you represent the village high school student voice with honor and pride your perspectives regarding the effectiveness of our website online learning covid frustrations equity and inclusion graduation ceremonies and many other topics was both valued and constructive thank you jack and thank you isabel well class of 2021 congratulations you've made it you've navigated some of the most difficult circumstances faced by students in decades you sacrificed the end of your junior year and continued that sacrifice through your
010senior year and your senior year has been like no other remote learning in-person learning online learning and hybrid learning that's definitely a lot of learning and all that learning included a host of new norms such as mask breaks cohorting social distancing quarantines hand sanitizer more quarantines more hand sanitizer and more quarantines you endure shortened athletic seasons online concerts and plays outdoor proms numerous cancellations and dare i say it not one single snow day and that was not all your senior year was marked by some of the most contentious social and political events in history your senior year has been one of historical proportions you've made history in 10 20 50 100 years students and teachers will read about your journey in their history classes but through it all you persevered you were patient flexible and
011you showed grit in short you've demonstrated resilience resilience is described as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or maybe the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape or most simply put being elastic resilience is now part of your dna and frankly that's a good thing because resilience is a characteristic you will need to lean on throughout your life i wish i could tell you life gets easier and resilience is only a trait that you needed in 2020 and 2021 but the truth is whether through your job continued education or future relationships you will face challenges you overcame the challenges of your senior year and you will continue to overcome future challenges because you are adaptable you are persistent you are resilient and you are creative problem solvers an article in
012the journal journal of medical science from 2016 reads resilience is an individual's ability to adaptively respond to hardship stress and adversity it is the ability to bounce back that describes each of you that same article also reads individuals who report high levels of resilience typically portray an optimistic outlook positive emotionality curiosity and openness to new experiences they are able to emerge from a challenge stronger wiser and more powerful resilience correlates strongly with success success interpersonal satisfaction happiness and hope as you leave here today prepared to make your mark on this world i ask that you use the events of the last 16 months to propel you forward no matter how much the world tries to hold you back challenge you or knock you down always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve
013is possible do not lose hope stay confident believe in the possibilities channel your curiosity seek solutions to problems that others may not see you can find hope through many means hope can arise simply taking in new information or gaining new knowledge sometimes it may be just the smile of a trusted friend the friend who trusts in you or in your ability to find creative solutions to new problems as described in the story of the loan shark and the daughter the story goes in a small italian town many years ago a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan shark the loan shark was an old rough looking guy that just so happened to fancy the businessman's daughter the loan shark offered the businessman a deal to dissolve the businessman's debt however
014there was a catch the catch was they would only forgive the debt if he could marry the businessman's daughter needless to say this proposal was met with disgust however as the story goes the lone shark proposed that he would place two pebbles into a bag one white and one red the daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble if the pebble was red the debt would be forgiven and the lone shark would marry the businessman's daughter if the stone selected was white the debt would still be forgiven but the daughter would not have to marry the lone shark standing on a path strewn with red and white pebbles in the businessman's garden the lone shark bent over and picked up two pebbles as he was picking them up the
015daughter noticed he'd picked up two red pebbles and placed both of them into the bag he then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one naturally the daughter had three choices as to what she could do one refused to pick a pebble from the bag which would not help her father two take both pebbles out of the bag and exposed the loan shark as a cheater which again would not help her father or three pick a pebble from the bag full well knowing it was going to be red and sacrifice herself for her father's financial freedom so she reluctantly drew a pebble from the bag but before the color was discovered she appeared to accidentally drop it to the ground undetectable amid the other red and white pebbles she had quickly engineered
016a fourth option after a short pause she said to the loan shark how clumsy of me i'm sorry but if you look into the bag for the pebble that is left you will be able to tell which pebble i dropped the pebble left in the bag is obviously red and knowing the loan shark did not want to be exposed he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white her father's debt was cleared and the loan shark defeated her creative solution saved the situation in an instant the father and daughter went from feeling hopeless to feeling hopeful as the result of a short moment in time when she saw solutions others did not as martin luther king jr stated we must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope you are
017graduating from a great school in a fabulous district in a terrific community in a beautiful state in the greatest country in the world you have every reason to be hopeful and optimistic as you reflect and celebrate on your time in high school remember that you did not make the journey alone please take time to thank the friends teachers parents and grandparents or anyone else who pushed you or sometimes pulled you to this day congratulations village high school class of 2021 i wish you a successful hopeful and fulfilling future be well and be safe thank you thank you mr gregory we thank you for your support for our school and a special thanks to you for helping to find and secure our new building we could not have found a better home for our school and
018it already feels like home so thank you mr gregory normally we host a senior breakfast where a staff member gives a speech but this year we were unable to host the senior breakfast so instead we will have a staff member speak during the ceremony senior class you voted on who you wanted to give the speech and you picked miss lindsay keller please welcome miss lindsey good afternoon everyone thank you for the honor of being staff speaker for the class of 2021 i'm humbled and grateful for the opportunity the staff at village high school is the best i've ever worked with no contest so i'll do my best to represent this group of people who have helped you all arrive at this day catherine ryan hyde wrote a book that was later adapted into a movie
019titled pay it forward some of you may have seen it but for those who haven't here's the gist of the story a kind-hearted social studies teacher gives his class an extra credited assignment to create positive change in the world and his student 12 year old trevor mckinney comes up with this do a good deed through for three people something that will help to change their life for the better and then ask nothing in return but that they pay kindness forward and try to help three more people and so on it's a good book it was an okay movie but the idea is great right the best ideas are genius in their simplicity so you know where i'm going with this of course before we talk about how you might pay some stuff forward though let
020me start here it's important to root this request in what makes educators tick obviously we aren't seeking fame or fortune and yes we enjoy working with young people and the joy of learning and all of that but i believe what really drives great educators like the teachers counselors and support staff who have worked with you these past years is that we want to leave this world world better than we found it and we understand that one of the most powerful ways to do that is through you if we do our jobs correctly then you enter this world and you make it better you become our legacy consider these then as some ways you might pay it forward and in the spirit maybe in part of village high school make the world kinder gentler maybe a
021bit better number one start every day in joy play a song that you love and maybe sing and dance but be sure to connect with in a meaningful in a meaningful way with your community as you set your intentional purpose for the day ahead number two remember that it takes a village no one does it alone so be an active and positive participant in whatever village you choose for yourself surround yourself with people who stand alongside you and are invested in your growth and progress let them challenge you to be better and challenge them to be better too number three we are all different but equal our commitment to crafting a personalized education for each of you was our recognition that you are all unique and have different needs and motivations but no one of
022you deserved more than the person you shared the school with you all deserved your own version of the most excellent education we could provide pay this forward every person deserves the same opportunity for happiness health safety and security and protection and prosperity equal to the other people in their community number four failure is the best opportunity to learn if we treat it that way see your failures as a gift and a chance to do better next time and extend that same kindness to the people in your life too number five a four day work week is better than a five-day work week so redefine how we think about work we don't have to sacrifice our mental physical and emotional health to prove we work hard number six our priorities differ and that's okay for some
