001[Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] [Applause] My Name is Oliver Tincher and I will be your Master of Ceremonies this morning first of all can we get a nice round of applause for the band [Applause] thank you I believe maturity is knowing you can fail knowing you don't know what you don't know and living life to the fullest anyway I can't believe I'm asking kids I pretended to be a talking donkey with to be mature that I am because the truth is you are not prepared for everything if the pandemic has taught us anything it
002is that no one no school no matter how great can prepare you for everything that life is going to throw at you so I ask you to be brave to be mature [Music] because we have grown and we have learned between you and me I kind of think that was maybe what this whole thing was about like the educational institution they teach us I don't know anyway life is scary but as I look at you now I'm not afraid I'm not afraid of what life's going to throw at you in fact I'm more afraid of what you're going to throw at life but I'm excited for that too caterpillars no longer we emerge from our chrysalises as the weird wingless oddly colored butterflies that we all truly are Jokes Aside I can't wait to see
003what you become your story isn't over this this was just the prequel and now please allow me to introduce our honored guests president Amy Oliver [Applause] vice president Carol Bowden [Applause] secretary Vicki Hardin board member Stephanie kreitzer board member Doug Payne our superintendent miss Emily Tracy director of student Support Services Mrs Debbie Harmon director of career connected learning Mrs Christy reitzman [Applause] assistant principal Charles Hutchins and of course principal Trent Austin [Applause] at this time I would like to invite the esteemed Elizabeth Roush to the stage to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and share her poetry through the Eagle's eye and the Brown County sky [Applause] first if you will all rise for the Pledge of Allegiance foreign I pledge allegiance to the flag the United States of America and to the Republic
004for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all thank you may all be seated a tetrate of Scholars converge upon a single Nexus trading in the colors of insular Allegiance for blanketing blue and unifying yellow a forever family not born of one blood a community built of brick and mortar memories an academic area of accomplishments tucked under the Eternal eagle's wing for homesick hearts and Melancholy Minds the souls astray return your eyes to the ribbon Skies Brown County blue with that glorious golden hue recall the county backing you rakounta County proud in a curiously passing cloud white wisp of whims written with a mode of maxims remember when life grows loud gaze upon your successes through the Eagle's eye and the ever abundant Brown County sky [Applause] thank you
005Elizabeth our first Speaker for the class of 2023 is Zacharias alexandrius Reedus Zach Reed with his speech titled A Unique opportunity [Applause] thank you good evening folks I've come to give a speech November 11th 2013 that was the first day I went to Brown County schools now if you've ever moved to a new school system you know that feeling you're like oh man this is I'm the new kid this is just like High School Musical I'm going to get challenged to a dance-off or something now if it's not readily apparent I've never watched High School Musical and never will but you know the feeling so here I was on the first day of school the rest of my life next nine years I was like in utter buffoon what am I gonna do however on
006the very first day I immediately made friends Joey Dennison asked me to play some games at recess and I having very low standards accepted that is that is honestly the biggest decision that I have made in my entire life it set me on a path to gain an amazing set of friends that I still have today friends that I plan on keeping contact with in and throughout Beyond College a set of friends that whether they know it or not or not they make me strive to become the best me I can be and to them I am truly grateful not too long ago I visited Whiteland High School my former school system for a jazz competition now if you know Whiteland high school they're just just a little a little bigger than Brown County High
007School just a measly 2021 students and I looked around that the massive Maze of hallways I saw their 11 bands seven choirs and a partridge in a pantry and I thought to myself almost allowed you know this this isn't for me I simply cannot see myself graduating from Whiteland I don't think that I would be the person that I am standing here before you today if I you know if I didn't have influence from the teachers that are just from this high school let alone the other three schools that I went to I look at the path ahead of me as high school falls into the rear view mirror and I feel adequately prepared for my journey thanks to the many programs at Brown County schools and now I would like to thank the teachers
008in these programs Mr Townsend there is no other teacher I would rather go bowling with me between your engineering an eagle Manufacturing one to do in college and for the rest of my career being an eagle manufacturing has taught me many interesting skills that I will no doubt use in the future namely writing emails Thank You For Preparing Me for the many Pathways ahead Mrs Burton you've resuscitated my love for math even after I got a metaphorical curb stomp from learning Algebra 2 and pre-calculus during coven I remember the first month of a b calculus and junior year and I enjoyed learning new topics and it clicked in the back of my head this is why I do this is why I suffered through covet this is why I do math and thank you for
