001all right oh my God It's My Life okay oh I know this is [Music] thank you she does foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] thank you foreign [Music] but we're going to get this thing going good evening and welcome to the 99th commencement of Columbia High School my name is Brian Reeves and I'm the principal ladies and Gentlemen please rise for the presentation of colors being presented by our air National Air Force Junior ROTC and remain standing for the singing of the national anthem by Evelyn Moore thank you this microphone is online and this is for live so don't you have to worry about it [Music] congratulations [Music] yeah give you through the night we're still there [Music] here we go [Applause] thank you
002forward touch thank you you may be seated this is an important milestone for our graduating class of 2023 and for the family's friends and loved ones who are watching today both in person and online to share this momentous occasion as principal of Columbia High School I'd like to thank you graduates for the fond memories you provide our school and community over the years I congratulate you on your success today and I want to wish you each the best of luck in the future endeavors as you leave our Nest to begin your journey into adulthood and make your mark on the world first I'd like to share with you our top 10 ranked graduates who are wearing white stoles please stand as I read your name in alphabetical order Bradley Bernard Braden Bergman Joseph Kaya Olivia
003Eli Dallas forgey Kayla joles Paxton Reed Brooklyn a strike Kate tenis and Drake Wittenberg [Applause] not only is graduation an opportunity to recognize our seniors as they move on but it's also a great time to acknowledge our retiring staff at this time I would like to recognize Miss Carrie Farmer on her retirement can she still please stand thank you for your years of dedication and service congratulations on your retirement and thank you for everything you've done for the Columbia school districts and the students throughout the years and we'll get right into our speeches our first will be given by our senior class president Drake Wittenberg Drake please come forward [Applause] [Music] good evening everyone my name is Drake wittenbrink and I am the senior class president on behalf of the class of 2023 I would
004like to welcome and thank you all for being here with us tonight to celebrate our high school graduation it truly is an honor to be surrounded by so many significant people who have impacted Our Lives immensely throughout our high school years we would like to thank the wonderful people here tonight that we are the privilege to call our parents whether you are a mother a father Grandpa or Grandma or an aunt or an uncle we are here graduating today because of all you it has been an amazing journey and one of my fellow and one of my fellow class of 2023 members will most likely never forget four years ago the class of 2023 was just walking through the doors of Columbia High School and we have had many memories over the course of our
005high school Journey we all had one goal in mind and that was to make our mark on Columbia High School and make our mark on the world once we graduate the night has come where we will now move forward making our mark on the world we are your class of 2023 not just because we scooted our way past every year but because we put in the hard work and effort to get to where we are today we could not have done that without family friends and teachers constantly encouraging us to keep up the good work it's not all about if you look good or fit in at your school it's about the Legacy that you will leave once you graduate Dr Seuss once said you're off to great places today is your day your mountain
006is waiting so get on your way I pray that the class of 2023 will walk out of here today feeling proud of all they have accomplished over these last four years I wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors thank you [Applause] foreign Office of Education sent over documents to give to our valedictorian salutatorian so at this time I'd like to ask our salutatorian Braden Bergman to come up to get his [Applause] [Music] [Applause] next we'll have our speech from our valedictorian and I'll give hers as well can I ask Caleb Joseph our valedictorian please come forward [Music] [Applause] foreign hi everyone I'm Kayla and I want to start off by saying welcome welcome graduates faculty and family members especially younger siblings who may or may not be happy to sit through this