023of you school took a back seat so you could become elite athletes artists beautiful dancers contributors to the economy and stewards of the environment sometimes the world broadcasts what our priorities should be but resist being passive to that the world is a better place because you put school in its place it was a vehicle for you to reach your dreams that is your mark and that was brave number seven whenever and however you can give people a second chance or a third or more if we gave that to you remember that in gratitude and pay it forward finally pay this forward we aimed to do better than what had been defined for us by tradition and time by redefining what high school could be do the same in the world in your own way you've
024witnessed some really bad behavior in your childhoods you've learned about some traditions and time-held beliefs that could use a second look but you've also witnessed beauty and the strength and tenacity of humanity and you've seen the power of an individual and the sheer force of a cause worth fighting be thoughtful be brave and be willing to take on the status quo to be better to do better you're capable of that each and every one of you the question is will you take it on every day in morning meeting i ask you to turn to your neighbor and tell them to yep make it a great day today i ask you to please turn to your neighbor and tell them something different something bigger something to mark the day and the occasion class of 2021 turn
025to your neighbor and tell them make it a great life thank you and congratulations sorry and now i'd like to introduce caitlyn rolfe administration teachers custodians security and last but certainly not least parents without you guys we'd be absolutely nowhere without your patience encouragement and constant support i can honestly say i don't believe i'd be graduating today as most of you know i transferred into the village as a junior which means my first two years were spent back at tca since i went to two different high schools it's almost like i got two entirely different high school careers which i count myself very lucky for junior and senior year after i transferred into the village i was filled with a sense of peace and belonging the village is an amazing school and i'm so unbelievably
026lucky i was able to attend the two years i did so on behalf of the entire class of 2021 i want to send out a huge thank you thank you for all you guys have done to support us through our journeys and thank you for making a safe environment that students feel loved and valued in class of 2021 can you all join me in making a huge round of applause for their generosity towards us well class of 2021 for those of you that don't know me i'm caitlin rolfe and we went to high school together how crazy is it that we can now officially say went instead of go 1382 days ago we started high school when i think about the single most important thing i learned in high school it isn't how to write
027a research essay how to use y equals mx plus b which to be fully honest i still don't understand or that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell it's an assignment lindsay assigned to us in career explorations you guys remember career explorations right it's that one class we were required to take and we're all super annoyed about now i don't know how much of the course you remember but for one of the major assignments lindsay had us write our own eulogy i thought this was very strange at first i saw it said write your eulogy on the module and immediately got concerned for my safety all jokes aside i was thrown off so i dove into the assignment fully expecting to be irritated by it once i actually read the instructions i realized how
028special this assignment truly was i immediately changed my perspective from an annoyed student with senioritis to an individual eager to learn and grab onto this opportunity before this assignment i had never looked at my life in this way before this assignment gave me an amazing idea of who it is exactly i want to be and what i wish to be remembered as the second i realized the person i wanted to be i began making decisions to point me towards that goal with no angle in mind we don't know where we're headed and thus make decisions based on current emotion rather than future situations my challenge for you all is to figure out who it is you want to be and stick to it every decision you make from here on out counts it's real so
029make the decisions that will get you one step closer to who you want to be rather than three steps further away don't allow others to walk all over you but always make it your top priority to be kind motivated genuine and generous with your time money and love during my freshman year i was involved in a girls small group where we would get together and talk through our crazy high school lives side by side towards the end of my second semester we all watched a movie entitled i'm not in shamed i'm not sure if you're familiar with this movie but it's the true story of rachel scott rachel was the first to be tragically killed in the columbine high school shooting that occurred in littleton colorado on april 20th 1999. even with all the time
030that has passed since that terrible day rachel's life of faith continues to inspire many people including myself one quote of hers has remained with me since the day i first heard it freshman year i quote i have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion it could start a chain reaction compassion is the greatest form of love that we have to offer tomorrow's not a promise this powerful statement of rachel's inspires me and i hope it does you too i trust that hearing her christ-like view on life inspires you to be a compassionate and considerate person let's face it our nation is in desperate need for understanding and a deeper compassion for one another and i believe we can be that change 1382 days ago we walked into
031high school but we aren't walking out the same people and i pray for every single one of us not only that we continue to grow and flourish into the people we wish to be but also that we live lives full of compassion for one another class of 2021 it's been a wild ride from the very bottom of my heart i truly wish you all the very best in life thank you for walking through high school by my side and thank you for allowing me to be up here and be a small part of your special day if you ever find yourself in phoenix give me a call congratulations class of 2021 we did it i'd like to introduce carolyn finley hi i'm carolyn um school kind of sucked there wasn't any random song outbursts or
032rhythmic dress basketball dribbling like i was tricked into believing i blame high school musical for the unrealistically high expectations i guess i did learn some valuable things like how to find the area of a circle or the chemical makeup of tear gas that was a fun day in chemistry at my old school but i really did learn some valuable things i learned about people in middle school i was bullied i had started to distance myself from people i didn't have many friends and as a 12 year old i started my struggle with depression and anxiety after a few hospitalizations i thought i was better fixed and i wasn't everything was going perfect until junior year when all of my friends ditched me i couldn't figure out what i did wrong i was alone so i
033turned to drugs being high was the only way for me to escape my oppression i brought a whole new meaning to high school finally i got caught sorry dad my life came to a crossroads where i could either decide to wallow in drugs and self-pity or do something to change my path my mom wanted me to move back in with her to have more structure and schedule to get clean so i did it's not like i had anything to lose normal school had never gone great for me and then i came to the village it was great i had new friends academic freedom teachers who loved and care about me i love you miss sherry and overall i had room to breathe and grow i even found my passion through the construction program slowly i
034started to learn more about myself and the world and who i am as a person then i realized something the world is a really crappy place there's so much darkness and sadness and hate but there is also good the little things that make you smile and those people who love and support you i know without those people in my life i wouldn't be here today so i implore you fellow students families and friends we have here today be the good in the world don't let the little things like race class gender religion nationality sexuality and such divide us we are the future we have the power to change the world so be the good things be the support system for someone be the reason a stranger smiles be the reason that other people love living
035what matters in life isn't how much money you make or how good you are at baseball or art it's the impact you make on other people the lives you touch be the light among the darkness because kindness is a virtue and it's something that needs to be spread be the positive change that you want to see because the world isn't going to fix itself for us thank you and congratulations fellow graduates of 2021 next i would like to introduce introduce elena wilson hello my name is elena wilson and i'm honored to be speaking at the village high school's class of graduation ceremony today i would like to congratulate my fellow classmates for working tirelessly in order to make it here i am proud to be able to share my experiences and would like to thank
036all of our staff members for not only helping me complete my journey but for encouraging my own personal growth and letting me fully realize my future path i am so grateful for this school and the opportunities it has given me part of the reason i was drawn to the village is because it is not just a school that emphasizes importance on academics or our grades we were always encouraged to be ourselves the village allowed us to figure out our strengths and grow into you unique and daring adults we focused on who we wanted to be although who we wanted to be has changed significantly since our very first days i think many things have changed throughout my four years here but i have learned an incredible amount from teachers friends and fellow classmates and nowhere