009making me once again love math despite the shadow problems foreign Miss Pontius I've only had you for the last two years of high school but your classes have been some of the most engaging English classes that I've ever taken I first heard about your satire satire unit in the SNL skit project in my junior year and I immediately realized that your class was not the run-of-the-mill English 12 class the work you put into your courses is astounding and you truly are a one-of-a-kind teacher Mr Finley I don't even know where to start you've I've had band with you since eighth grade that's you know it's more than it's more than high school and there's no other teacher that I'd really rather have for five straight years and I don't think I could go through a
010year of high school without being in one of your classes marching concert in jazz band has made me what I am today and I have you to thank for that I cannot put into a five-minute speech how much you have done to help me through my journey thank you Finn dog for everything you do all of you have made me and many others Excel and believe in themselves and with the teachers and opportunities at Brown County Schools I've honestly won the high school Lottery thank you [Applause] thank you sir Zak and Now ladies and gentle people please welcome to the stage our very own Prom Queen Her Majesty Miss Abby Williams with her speech today is your day oh congratulations today is your day you're off to great places you're off and away these are
011the opening lines to oh the Places You'll Go by Dr Seuss my name is Abby Williams and I'm officially a 2023 graduate of Brown County High School thank you to the speakers before me and to the people who helped to make today possible my time at Brown County school is just the start of my life story I moved to Brown County at the start of my fourth grade year there was only one person I knew here because we grew up together when I walked through the doors of helmsburg Elementary I was surrounded by new people in a new town at the end of that year I was given a t-shirt like the rest of my classmates it was gray and had some strange numbers on the front and my classmates names in a line on
012the back I remember asking what the year 2023 meant I later learned that is the year I will graduate I thought that date was too far away to even think about but here I am with what feels like nine really short years later in my cap and gown Dr Seuss once said you have the brains in your head you have the feet in your shoes you consider yourself in any direction you choose our class has been through a lot together we experience proms fun fridays musicals and tons of sports events we also survived a global pandemic and shutdowns and over a year of wearing a mask and spraying down every surface we touched from celebrating that we got the rest of the year off to crying to go back this place waited to see us
013again with open arms even though we couldn't touch or hug after the pandemic the school worked hard to bring us back together Brown County School tried to give us a place to belong this open an opportunity I never would have expected because I had stage fright my place of belonging became the stage in the drama Department a teacher showed patience and determination tell me overcome my fear this teacher saw something in me that I wasn't aware of myself and hey look at me now I'm a little shaken up but I'm okay my time on the stage opened me up to a community of goofing loving accepting people I learned to be patient with myself and to push myself into new opportunities something Mr Austin would teach us was to soar High this meant doing things
014that challenged us this meant doing the best you could do and feeling proud of the work you put in I carried that with me and made sure I was always doing the next right thing just like conquering stage fright doing this isn't always comfortable but challenge yourself will help you advance and learn more importantly challenging yourself will help you connect we all added our stories to this building and were able to share them with each other this makes us like a family with that being said I want to thank our families that who made this all happen they spoke up for our needs and ensured we had a safe place to come and learn they helped us with all the hard algebra homework and got us the last minute project supplies at midnight because it
015was due the next morning you fought us tooth and nail to make sure we got all our homework done and turned in on time so today shows that all their love and effort you put in to help us become the people we are today I also want to thank all our siblings our built-in best friends I was lucky enough to share this building with my own little sister for one short year now that I'm leaving the school is in her hands the seniors that have walked these Halls before I did made the way for us and I hope we're doing the same for all of you for the people who didn't have a family the teachers and staff made us feel like we were their own by mentoring us and helping us move along our
016journey all of us here have that one teacher that made a difference in our lives the one that made the most difference in my life helped me be able to stand in front of you all today all the teachers make it a point to help any kid who walks through those four glass doors I was so inspired by my teachers that I plan to become one of my own and I hope to show them the love and acceptance you have shown me as kids we ask questions that grew with us such as why the sky was blue how far away is the Sun what college should I apply to how do taxes even work our parents and teachers always had the answer or guided us to find it ourselves I just wanted to say thank