007graduation and thank you I appreciate you being here and listening to me being the one thing in between your students their diploma and the end of this graduation but while I have this power I'd like to tell a little story when writing this speech I tried to come up with some amazing tale to tell but all I could think of was how much I really wanted to take a nap so now this story isn't life-changing by any means but I hope it'll at least not bore you to death I have this necklace it's just a small little thing that many of you would have never noticed unless you know me but I've worn it nearly every school day for the past five or six years always just this one now it isn't some Grand inheritance
008that I got from my great grandmother nor is it a treasured birthday gift I got when I was young I actually got it with a book we used to have these Scholastic book magazine things and it happened to come with one this necklace means nothing it's there's not anything special about it but by meaning nothing it means something okay I get it you probably all don't care about my silly little necklace but it's just something I love I love taking simple ordinary things of life and turning into and turning them into something special from collecting vintage postcards and presidential pins to celebrating February 19th for no reason other than that I had a really good day one year I fold paper airplanes whenever I'm stressed because a kid I watched after begged me to make
009a different type every day I enjoy bonding with classmates when we all worry about the same test I cherish inside jokes like the octopus in the lit room and adding John Winthrop to as many essays as I can got him into one more I like taking a plain piece of jewelry and creating a story there are so many amazing things in life some of them are big like graduating high school but most of them are small like remembering that one time with your friend at the lunch table laughing until you couldn't breathe as we walk across the stage tonight we realize we may never see each other again this is the last time the Columbia class of 2023 will be all together and although I hate to be cheesy but there are 24 000 other
010high schools in the U.S giving these same speeches so why not graduates I hope you look to I hope you look to your future with excitement that you find things you love in every step of the way I hope you do great things so I can tell my future co-workers yeah I went to high school with them I hope you live life with happiness but also sadness and all the other emotions of Being Human I sincerely wish you all the best so now that that's done let's get this graduation going [Applause] [Music] [Applause] thank you at the conclusion of each school you're the faculty and staff of Columbia High School nominate and select one graduating senior for the outstanding senior award this student is selected based on their academic achievement but more importantly by the
011content of their character strong work ethic and overall dedication to the total school program the student epitomizes our core values of Integrity trustworthiness respect responsibility and kindness this year's recipient and if she would please come forward of the outstanding senior award as selected by the CHS faculty is Carson Janey [Applause] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] and now we've come to the time graduates please be careful of cameras over on the side as you're going back to your seats could I get the school board to come up and take their spots please the school board our school board members will be handing out the diplomas to our students you know students as you're asked to rise go towards Miss Baker and Miss Baker we'll get you going in the right spot so at this time we'll get
012started first row Miss Adams come on Ariel Brianna Adams [Applause] Riley Sarah Amos [Applause] Grace May Anderson [Applause] Alexis Marie antler [Applause] [Music] Sean Walker hour [Applause] Bradley Connor Bernard [Applause] Max Stephen Barthel thank you Scott Bergman [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Libby Johanna Bridges [Applause] Mary Kathleen Brooks [Applause] Paige Renee bronkhorst [Applause] Zoe Nicole Bryant [Applause] Jeremiah James biltman [Applause] Ella Antonia bus [Applause] Emily Grace bus foreign [Applause] Janine Kavanaugh [Applause] Joseph Mark Kaya [Applause] Jessica May Chen [Applause] Dylan Edward Connor [Applause] Maddox Joseph Corbin [Applause] Kylie Alexandria Crowder [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Emily Michelle Cohen [Applause] and Catherine Daniels [Music] foreign Dawn Danner [Applause] Carmen Lee deardo [Applause] Haley Elizabeth Dell [Applause] Brianna Lynn denbo [Applause] Misha Ellen Derrickson [Applause] May Elizabeth descher [Applause] Elise May Dix [Applause] Samuel George Donovan foreign [Applause] Ashley Eastwood [Applause]