037else could i have gotten such an important experience my freshman year we were first introduced to all of our teachers we were asked to choose one that we become our mentor for the year someone to help us navigate school and get to know us personally so that they could help us in our journey here our mentors are some of the greatest support for our school and i know they mean a lot to our class they work hard to ensure that we know what it means to be successful on our own over this last year i know know that there was a struggle to constantly strive for success nothing was what we were used to and it was hard to find motivation to continue on like normal luckily our mentors were some of our strongest supporters
038and encourage us in our hour of need mr savage was my mentor freshman year and miss nolan for the past three and words cannot truly express the gratitude i have for them especially during the first rough beginnings the challenging middles and for the final few months i would also like to thank my friends and family my friends for being just as loud as i am [Music] but also for being the most supportive people i know nothing was impossible with them and for that i owed the world and for my family for being prouder of me than i ever was of myself and for believing in me no matter what i know that i doubted myself but they were my guarantee that i could do anything these are the people who i honor today and my
039goal is to keep making them proud of who i am i am grateful for these people in my life who've made it possible for me to be here today i truly could not have done it without you this past year was difficult for everyone we had to carry on through school and through work during a pandemic and let our realities completely change around us we even tried to figure out what our futures looked like when we had no clue what would happen next in the world we have been through so much in so little time and it has been difficult to process and we haven't had capacity to fully understand it we had to spend a lot of quarantine alone with ourselves and that has forced us to look inward and ask ourselves who am
040i where am i going what do i actually want to do and the answer i was afraid of most was that i didn't know i was afraid of what would happen next and that i was unprepared for the big changes that came scarily fast but there were any unknowns in my four years that turned into great successes the village has outgrown two different buildings and looking back i never imagined how far we would come this school has bloomed into a beautiful community full of some of the most hardworking and talented individuals the village and i are nowhere near where we began and for this i am grateful it shows us that change and hardships are not only worth it but it shows us where to go next we had to push through a lot this
041year we worked harder than ever to be here today and i was afraid still that my hard work wouldn't pay off like i wanted it to and i know that some of you may be afraid as well or unsure or maybe just confused as we face one of the biggest decisions of our lives i know that some of us have a detailed plan for what we want to do and some are still undecided but i want you to know that any of these ways of going forward is remarkably courageous to deal with the unknown you have to be passionate and driven our worst fears and disappointments are going to follow us forever but we have the chance to make the most of who we are and what we do in spite of those things we
042are throwing these curveballs to challenge our idea of who we are yesterday and who we will be tomorrow even though it's frightening the future is waiting for us to conquer it our class has been through three buildings one name change a global pandemic and four years of high school there is nothing we can't handle change is the scariest thing that can happen sometimes but it lets us figure out who we are and what we are capable of focus on your dreams your passions and who you want to be because this is something you can always be sure of even while the world is unsure of itself i would once again like to thank my teachers and staff members for an incredible high school experience and for rooting for me when i needed it the most
043i wish my fellow classmates the best of luck in their futures and encouraged them to never be afraid of change congratulations class of 2021 we did it next i would like to introduce kaylee cornaldi who will be performing an original piece of music she wrote [Music] oh my god just wait a minute got my heart don't know how you did it this beat kinda hittin different 360 in my head got no intuition just want to make you feel good come on take you out to my hood residential ain't my place sitting and listen to my hits all day sweet like cinnamon [Music] having fun during graduation on this special day heart pumping on this funky new day you say that you like me to say all the ways that you make me feel sweet dear
044give me your jacket and your new hat your body making me feel that in the purest of times times can't believe our lives are starting today graduation came kinda quickly shivers all down my spine singing sweet shoes so sublime pack it up it's time to go home convertible cruising down to soho listening to biggie while we go so you wanna be hardcore oh no no sweet in like crowd so into him having fun during graduation on this special day are pumping on this funky new day you say that you like me too jay all the ways that you make me feel sweet dear give me a jacket and your new head your body making me feel that in the purest of times class of 2021 i want you to get up on your feet clap
045with me now hey [Music] crazy days memories may in our blue gown screaming classic 2021 hey we are pumping on this funky new day you say that you like me touche all the ways that you make me feel sweet deal [Music] give me your jacket and your new hat your body making me feel that in the purest of time sweepy funky times high pumping on this funky new day you say that you'd like me to shave all the ways that you make me feel sweet [Music] thank you guys so much you can add me on my instagram corey kcori thank you [Music] next i would like to introduce jack o'neill i'm gonna take this off because there's a hundred percent chance it blows off while i'm speaking so good afternoon graduates faculty staff parents family
046and friends to my fellow graduates i want to say congratulations on your high school graduation we have overcome a year full of unprecedented and demanding challenges set forth by a devastating disease obviously the disease i'm referring to is senioritis which unfortunately there is no amount of masks or social distancing to keep us safe from it i'm honored to be here representing such a talented and diverse group of students it is surreal to look back and think that we have actually made it to this point of being high school graduates i mean most of us made the choice as freshmen to attend in high school inside a literal trailer yet here we are somehow four years and three buildings later graduating from an old bank but let me tell you there is no group of people
047that i would rather have spent the last four years with and so as i wish you all farewell i would like to leave you with a list of three things that i have learned as a student of the village high school number one in life sometimes you have no idea what you're doing and that's okay think back to when we were freshmen and we decided to go to a completely new kind of high school i don't think i'm alone in saying that i had no clue what i was doing or if what i was doing was right but look at us now four years later and the whole world is wishing that they had a school like ours most people will credit that to kovid but i just think we're really cool trendsetters and the
048rest of the world is finally catching up another great thing about not having a clue what you're doing is that there are endless opportunities to succeed i have learned to never say no to an opportunity because many great things in life come from unexpected places you just have to be bold enough to put yourself out there and go for it i think this is especially important considering most of us are moving on to bigger things in the next chapter of our lives involves trying to plan out the rest of our lives so if you find yourself stressing out about not knowing what you're doing just remember there's a good chance nobody else does either so just be present and live in the moment because one day you might be thinking to yourself something like andy
049bernard from the office once said when he said i wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you've actually left them the second most important thing i've learned in high school is to find your own village make sure your village has people that are invested in your goals and will support you no matter if you are succeeding or failing you might think the people that support you are your cheerleaders but oftentimes the people that are the most supportive are those that hold you accountable kind of like that awkward conversation we have all had at some point with our mentor when there is a week left in the semester and it is looking like there just might not be enough time or red bull in the u.s to make
050sure you finish the 45 missing assignment in algebra 2 and a spanish class you haven't started yet but all jokes aside make sure your people are always make sure you are always looking to add people to your village because people come along in your life for a reason i know for me there are people that have made me the person i am today just because they came into my life by chance when i really needed it and they helped me make opportunities out of challenges because they saw more talent and potential than i saw in myself however sometimes you won't be as lucky as we have been for the past four years and you might have to bravely start something that nobody cares to support you in so you have to be strong enough to