017you to all for making this place so hard to leave so be your name buxbanner bixie or Bray or Mordecai Allen than Allen O'Shea you're off to great places today is your day your mountain is waiting so get on your way congratulations to the class of 2023. thank you [Applause] thank you your majesty you weren't supposed to make me cry our next speaker from the graduating class is the man the myth the legend Joey Dennison with his speech thank you [Applause] thank you glad somebody got that I look back on my years as a student here and I remember the person that I once was I was a very book smart kid I got good grades I did my homework but I lacked the ability to really motivate myself all my motivation came from maintaining
018the status quo and not really from a goal worth working towards somewhere along the way I started to run into people who saw something in me that I didn't see in myself teachers who inspire me to get more than an a out of their class mentors who took their time out of their day to teach me skills that'll take with me my entire life people who invested in me who helped me find my why and I didn't realize it right away but I remember the exact moment that I knew when it all clicked it was a dress rehearsal for the junior year musical Mamma Mia and if any of you've ever been through a tech week you know what I'm talking about and this was one of the worst days one of the most stressful
019days of tech week everyone in the crew was disheartened and I wasn't far behind them we only had a couple of days until we opened and we didn't feel ready many wanted to quit and to be honest I wasn't far behind them but somehow I knew I knew that we couldn't quit I started to think back to the months to the years of work that we had put in and I couldn't let any one of them walk away from that it was the week that made all the other weeks worth it and I like to say those are my words but really it felt like they just came to me like the mentors that I had it was almost like them speaking through me and that's what I told the crew I didn't believe it
020as the words came out of my mouth but that's what I said and as I did I found my why I saw the months of learning from my mentors the months of mistakes the months of growing alongside my friends alongside my family alongside the people that I love then I refused to give that up all at once those months those years gave me a reason to keep going they gave me a why and so I stand here as a summa laude graduate a lily scholar a rose home in commit and I see all the people who help me get here help me find my wife who'll encourage me to keep pushing myself further every day and I say thank you thank you for believing in me thank you [Applause] good morning my name is Trent
021Austin and I am the proud principal of Brown County High School today we are honoring the class of 2023 I would like to first of all recognize all individuals who are serving have served or will serve in our military Armed Forces along with any widows of any veterans will you please stand and allow us to honor you at this time thank you [Applause] I would like to thank all our Educators and support staff at Brown County schools for the service they provide to our students and our community our teachers our staff members will you please stand and be honored [Applause] I would like to also thank the parents relatives friends and anyone in the audience who has helped make today happen for our graduates seniors today is about you but it's not all about you
022today is your opportunity to thank those people who have helped you get here if you look at your to your left and you look to your right and you look behind you these people have supported and guided you all along the way they've loved you these people are cheering for you as you make this next step in your life graduates take a moment today or sometime this week to let these people know how much you appreciate them seniors give all these people a round of applause if you would at this time [Applause] and now for my message to the graduating class of 2023 first of all I want to start off with celebrations because there are so many first of all I want to share that we have 26 students this morning who have earned
023their academic honors diploma 26. all right in addition we have six students who have earned Technical Honors and on top of that we have eight more students who have earned both Technical Honors and academic honors that's a total of 40 students that's more than one-third of their graduating class congratulations in addition we have 16 summa laude students these are students who have earned a GPA of 4.0 or higher we have six magna laude students who have earned a GPA of 3.75 to 3.99 and we have five laude students earning a GPA of 367 all the way up to 374. all of these students who have earned these honors will you please stand and be recognized thank you in this class there are Conference champions there are sectional champions there are State qualifiers and tracking cross-country
024their academic All-State Award winners there are State Award winners and band students who have performed at a high level on the theatrical stage there are key leaders in students in the expansion of Eagle manufacturing and the opening of our preschool and Early Childhood Program graduates you survived a worldwide pandemic that started your freshman year you could have easily have walked away but you chose to fight for your education and for your future I celebrate you for making this choice when I met you eight years ago when you walked in the doors at Brown County Intermediate School in fifth grade I knew you that you would do great things you have not disappointed you have achieved great things now as you move forward continue to go forth and be a positive light in this world never