013Emma June everner [Applause] Blake Robert Eli [Music] [Applause] Olivia and Eli [Applause] Megan Lee Elliott [Applause] Cameron Jacob elner [Applause] Lauren Margaret ERB [Applause] Taylor Marie Etheridge [Music] [Applause] Riley Thomas Etherton [Applause] Alyssa Nicole einen [Applause] Porter Charles Fike [Applause] Megan Elizabeth fix [Applause] Tyler Anthony Fletcher [Applause] Dallas James forgey [Applause] Julia Maisie Foster [Applause] Ryan Leighton Foster [Applause] Matthew Kyle Fulton [Applause] Aiden Lowell Gaither Grace Logan galesky [Applause] Aurora May Goss [Applause] Lindsay Lou Glover [Applause] Chloe Catherine Grant Madison Alyssa Groom [Applause] Hayden Jacob habermill [Applause] Jacob Elliston Halliday [Applause] Bryce Robert Hamilton [Applause] Melissa Ann Harper [Applause] John Thomas Helms [Applause] Samantha eulene Herman [Applause] James Jeffrey hettenhausen [Applause] Matthew Warren Hyman [Applause] Carter William Hicks [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Matthew Michael Hoffman [Applause] Brooke Jewell hofstetter [Applause] Carly Christine Hoggard [Applause] Emily Elizabeth
014Holmes [Applause] Cole Thomas Ebner [Applause] Natalie Grace huffhines [Applause] Cole Andrew Coke Huey [Applause] Grant Ellis James [Applause] Nicholas Anthony Yannick [Applause] Carson Gail Janey [Applause] Reese murren Johnson [Applause] Madeleine Rose Jordan [Applause] August Weber Jose [Applause] Bruno Carlin joltz [Applause] Madison Nicole Kemp [Applause] foreign Nicole King [Applause] Emily Madison Kish Riley Cameron Lee Clifford [Applause] Paige Emily Knight [Applause] trigan Paul commercial [Applause] Thomas Michael kenningstein [Applause] David Matthew Coleman Angela Rose LaMonica [Applause] Grace Catherine Laskowski [Applause] Jaden Adam Lowry [Applause] Natalie K lechner [Applause] Dakota Jacob Lahore [Applause] Gabrielle Dawn Livingstone [Applause] Owen David Lockett [Applause] [Music] Michael Daniel madlinger [Applause] John Thomas Madrid this is [Applause] Taylor Nicole Martin [Applause] Alexa Nicole molding [Applause] Austin Lee McClintock London Leanne meinhardt [Applause] is that all right Maddox Joseph Myers [Applause] getting nervous Addison Jane
015Miller [Applause] thank you [Applause] Uma Adriana mistra [Applause] Madison Nicole Missy thank you [Applause] Evelyn Joyce Moore [Applause] Samuel Aiden murin [Applause] Dylan Michael Murphy [Applause] and Rihanna Taryn nickis we need to get word to Jill Grant Jacob Olson Brooklyn Johnson a strike [Applause] Nolan Thomas Pasha foreign [Applause] Pennington Madeleine Ann Pitts [Applause] Allie Nicole Pope [Applause] Macy Michelle Poulter [Applause] Colin Wayne Queen [Applause] Calvin Michael range [Applause] Paxton May Reed foreign [Applause] Carly Ann Mildred Reichert [Applause] Megan Lynn Renaud Daniel Bryan rep [Applause] Olivia Nicole russler [Applause] Shannon Patrick Russell [Applause] [Music] Kyle Andrew Rose [Applause] Tyler Mark Rosecrans foreign Malachi Sharp [Applause] Gavin Cole Sharp [Applause] Charlie Gail Schmidt [Applause] Cameron Mary Schmidt [Applause] Jonathan Mason Schnabel [Applause] Ainsley Marie Schrader [Applause] Chase Alan Schrader [Applause] foreign [Applause] Alex Henry schreckenberg [Applause] Benjamin
016William Scott Kirsten Janelle shree [Applause] Emma Victoria Smith [Applause] Katarina Lynn spezak [Applause] okay Shelby and stagner [Applause] Jack Joseph Steckler all right [Applause] Presley Savannah Stevens [Applause] Natalie Ann Stern thank you [Applause] Aiden Donald Sullivan [Applause] Audrey Joe Sullivan [Applause] Caroline Michelle Tebow [Applause] Kate Logan tennis [Applause] connections [Applause] Grace Virginia Trowbridge [Applause] Cody Daniel Tudor [Applause] Abby Nicole venhouse [Applause] Dominic Cornelius vagling [Applause] Brienne Elise vote [Applause] Christine Lorraine Wallace [Applause] Alexander Robert Webb [Applause] Brennan Patrick White all right Zachary Christopher Wetzel [Applause] Sean Michael Williams [Applause] Drake Marlin wittenbrink [Applause] [Music] Malachi Rudolph Wilkie [Applause] go ahead before we wrap this an early happy Mother's Day to everyone in the crowd [Applause] foreign [Applause] students don't forget your actual diplomas are waiting for you in the office after the ceremony at this
017time I present to you the Columbia High School graduation class of 2023. 23 will accomplish [Applause] Ed [Applause] boardroom [Music]