051be your own village which leads me to my last point this is one that i've learned from mr gorge understand that everybody deserves a place where they can find themselves express themselves and find value within themselves look around in life and take note of what tables don't have space for everybody be brave and create space for yourself at those tables and then ask yourself who else is missing what voices aren't we hearing what communities are represented here take on the challenge of making the tables in your life inclusive to everybody because as we have learned here at the village everyone has a unique contribution and the world is a better place when we make room for diversity and inclusion so to my fellow graduates my wish for you is to take the foundations of education
052and character that you have learned here at the village into the real world chase big dreams that will lead you to even bigger dreams be open to new opportunities and never stop the pursuit of being your best self next i would like to introduce audra register thank you [Music] hello village high school class of 2021. wow that was quite a bit wasn't it i don't mean to bring anything to a horrid backup but need i remind you that over these past four years we have experienced three different building changes we have experienced half the state on fire when it wasn't buried under copious amounts of snow we have experienced several alleged murder hornet and ufo sightings across the country and well the obvious that all of this was just a glimpse into our collective level
053of experiences i am certain that individually we have experienced far more now one other thing that happened over these past four years is a re-establishment of our mascot and now we are officially the village high school mountaineers and how appropriate is this given oh my gosh our new building and classrooms dedicated to various locations across colorado given our new schools location at the foot of the rockies and of course our collective values as a village family however this does beg the question what is a mountaineer now of course you're probably thinking audra a mountaineers one of those guys that climbs mountains that much we know okay but what is it about mountaineer that helps them to climb those mountains because mountaineers in my opinion are far more than just climbers first off mountaineers are courageous
054these individuals stare in the face of danger and they go straight through it they take it on head-on and we too have done so as mountaineers in our own respect last year in march when we were faced with schools closing and life as we know it being turned upon its head of course we wavered who didn't however we did not break we rolled with the punches and we made the best of this new normal we too are the epitome of courage along with being courageous mountaineers are relentless and resilient and strong they are tough taking on any and all work necessary to achieve their goals mountaineers will stop at nothing to watch their goals come to fruition and we of course are already driven passionate students not to brag but these qualities have only been
055accentuated as of late even with headline after headline reporting the newest danger in our world we carried on and we completed our work anyway even when surrounded by turmoil we took care of ourselves and we survived that is a true feat next mountaineers are curious and open-minded but they are also wise they are flexible and they take their experiences only to use them for good my friends we have done exactly that too our school was already flexible with the four day workweek hallelujah with an alternative personalized approach to education but the village has only developed that these past few years we now know how to change buildings how to change curriculums how to change our lives as they are and how to rebound from that we now know how to prepare for these changes how
056to cope and how to continue letting ourselves shine we now know how to come as we are and absolutely kill it may i just say more than that mountaineers are creative they are adventurous they are so much more than just climbers all of these qualities bravery resilience all of that helps them to climb and keep climbing my fellow mountaineers are we not the same given our experiences in particularly in particular pardon are we not just as brave just as strong and just as knowledgeable and admirable as other mountaineers yes we indeed are mountaineers in any and every context of the term village high school class of 2021 my mountaineer family we did it congratulations all we have made it and i could not think of a better class to be graduating here with today let's
057go conquer those mountains thank you and next up i would like to introduce holly white hello to the family's friends and graduates of the class of 2021 many of you know me but for those of you who don't my name is holly i am student council co-president and some might even say i'm a staff member although i never quite convinced nathan to make it official i have been at the village since i was a freshman and when i started here my world was filled with chaos i was battling crippling anxiety and i felt like no matter where i was i didn't belong i began my journey through the program completely online and as a sophomore i started going in once a week and completely fell in love with our little family from there my life
058only got brighter my grades went up my social circle grew i made connections with teachers and most importantly i was truly happy the village not only saved my report card but it honestly saved my life and that is something i'm going to hold with me forever our class as a whole has had the unique opportunity to have seen the village through all three buildings from the portables on pine creek's campus with no plumbing to the center for modern learnings surrounded by other school programs and finally to our very own three-story building that is now our home and that truly is what the village has become for so many of us it's become home never in my life would i think i would wake up and be excited to go to school but here we are
059welcomed every morning with grace's smiles jeff's fist bumps and evie lindsey's hugs not only is our school unique socially but also academically i can't think of any other school that will teach you how to be a beekeeper start an etsy business and even how to survive in the great outdoors the village was also able to teach us things immeasurable on paper like time management and how to advocate for what we want from our education and from what we want in our lives through the years we've made new friends and welcome back old ones we've made relationships not only with our peers but with our staff as well through all of the obstacles we've faced we have always had an army of supporters behind us and boy have there been some obstacles i mean we did
060live through 2020 after all one word is brought to mind when i hear the class of 2021 perseverance nothing could take down this class not a failed test not a snow and not even a global pandemic that took most of our senior year when the odds were stacked against us we pushed through and came out the other side as they say when one door closes another door opens and as the class of 2021 sits here today we are closing the door of adolescence this is the door of innocence of field trips of cafeteria pizza of many memories that will be missed but this is also the door of sat tests missed buses scraped knees and countless mistakes which may not be so bad leaving behind as we open this new door full of unknowns we
061are stepping into independence an endless opportunity the future we are beginning to build at this moment is completely up to us let's all remember that those we see as leaders as heroes and as inspiration started as average people those just like you and me and just know that greatness is always in our reach and it is what we do to work towards success that will be remembered forever and all that said i will leave my time at the village with a quote by a.a milne that embodies my last four years how lucky i am to have something that's saying makes saying goodbye so hard congratulations once again to the class of 2021. thank you and our graduation would not be complete without a speech from our principal mr nathan gorge thanks holly when i think
062of each graduating class i try to come up with a few words that capture the essence of the class as i thought about you the class of 2021 it made me smile and laugh and cry but i had a wave of memories that i would like to share but i will not name names in order to protect the innocent and the guilty i thought about some of you organizing a shoe drive to send gently used shoes and clothing to underprivileged kids around the world i thought of watching some of you find your passion through career start courses and the international beauty academy i thought about watching some of your confidence grow as you realize the untapped potential you had as an artist as a student as an athlete i thought about seeing some of the
063music and the art you've created and that you use to express the best of what we all hope to be i thought of trying to trick one of you who is visually impaired by trying to disguise my voice it's true i thought of watching some of you try to battle senioritis but for some of you that started in ninth grade i thought of the barriers that some of you are breaking as an athlete with a disability who's able to put to shame able-bodied athletes i thought about watching some of you play baseball in 120 degree temperatures and having buckets of ice water dumped on your heads i thought about some of you getting in trouble with your parents because you were buying damaged vehicles from an auction when you were supposed to be in class
064i thought of some conversations with some of you about just how bad the rockies and the broncos are playing i thought about the grace watching some of you dance and telling you if you needed a sub for the performance i was ready and available to take your place in the nutcracker i thought about telling some of you that you're actually students you're not staff members when you tried to show up to our faculty meetings and i thought of telling some of you to stop laughing so much this is school it's not supposed to be fun but the word i think about the most is joy the passion you all brought to life the smiles you have that can light up a room one of my favorite phrases with that i share with our staff every