025stop learning how to learn hopefully over the last 18 years of your life you have learned just that learning how to learn life is Ever Changing to be quite honest with you 30 years ago I sat exactly where you're sitting right now I am a proud graduate of Brown County High School class of 1993. I remember not knowing exactly what my next steps would be the unknown was somewhat overwhelming not knowing what the future might hold for me but my advice is walk forward take that next step create doors of opportunity through work ethic drive and determination never in my wildest dreams would I have ever expected to be standing where I'm standing right now as your principal at Brown County High School you never know where life will lead and what opportunities will present
026themselves through work ethic drive and determination never stop learning how to learn this mindset will open doors of opportunity for you that you would have never thought possible I am living proof so class of 2023 I am absolutely so proud of you you will continue to do great things as you enter the world Beyond a Brown County High School go with confidence that you are ready that you are prepared we love you and wish you the best congratulations seniors class of 2023. [Applause] and now to the Brown County School Board of Trustees superintendent Emily Tracy and the Brown County Community it is my pleasure to present the class of 2023 Mr Hutchins will you please come forward and announce the names of our graduating class [Applause] thank you before we begin today we would like
027to take a moment to honor the memory of classmate Aiden Lentz as we do so please join me in a moment of silence thank you and now for the presentation of the class of 2023 graduating summa laude Oliver Grace Tincher [Applause] graduating summa laude Elizabeth Marie Rausch [Applause] Zachary Alexander Reed [Applause] Abby Lee Williams [Applause] graduating summa laude Joseph Daniel Dennison [Applause] graduating summa laude Chase Michael Austin [Applause] Egan Zane Robert Gaskins [Applause] Rebecca Faye Jones wow [Applause] graduating magna laude Bradley Gerard aren't [Applause] Evan Ray Asher [Applause] Savannah Marie ball [Applause] Wyatt Benjamin Barnett [Applause] Corbin Blake beaver [Applause] graduating summa laude naij azadine Vega [Applause] Bailey Renee Bennett Carolina McKenzie Bennett graduating summa laude Cole Thomas Bowman [Applause] [Music] graduating magna laude Garrett Speer Braden [Applause] oh and Dakota Brazil [Applause] Corbin Lee
028Brown [Applause] graduating summa laude Jamie Ellen bube [Applause] Kendall Jade Moody [Applause] Sarah K Callahan [Applause] Ava Marie Clark [Applause] graduating laude Joshua Stephen Clement Clegg [Applause] all right Emma Marie Cochran Whitney Lynn Coffey [Applause] Jonathan Robert Kramer [Applause] graduating laude Nathan Allen Crenshaw [Applause] dalen Robert James Dees [Applause] graduating summa laude Hannah Nicole dewart [Applause] thank you Caitlyn Paige Doss oh thank you [Applause] Jesse Nicholas flights Remy Alexis Fletcher [Applause] Clayton Mark Marshall Fouts Jackson Donald Goldsmith [Applause] graduating summa laude Hadley rain great off [Applause] Blake Dwayne Grider [Applause] graduating summa laude basil Grimes [Applause] Caleb Walden Hammond [Applause] Audrey Lynn harder [Applause] Savannah rain Harris [Applause] Braden Levi hedger [Applause] graduating magna laude Henry Alexander heimbaugh [Applause] Jade Nicole Hofmeister thank you [Applause] Mario Renee Lee jenke [Applause] Nicholas Lee Jewell [Applause] graduating
029magna laude Shelley Gabriella Adele Johnson [Applause] Molly Ava King [Applause] Kaylee Nevaeh Kenny [Applause] graduating laude Victoria Elizabeth clayker [Applause] Michael Robert Knaus [Applause] foreign London J Custer [Applause] graduating magna laude Katarina June Laguna [Applause] [Music] Franklin James Lane [Applause] Peyton Andrew Lee [Applause] Leela K Leslie [Applause] Emma Elizabeth Opel Lucas [Applause] Serenity Mackenzie lucky [Applause] Alexandria Madison Monroe majors [Applause] graduating laude Savannah Michelle Martin [Applause] Payton James Melton [Applause] Tyler Asher Miller [Applause] Paul Edward Mason Myers [Applause] Liliana Florence nickel [Applause] norcut [Applause] foreign y O'Neal [Applause] Jackson William O'Shea [Applause] graduating magna laude Savannah hope Odin [Applause] Alexander Lee Oliver [Applause] Brady Ray Parish [Applause] graduating summa laude Millie Shea Eileen Patrick [Applause] Allison Bell Pennington foreign [Applause] summa laude Madeleine Rose pearly [Applause] Gage anik and reginer [Applause] Mackenzie Lynn Reynolds [Applause]
030Gage Dorman Richardson [Applause] Katie Marie Roberts graduating summa laude Aiden Nicholas Schilling Charles Thomas Schultz thank you [Applause] Ethan Dale Scott [Applause] promise Gail Sears [Applause] Jada June Garrity Shepherd [Applause] graduating magna laude Rafe Walker Silba [Applause] Haley Noel Sizemore [Applause] [Music] Toby Andrew Smith [Applause] Ronald Emery Smith thank you Ryan Noah Southworth [Applause] graduating summa laude Ethan David spies [Applause] Byron Cole Spivey [Applause] Kalin Connor Stanley [Applause] Aaliyah Nicole Taylor [Applause] Dylan James Taylor [Applause] all right Kylie and Marie Thaxton [Applause] ziley Dominique Andreina Thompson [Applause] Duncan Scott thummel [Applause] graduating summa laude Catherine Isis Tipton [Applause] Riley Matthew Todd [Applause] all right Blake Henry wagler [Applause] graduating magna laude Abigail Kalin Watson [Applause] thank you Henry Randall Webb [Applause] [Music] Andrew David Weddle [Applause] Gabriel Adam Weddle [Applause] Kristen Marie West [Applause] graduating