065year at our staff retreat is that i want our school to unleash hope on the world and when i think about the members of this class i need to warn the world watch out world here comes the hope because you represent the best in us and i can't thank you enough for allowing our school to be part of your journey so now miss reynolds it's with the greatest of pride that we present to you the members of the class of 2021 as the principal of the village 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 therefore i recommend each of them for their diplomas mr gorsh on behalf of the board of education of academy district 20 i accept
066with pride and pleasure the 2021 graduating class of village high school mr gorsh thank you your faculty and your staff for an outstanding job [Applause] thank you so graduates please stand up and line up staff members please prepare to present our seniors now each graduation seniors get the opportunity to choose one of our staff members to present them this is a high honor for our staff and they will do their best to hold it together and to not cry too much so i now present to you the graduating class of 2021. meredith amrine i would like to thank all the teachers that i have ever had a class with you all welcomed me with open arms when i came to the village mr joel and mrs colgate thank you both for teaching me my favorite
067subject calculus you both kept a smile on me on when i asked several questions thank you dlg for always listening to my stories about taekwondo my crazy spanish dreams and always encouraging me to pursue spanish thank you i know my mom is crying by now but i am not done mom and dad thank you for bringing me back to reality by freaking out about my grades which i have under control to the tech dude who told me about the pcs that he built for him and his wife to cvr who taught me physics and to master coughlin who encourages me to be an engineer thank you all in the fall i will be attending colorado school of mines i will be going for a major in electrical engineering and a minor in computer science i
068will be a smart cookie [Music] nicholas baba without the village high school wouldn't have been the same the teachers helped guide me to finish high school and chase my dreams i'd like to thank my family for helping me through school and teaching me to be the man i am today i truly don't know what i do without you mom and dad i'd also like to thank the friends and teammates that i've made throughout the four years of high school for making it not so awful thank you for this experience i wouldn't want it any other way natalie vance [Music] i want to thank my mom for helping me through hard times she motivated me to keep going and for that i am grateful i want to thank mike my stepdad for helping me have critical
069thinking he often would not give me the answer but would have me think about the problem in a different way and that has helped me grow as a person i also want to thank mr norris for nurturing my interest in law and god for guiding my path and showing me where i need to go in life i am going to regen university in virginia beach where i will major in constitutional law [Music] daniel barbotko i would like to thank everyone at the village for the incredible four years i've had at all three campuses that we've been through a special thanks to nash norris for being my mentor for all four of these years as well and going through the ups and downs with things inside and outside of school mr norris was a huge figure
070in getting me to where i am today starting with all the motorcycle talk and getting me into my first projects with motor vehicles i have only norris to thank for getting me to rebuild six cars in last year sorry about that parents along with three motorcycles and dirt bikes i've enjoyed every class i've had with each teacher it has been fun motivating and allowed me to get much farther than the base requirements i originally planned for it's amazing how fast four years fly by when you're enjoying each week my future plans are attending uccs and getting a master's in electrical engineering and minoring in computer science i hope to be a lead developer in scada supervisory control and data acquisition and begin merging ai automation with data analysis as well as optimizing production in the
071economy ella bernard barnard sorry first i would like to thank my parents for supporting me throughout my education from driving me to extracurricular activities and buying me school supplies i am forever grateful for your support you never push me past my limits but instead encourage me to be the best person and student i can be you helped me with homework and took me on late night projects shopping while doing the same for four other children and while i'm sure it's frustrating helping me solve endless math problems and dragging me out the door in the mornings because i will was always late you did it anyway and that means the world to me i would also like to thank my family and friends for attending my activities from choir to tennis matches and for showing me
072continuous support i love you all and i'm forever grateful for everything you have done for me after high school i will be attending csu fort collins in their undecided program trent thistle [Applause] i would like to thank miss kimmy my parents my brother and sister my girlfriend and all the teachers who helped and pushed me to be the best i could be my future plans are to continue my education in fire science and eventually become a career firefighter sarah burden i am beyond grateful for all of my teachers at village high school and its entire staff particularly i can't express how much i appreciate miss kimmy's help and support throughout my entire time at this school she's been there for me every step of the way and i have to admit i may have made
073that a bit challenging at times i couldn't have wished for a better school counselor she's simply the best i also want to thank my parents for always believing and trusting in me now that i've graduated i plan on taking a gap year to further pursue my goals as a figure skater i'm planning on attending cu boulder the following year and i want to major in psychology [Applause] isabella suspectus there have been so many great experiences and people who have helped me achieve this goal of graduation mrs stacy for welcoming me into the village and practically holding my hand throughout my time here i want to thank my family for supporting me and driving me up the wall one big part of my life was the cheyenne mountain zoo teen program and the people and lifelong
074friends i have made while participating my mentors austin and russell thank you for guiding and supporting me my best friends amanda luke and blakely for always making me laugh and love life my passion for animals and the environment will continue as i go off to college to study wildlife and conservation biology nathan clark dear teachers and staff of the village i want to thank you all for your support through these last few years we've had some great times and i'll certainly never forget them while i'm happy to be starting a new chapter of my life i'll miss the village and the fun we had soon i'll be leaving for montana state in bozeman there are many things i'd like to try there and i have no doubt that i'll have fun while doing so kaylee
075cornaldi i want to thank the teachers at the village for investing so much love time and effort into all of our futures i've never associated school with an enjoyable environment until i started to attend the village my sophomore year all the teachers were so kind and treated me like family this school showed me that school can be fun and enjoyable when you are surrounded by genuine teachers who appreciate different teaching techniques and strategies that support every individual student i'm so excited to transition into college and pursue a career that i love and impac and am passionate about it is so important to pursue your dreams because life is too short to not pursue the things that make you happy thank you jonah crawford i would like to start by thanking my incredible parents as they
076are two of my most valuable friends and mentors i can honestly say that i feel as if i won the family lottery god has blessed me with better parents siblings grandparents and relatives than i could ever ask for i also want to thank my friends teammates coaches and teachers for always pushing me to improve i wouldn't be the person i am today without you all i have always enjoyed learning how things work taking them apart fixing and improving them with this in mind i have decided to continue my education at uccs studying mechanical engineering connor dant i would like to thank all my family and friends that have been with me during these last four years i also want to thank my mentors miss sherry and mr savage as well as the rest of the
077faculty for providing us with their guidance and wisdom i will take a gap year to save up money and discover more options and opportunities cadence dakota i really want to thank my mom especially for getting me through high school she's always stood by my side and pushed me to keep going even at my lowest i also want to thank my close friends and family for supporting me and my decisions and never leaving my side i've always been interested in cosmetics and facial reconstruction i plan to get my rn for plastic surgery purposes and my cosmetology license sebron denson my school my school journey was filled with ups and downs they were bad grades the arguments even late nights but at the end of the day i had people that would help me get back on
078track i would just like to thank my parents for being the ones by my side during this journey and helping me through it i appreciate all the things you did for me if i was struggling not only in school but also in life so thank you for everything you guys did to help me over the years in my in the future i will be taking a gap year from school and getting a job to learn how the real world works and maybe taking some college courses samantha durray dear mom and dad thank you so much for standing by me during my four years of high school i know it wasn't easy but hey now it's over so relax oh wait there are four more years of college seriously i appreciate your support emotionally academically and
079financially i would never have made it through without you i'll be attending goucher college in maryland on an equestrian performance and merit scholarship i am planning on studying pre-med pre-health with hopes of continuing on for my physician's assistant master's degree jd duvall i had a lot of people who believed in me to graduate a year early thanks to my parents and teachers for supporting me in this rough journey but now i'm able to say i graduated even though i had a lot of people who believed in me i did have some people tell me that i couldn't do it as well and that was another reason to graduate to show them that i can i thought about giving up at times but remembered i have a lot of support and i kept pushing forward i'm
080glad i did my plans for the future are to attend college at lamar community college and double major in horse training and equine business management so i have my own horse facility to train horses and show other people how amazing horses are too tess ekblad the village has been one of the greatest opportunities for me and i am so grateful to have been part of this unique community i want to thank all the staff at the village i have had the pleasure of knowing over these four years for supporting my academic development and growth of character i want to thank my parents for providing their endless encouragement to achieve my ambitions i will be attending cu boulder this fall as a physics major i intend to apply for graduate education afterwards and pursue a career
081in astrodynamics and aerospace development carolyn finley i would like to thank all of my parents for being the best support system i could ask for for believing me and loving me even when i lost my way i want to thank miss kimmy for always providing me with a safe space and guiding me on my path to graduation i would also like to thank miss sherry for being an amazing teacher and mentor for always making me feel loved and wanted at school after this i plan to get my construction and electrical qualifications i would love love to travel the world live in different countries and help different communities as much as i can when i settle down i want to open a foundation for women who are survivors of domestic abuse and women who have had
082bad living situations this program would teach women trades so they can become financially independent and be able to support themselves and their families grace jerry i am so thankful to be able to stand here today and thank those who have been such an encouragement to me i would first like to thank my loving parents who have devoted themselves to watching me succeed since day one they have inspired me to transcend not only academically but also in my relationships with others and my walk with god they have been my rock and my source of all guidance and wisdom i would also like to thank all of my teachers who have walked with me every step of the way moving my senior year of high school has presented itself some with some challenges but the teachers here
083at the village have been beyond welcoming and i'm so grateful for the support system they have not only provided me but all of their students graduation is one of the most important milestones in a person's life and i can say confidently that i would not be who i am today without them thank you after graduation i plan to attend the university of colorado colorado springs and receive my bachelor's degree in health care sciences my goal is to become an obstetric sonographer jackson gilbert i would like to thank my family they have helped me get very far without their supporter i would not be where i am today thank you so much my future plans are to attend college at either boulder or st olaf chris gracia after two after two years at pine creek i
084know i needed a change i was introduced to the village and all the amazing teachers that have helped me finish high school and chase my dreams i'm so thankful for everyone that i've met at the village and will always remember all the friendships i created i also want to thank my teammates and friends for creating memories that i'll never forget finally i would like to thank my parents for always supporting and pushing me to achieve my dreams future plans will be playing baseball at northeast community college thank you for walking me through the beginning of this school year as this was my first year here it was helpful i will probably attend college brianna goodry there are so many important people in my life that i that have helped me get to this point that
085i am so grateful for mom and dad i love you so much and i want to thank you for all of your love guidance and support these past 13 years i couldn't have done this without you my two older sisters and boss ladies kayla and amaya both of you have been such inspiration to me and i want to be just like you two when i'm older and of course i can't forget to thank my twin sister and partner in crime to leah we've been through literally everything together and you truly have been one of my biggest supporters and closest friends i also want to thank the rest of my friends and family and also the wonderful teachers and staff at the village i truly have felt cared for by every single one of you last
086but definitely not least i would like to thank my wonderful teacher and mentor ms nolan i couldn't have asked for a better teacher to help me through the last years of school so thank you as for my future plans i would love to continue working with animals and i planned on getting my associates in veterinary technology i will also be following in my dad and older sisters footsteps by doing full-time bubble bible teaching work to leah goodry i want to first thank you mom and dad for being the support that held me up as i learned to crawl then walk through life i wouldn't be where i am today if it weren't for you thank you kayla amaya and brianna for showing me a life full of laughter and love i am so proud to
087have gone through this journey with all of you i love you and thank you to all of the rest of my family and friends you have truly enriched my life with so many treasured memories and loving support and lastly thank you ms nolan for being more than just a teacher but a mentor and friend that i will cherish for years to come i may be getting a diploma but you all deserve the award for being the best family a kid could ever hope for thank you for my future plans i would like to go to school to get certified as a veterinarian technician i will also be joining my dad and two sisters in full-time bible teaching work alyssa gunter [Music] high school couldn't have gone by any faster so many ups and downs and
088changes the village was the school i needed not only did i pass every class with ease i also was given so many opportunities that i thought at some point i would never be given i met some amazing teachers and people here i will never forget and always be thankful for this school i would like to thank my amazing family my parents being there through good and bad my sister is there to make me laugh even in the hardest of times high school was a wild ride and i am overall very thankful and happy with the road i have taken i plan on pursuing my dream of becoming an interior and graphic designer i hope to enjoy and flourish at this and be happy in my many years to come ali hagfeld everyone at the village
089has helped me academically and emotionally i want to thank miss sherry for always reaching out a hand when i needed it most and for always encouraging me to reach my full potential i'd also like to thank both mrs flanagan and mrs redinger for always welcoming me with a warm smile and a hug both of my parents have been a tremendous help in my academic career encouraging me to follow my dreams and being there to help me overcome hurdles and trials it has been a wonderful four years at the village and it's incredibly hard to say goodbye but i know that i will never forget my high school career and will always remember my teachers throughout my senior year i've been taking college classes to get my certification to become an emergency medical technician by early
090june i'll be officially certified and ready to be out there saving lives my plans are to go up to cedar city utah at southern utah university and work as an emt part-time while studying there i plan to take pre-med classes and earn my bachelor's degree in either biology or chemistry after i graduate from suu i'll then move on to medical school to get my phd in either neurology or rheumatology it honestly depends on what will interest me most when i get to that point at this time i'm leaning more toward rheumatology and my goal is to become a pediatric rheumatologist it's been a lifelong dream to dedicate my career to helping others achieve a healthy life tristan hanson honestly there are far too many people to thank in my life if i'm to keep this
091brief so i shall be noting those with the most influence of my life as of late so i'd like to thank my parents carrie and jason hansen for providing excellent support over the years helping me stay motivated with my school finding my interests in life and providing the means to explore said interests and most importantly helping shape who i am as a person from my cool headed and knowledgeable disposition to my everlasting need to help others and be early to any event i go to much to the lamentation of those driving me around i'd also like to thank my sisters janae and mercedes-hansen who have strived to help improve my lackluster social skills and my drive to take care of myself much to my annoyance at times finally i'd like to thank my friends who
092have provided a listening ear and near constant amusement and companionship i should give an honorable mention to the teachers i've had over the years from mr smiley and mr colgate who helped me get outside every now and then to mr harms and mr thomas who entrenched my love of history and finally sherry deinline who has been a near constant source of motivation kindness and the odd word of wisdom over the course of my school education i'm going to immediately get into the workforce so i can earn money while i figure out what i truly want to do with life that was awesome isabelle harris i will never be able to fully express the love and gratitude that i have for my family both at home and at school thank you mom and dad for not
093only allowing me to chase my dreams but for encouraging me and actively pursuing each dream alongside me i'm so grateful to my parents but especially my mom for spending the better part of the last two years chauffeuring me around between home and school and dance thank you miss lindsey for being next to me through everything from talking through the moments of everyday high school life to planning out the details of my future thank you that every time i came to you with a new ambitious idea you always met me with yes let's do it you inspire me every day to be confident and push myself when we picked mentors during the first week of school i had no idea that you would become such a huge part of my life and then and of course
094thank you mr gorsh for letting me into the school at the last minute and never letting me forget that you're a better dancer than me also thank you miss sherry for teaching me that my well-being is more important than my productivity i'm so profoundly grateful to every single teacher here for making this place so much more than a school the little things like being greeted every morning with hugs and being wished a good day every afternoon as i walked out the door have made all the difference going to a school that you actually miss when you're not there is very rare and very special and couldn't exist with without such loving teachers i have met the most hardworking loving exciting and inspiring people here and i absolutely wouldn't be where i am without them my
095gratitude for you all is endless thank you i plan to attend the jacqueline kennedy onassis school in new york city next fall to continue as a ballet student for another year after which i hope to continue into career as a professional ballet dancer connor hauser i'm so grateful i got the opportunity to learn and grow at the village i'd like to thank my parents for bringing this school to my attention and for being there for me if i ever needed them i'd also like to like thank my friend connor dant for sticking with me and the many teachers who helped me along my journey and sherry deinline who's been an amazing mentor and friend thank you all for being a part of my life i plan on going to cherries bible college to get a
096strong foundation in christ and then moving on to a university to study psychology madeleine heinen i would like to thank alejandra and ariana for priding themselves on getting me this far i also want to thank my beautiful mama for all the care and late night food runs to push through one more assignment a very special thanks to my dad for being the day one best friend no one can compare to the man the myth the legend it's been a beautiful start to an even more greatly anticipated future i will be attending santa barbara city college in california to study elementary education wilder jacober there have been so many people who have helped me get to where i am today to the most important mom and dad who've been my biggest fans and supporters since the
097day i started dreaming i would most definitely not be here without my grandma or sister who have never been shy to help me with my schoolwork or have never failed to be their on my off days and thank you to all of my coaches especially coach john coach luke coach mark and coach sherman and thanks to all the teammates i've had and a big thank you to the joneses who are letting me carry out my career and dreams in their home thank you nathan the village staff and especially my mentor ms lindsey who endured my procrastination all four years my future plans as of today are to continue working for my dream of playing division one college hockey i'll play one more year in the springs and then juniors and hopefully all the way to
098college zachary klein hexel i would like to thank miss reynolds and miss sherry for getting me through the roller coaster that was high school i don't think i could have done it without their help i would like to thank my grandparents for always believing in me finally thank you to my parents for their tough love and pushing me to never give up i don't know what the future holds but i am going to do some rad stuff jocelyn knight i want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me through my high school journey especially those who didn't believe in who believed in me when i didn't i plan on attending esthetician school lydia lake who i've affectionately nicknamed gigglebox i would like to thank my family for their endless support i love you
099all so much i cannot imagine where i would be without my family i'd like to also thank the staff members of liberty and the village high school who have made this experience just so much more enjoyable high school has not been easy but teachers and staff who lift me up every day have helped me win the battle i'd lastly like to thank children's hospital for changing my life without the treatment i have received there i'm not even sure i would be graduating today thank you all i love you all i will be i'll be planning to attend colorado state university i love looking working with children with disabilities and i plan to pursue a career making that part of my everyday life i don't even i don't even know if i have it all figured
100out but i will either go into a special education or occupational therapy zach leslie i would like to thank mr savage and mr norris for all the support they have given me and i would like to thank all the teachers and staff for helping me through the rough spots of my academic experience last i would like to thank all my friends who went through this with me after high school i will be attending ppcc and getting a degree in environmental science to become a park ranger danielle lucas i have finally made it to graduation i know some of us did not think we would see this day come i could not have made it here without the support from all the teachers at village high school especially mrs redinger and cr mrs redinger has been
101my mentor since ninth grade and cr was my sixth grade science teacher at eagle view middle school also my mom was a huge part of helping me at home and with my health thank you to everyone who has had a part in this adventure and will possibly continue this crazy adventure with me i have owned my own business for two years so i will continue to do that i have been fortunate to have a great mentor in the dog training world but will expand my knowledge i will also continue my education in dog training and behavior with internships and conferences and i would like to formally recognize our honorary graduate nala lucas alyssa millers to say that my high school career was a long and bumpy road is an understatement by the time i finished
102my freshman year i was about to drop out of school and quit i was very very lucky to have such a supportive family to help get me through the tough times i am so blessed that we found the village when we did without it i would be in a dark place words cannot express how thankful i am to have my parents brothers friends teachers and everyone who has helped me along the way i love you all from the bottom of my heart my family and i are moving this summer to be closer to family i plan on working for a little bit pursuing a career in canine psychology and training my dream is to one day train service dogs for disabled recipients kenley nolan thank you for sticking with me from freshman year to now
103you've helped me when i needed it most also you stuck with me through my procrastination thank you so much as for what i'm going to do with my life i'm planning to go to south korea to teach english and maybe be a nanny wish me luck jack o'neill thank you to all my teachers and everybody at the village for making the last four years such a great experience and helping me grow as a person thank you to all my friends and family because of you i have had such a great high school experience and am prepared and excited for the future i will be attending the university of wyoming as a student in the honors college while majoring in journalism minoring in disability studies and swimming for the university as i pursue my goals of
104becoming a sports reporter and a paralympic athlete yeah buddy get it brayden oled throughout throughout my life my family has been a huge support in my journey through the years my father helped me pick up skills that i will continue to use for the rest of my life and for that i am grateful my mother has been my greatest emotional support and amazing teacher my brother and sister have also taught me lessons on how to be an individual and how important family is my dog penny taught me how important walks are and how beautiful the great outdoors are my cat allie taught me the value of relaxation i am so so thankful for all of the teachers at the village they have all been attentive and understanding during my time here maria de la garza
105was the most incredible mentor that i could have asked for and it was an honor being her mentee she not only cared about me like a mother but she helped me to push through my procrastinations and finished successfully ms sherry was the most inspiring art teacher ever i always look forward to going to art class because of her amazing and uplifting personality and art thank you all you have been amazing throughout my journey after high school i plan to work alongside my father in the handyman and uniquely engineered solutions industry picking up new skills as i work i also plan to travel the world and discover new exciting places ainsley peterson i'd like to thank my family teachers and friends for helping me through high school and i couldn't have done it without their help
106i will miss high school but i'm ready for my next big step my future plans are to go to college and get into law audra richester i would like to thank a multitude of people but in particular i would like to thank my mom walt marissa janice and all of the amazing teachers i have had these past four years thank you for helping me find my voice and guide me in my beliefs thank you for the unconditional love and support thank you for being you i'm attending colorado state university to study dietetics sydney roman's team during my time in high school i've been met with many new challenges without help from my parents my closest friends my mentor mr norris and the teachers at village high school i would not be graduating these individuals have
107given me many pushes in the right direction an extreme amount of patience during the times i struggled the most in school my parents gave me love support and understanding during times i felt mentally drained or down my best friends gave me hundreds of reasons to smile when i felt lost or hopeless in school mr norris and teachers of village high school helped me plan ways to succeed and stay motivated thank you for all you have done for me my plans after high school are to pursue a career in zoology cormac robinson there were times where i was down times where i don't want to face the challenges that a new day brings there are times where i was broken i wanted to thank my family and my friends who helped me through these rough times
108and led me to where i am today i am truly grateful for the help and love that i've been given i also wanted to thank the teachers and the staff of the school for making such a wondrous and supportive environment for everyone that comes to the village you are the driving force behind a student's success and making what this school is and so far you have proven to be unbelievably good at your jobs thank you to everyone who has gotten me here and congrats to everyone here for pushing yourselves and coming out on top my plans are to head off to college and go into mechanical engineering well i know it's going to be a lot of work i'm willing to commit myself to it caitlyn rolfe i would like to thank the entirety of
109village high school faculty and staff for their continued support and patience i would also like to thank all of my friends quizlet and espresso for helping me through high school and last but not least i'd like to thank my family for always having my back and for being there for me special thanks to my parents lori and daniel they've been by my side and supported me since the beginning mom thank you for being my best friend and inspiration dad thank you for being the person i will always strive to be i love you guys more than you know i'll be attending grand canyon university university in the fall i'll be studying theology with an emphasis in youth ministry with the hope of getting my masters of divinity lopes up lexi ridland [Music] i would like
110to thank all of the teachers and staff for making my high school experience incredible i would especially like to thank miss stacy ms sarah miss kimmy ms kelly and miss lindsey i'd also like to thank nathan for making this school a reality i couldn't have succeeded as much as i did without my support from the village my friends and most importantly my parents i plan on going to uccs in the fall alexia sanders [Music] i would like to thank everyone who helped me to make it this to this point i would like to thank my parents for supporting me and always pushing me to do more and better myself also all of my grandparents especially my grandpa for helping me better understand all of my math lessons thank you also to miss lindsay and miss
111kimmy for helping me reach the goals i had set up and helping pushing me through when the school year got to be stressful thank you also to the rest of my family my siblings cousins aunts and uncles for always being the best support system i could ask for my future plans are to finish cosmetology school and while i do that i would like to assist under a color specialist and build up my clientele along with furthering my education and taking secular classes to learn new techniques i also plan on being able to work for myself in my own salon suite ryan simons i'd like to thank the people who have supported me and helped me get to this point my friends my family and especially my parents would also like to thank all my teachers
112a few specifically miss lindsay for being both a good teacher and a friend and mr gorsh for being a great leader and always believing in me these people have all influenced me to pursue a career in education today mr norris is presenting this as he has been my mentor and advocate all four years of high school i can never properly thank the people who have helped me get here on this stage today you guys rock zoe smeyer i want to thank my parents my teachers and my mentor mr norris for always being patient with me even when i left everything to the last minute each semester i'd also like to thank my friends for always making me spy smile despite everything the world threw at us these past four years i will always be grateful
113for the support i've received and the memories we've made thank you for making my high school experience so special chloe watkins i would like to thank all of my teachers for always believing that i could do it i value the times where we would laugh tease each other and have fun i want to thank my family for always helping me out my aunt would have told me that she's proud of me and that today is when the rest of life begins thank you to all of my friends family and my teachers for helping me achieve this great milestone i plan to become a paralegal and hopefully move to new york for some volunteer work holly white first and foremost i would like to thank my family specifically my mom and my sisters for molding me
114into the woman i am today i would also like to thank all of the faculty and staff at the village each and every one of you have made such an impact on my life and i will forever cherish the memories i have here i would like to give a special thanks to mr norris for always pushing me to pursue my passions and for encouraging me to use my voice as of august i will be taking classes at ppcc for elementary education and then transferring to a four-year after getting my associate's degree regardless of how my future plays out i know children will be a large part of my life thank you again to my village family for teaching me so much brayton wilmus i want to give a huge thank you to my parents for
115everything in life they've given me and supported me in deciding to transfer to the village for junior and senior year was a really hard decision but i had so much support from my parents the baseball team who attends the village and nathan without them it would have been so difficult i want to thank all of my friends at the village nathan mrs lindsey and especially mr and mrs colgate for making that adjustment so easy i want to thank my mom and dad for raising me into the young man i am and supporting me so much throughout my baseball career and everything i've done since february 13th of 2003 i'm so thankful for the opportunity to graduate and go to college and none of that could have hap could have ever happened without my teammates coaches
116and most importantly my parents so thank you after high school i'm going to the university of colorado colorado springs to continue my education in baseball career with a major in business management elena wilson thank you so much to the village for being my home for the past four years i'm so grateful for these teachers and my mentors mr savage and ms nolan i've survived my years in high school in large part due to the village and the friends i have made and the teachers that have cared not only for my success as a student but my success as a person i owe a great deal of thanks to my parents as well for being my biggest fans and building me up when i couldn't on my own in the fall i hope to attend university
117of boulder university of colorado at boulder majoring in political science so i can eventually work as a political journalist i hope to make a difference in my community and in the world because of how many people have made a difference in my life trinity wilson i would like to thank my little brother theodore who will forever be my best friend and inspires me every day also thank you to queen olivia who made our senior year so memorable and kept me motivated when times weren't so fun both of you are making going out of state a hard decision as life is better with you by my side i can't forget my parents i love you both and thank you for all the support throughout the years i plan on attending creighton university and majoring in exercise
118science on a pre-physical therapy track olivia yanez thank you to my mom and dad for raising me to be the woman i am today also thank you to sam ethan audrey and evelyn for teaching me to be loving kind and tough i am more than grateful to have met trinity she supports me and shows me to live life with an attention and carry myself with pride to all my teachers at the village thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow my last two years of a high school you all taught me that only i choose my future and that i am strong enough to make those decisions thank you lindsay and nathan for pushing me to be a better student woman and friend my future plans are to attend and graduate nursing school with
119an rn bsn then go to work in the nicu and become a nurse practitioner alright class of 20 21 please stand please move your tassel from the left side and place it on the right thank you all right as we close seniors you can pick up your diplomas from miss stacy after the ceremony in the back thanks again to the board of education ms reynolds and mr gregory thank you for being here please exit the stadium and move all gatherings to an alternative location 2021 graduates you are dismissed i close my eyes and i can see a world that's waiting up for me [Music] they can say they can say i've lost my mind [Music] i don't care i don't care so call me crazy we can live in a world that we desire the
120brightest colors fill my head a million dreams are keeping me away i think of what the world could be [Music] there's a house we can build every room inside is filled with things from far away special things i compile [Music] it all sounds crazy [Music] i don't care i don't care if they call us crazy [Music] fill my head a million [Music] is all it's going to take share your dreams [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] every see i lie in bed the brightest colors fill my head a million dreams are keeping me a million dreams a million dreams [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Applause] for the world we're gonna make you