031magna laude Isabel Noel Williamson [Applause] Samuel Curtis York [Applause] awesome [Applause] Preston James Zimmer [Applause] Brooklyn Nevaeh Watkins [Applause] [Music] and now please welcome superintendent Emily Tracy to the stage to share a message to the class of 2023. [Applause] good morning I am honored on behalf of Brown County School Board of school trustees Miss Carol Bowden Mrs Amy Oliver Mrs Vicki Hardin Mrs Stephanie kreitzer and Mr Doug Payne our Administration Mr Austin Mr Hutchins and the entire faculty and staff at Brown County Schools I would like to welcome all of you to the 62nd graduation for Brown County High School parents I would like to thank you for entrusting our faculty and staff of Brown County schools with the educational the emotional and Social Development of These Fine Young students it has truly been a
032pleasure to work with them during my first two years at Brown County Schools our leadership team our staff even our student leadership have engaged in a conversation around how do we ensure that every child receives a world-class education as we have undertaken as we have pushed and pulled on this idea of course we Elevate academic fundamentals the Mastery of Essential Knowledge and Skills the literacy math science Civics and the Arts academics are Central to this experience and yet when talking with our students staff and the community academics alone does not ensure the outcomes we want for our children at Brown County Schools no knowledge alone will not do what we hear is we want students who are happy students who are healthy and students who are motivated to undertake big things and this relevation should
033not be a surprise because some of our greatest academics would say the same the Greek philosopher Aristotle stated that the most sought after things was not money not knowledge not power but what all humans seek Above All Else is happiness now I get it throughout our lives we've been tasked to do work hard work didn't always bring us happiness and at times we do have to do the work that doesn't bring us joy and while sometimes we conflate happiness with idle fun with goofing off with taking time off true happiness comes from a place much different from lying around the house instead researchers and our top thought leaders assert that true happiness occurs when we are stretched physically mentally to accomplish something meaningful and we choose to do it I think the best example of
034this is is exemplified this morning raising a child is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things that we can do in our life and here we are celebrating the graduation of 115 Brown County seniors as the culminating event of one of the most difficult things you have ever accomplished and no one can argue that today we are happy [Music] [Applause] and you chose to do it students today is the culmination of 13 years of education and development and while some of it wasn't chosen it was challenging I would also argue some of it actually was chosen some of you chose the challenging coursework to advance yourself academically you chose difficult some of you chose to march in the band In the Heat of the gym every Friday every Saturday night you chose difficult some of
035you chose to rehearse on that stage in that Auditorium relentlessly to ensure an audience felt as though they were part of the show you chose difficult some of the athletes chose to work a little harder a little longer you chose to run the extra mile take the extra batting practice or shoot the extra free throws you chose difficult and some of you you chose to work after school on the weekends during holidays to earn a paycheck all while keeping your grades up playing a sport or enjoying the Arts you chose difficult whether it's the academics it's Athletics or the Arts you leave Brown County choosing difficult things and leaving happy Brown County class of 2023 I have good news whether I described your journey of the last 13 years or not you get to choose
036your next challenge your next Journey Monday morning and at this time climbing that next mountain and accepting that next challenge whether it's enrollment in college whether it's entering the workforce or whether it's enlisting to serve our state and our country regardless of how difficult it may be if you choose it if you put in the work you'll find happiness I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the people who've played a pivotal role in your journey thank you for choosing the challenge to our teachers the entire staff of Brown County Schools my goodness thank you for your dedication your commitment your unwavering love and support for these students over the years to the Brown County Board of school trustees thank you for your charge to ensure the vision for Brown County Schools
037is simply the best of the best for our students thank you for allowing our staff to be able to create world-class opportunities and to strengthen those small school relationships with and for our students as it is those very experiences that will carry the impact for future Generations and to our families thank you for entrusting Brown County Schools to walk alongside your child throughout their Journey thank you [Applause] it's time to make this official at this time I would like to welcome Chase Austin Hadley great off at London custered to the stage to help lead the Turning of the tassels graduates it is my honor to confer your graduation upon you at this time please turn your tassel thank you congratulations [Applause] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign