001I feel it necessary to do something for the first time in my career and that's to have a weather plan, a just in case idea. It's better to have a plan and not need it than to not have a plan and say, "What are we doing?" Okay, we do know that weather could be an issue tonight. If that warning alert should come across, we do have people watching our specific area and watching that radar closely to keep us safe. If that red cone, if that alert should come for our area, here will be our plan. Okay. If you are seated on the south side, you are out that door with our staff as fast as possible to the interior middle school hallways of safety shelter. Okay. If you were seated on the north side, you
002are out the door as fast as possible with our staff. And there are interior hallways both on the backside and in the middle school to keep you safe for shelter. If you are on the floor, the stage or the back, you are going to be exiting through the commons area. The commons area along with both bathrooms are designated shelter locations for a tornado. Okay. Are there any questions or concerns about that arrangement? There's a first time for everything and it's better to have a plan. So, that'll be the plan. If that should become the case, let's hope we never need that. We appreciate you for being here tonight. Give us just a few minutes. We're going to get the flag set up. We will post the colors. We will set up the stage and we
003will begin. Thank you for being here again. One final request I would have, we do still have a few families that are filtering into our entrances. If there is any potential to squeeze together a little bit to make more room for some of our families, we want to make sure that everybody is able to be present and have a good vision of vantage point of this special occasion. So, thank you for your support with that. We will get started momentarily. Good evening. Thank you again for being with us this evening for a presentation of the colors this evening. This will be led by our 2025 Eagle Scout class [Applause] members. Color guard. Attention. Audience, please rise. Color guard forward march. Color guard halt. Color guard cross the colors. Coagard post the flag of the United
004States of America. Color guard post the flag of the great state of Ohio. Color guard released. Thank you. You may be seated. [Music] All right. [Music] Good evening, Clinton Massie community, parents, alumni, board of education members, students, staff, and honored guests. Welcome to the 2025 Clinton Massie High School commencement ceremony. We gather this evening to recognize and applaud the efforts of our graduates as they celebrate this milestone accomplishment. Our ceremony will begin this evening with the playing of our school alma mater performed by the Clint Massie High School band under the direction of Mr. Andrew Hall. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Come [Music] on. Hey. Hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Yeah, please. [Music] Hey everybody. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat.
005Heat. [Music] [Applause] Ladies and gentlemen, one more time, please welcome the graduating class of Clintie High School from 2025. Students, you may be seated. Good evening. Students, family, faculty, and community members. Welcome to the graduation ceremony for the Clinton Massie class of 2025. I'm honored to stand before you tonight as the senior class secretary. Well, we're here. Tonight writes the final page of your high school chapter. As soon as you walk out of those doors tonight, you'll officially be Clinton Massie alumni. You've worked hard for 12 years to reach this moment. You made it. You're done. You've graduated. Congratulations. As much as we might like to believe that all of this work was done on our own, it wasn't. Behind every late night, early morning, and quiet moment of doubt and uncertainty, we were the
006people who believed in us most even when we didn't believe in ourselves. our teachers, friends, school staff, and this incredible community all played a part. But most of all, it was our parents and guardians who gave the most quietly, consistently, and often without thanks. So, when you leave here tonight, give them a hug. Tell them thank you, and let them have a moment to soak it all in, too, because they have sacrificed more for you than they will ever tell you. As years go by and the memories slowly turn into a blur, remember one thing, the people. Remember the goofing off in class, the embarrassing and intimidating moments as freshmen, the energy of Friday night football games, and those late night fast food runs. Remember the best friends, the inside jokes, and the moments that
007made high school so memorable. As we move far away, find new jobs, get married, and start families of our own, don't forget where we all came from. A small town school in the middle of a cornfield. Life will change, but don't lose touch. Send that quick message and always say hello in public, even if it might feel awkward. Um, because no matter where life takes you, we all share the same roots. We all went to that small town school in the middle of a cornfield. Whether you loved every second of high school or you're counting down the days, this place and these people will always be a part of your journey. I can't wait to see what God has in store for each of you as you start this new chapter of life. So, as
008we walk out of these doors tonight, I thank you. Thank you for the laughter, the memories, and the moments we'll never forget. Congratulations, Clint Massie, class of 2025. It was a blast. Thank you, Nora. Next, our pledge of allegiance will be led by Mr. Nathan Mlan. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. All rise. I pledge I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing. Uh take remove all hats as the choir sings the national anthem. [Music] Oh, say can you see by the dawn early so we lights and [Music] brightly [Applause] stream through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that sple for the
009land of the [Music] brave and the home of the brave. Thank you to our choir under the direction of Mrs. Aaron Hails. If you would please remain standing as Mr. Kennedy Morgan makes his way to the stage for our invocation. All right, let's bow our heads as we join in prayer. Dear God, I thank you for this special day and for guiding us to this moment. We're grateful for the strength to overcome challenges and lessons we've learned and the support of those who've helped us along the way. As we celebrate and bless this new beginning, lead us forward with purpose, courage, and faith. And in your name we pray. Amen. Thank you, Kennedy. You may be seated. As we look toward Memorial Day next weekend, let us pause to salute those who have answered the
010call of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice for America, including the Clinton Massie High School graduate Kenneth Fall from the class of 1968 who was killed in action in Vietnam. As a Purple Star School, we also want to pause to recognize our veterans and active duty military personnel in attendance this evening. If you are a veteran or an active duty military personnel serving in any branch of the armed forces, if you would please stand to be recognized. [Applause] Thank you for your service. Let us also celebrate with our graduates who are making commitments after high school to confront the challenges of their generation. graduates who are following in the footsteps of these active duty military personnel and veterans. If you would please stand to be recognized as you make this commitment after high school. Thank
011you. [Applause] Next with our saludiatoran address, Miss Dakota Carter. Good evening everyone. Thank you all for being here today. I'm honored to stand before you as the class of 2025 saludiatoran. I don't have a lot to say today as many of you are probably grateful for that. However, I want to leave you all with a little piece of encouragement and wisdom that I've learned this year. My biggest prayer for my life this year is learning to slow down and live in the moment. I'm constantly planning for my next chapter and I don't want to be so focused on planning that I miss out on living. The truth is, I look forward to college, getting married, and becoming a mom. And it's been a challenge to push these dreams of mine aside. It is not in
012my nature not to worry about the things of my future. I live a very fast-paced life with a busy schedule. Eventually, this caught up to me, and after a few hard months, I realized how precious life truly is. Even though this has been a hard year in my life, God has blessed me with um or even though this has been a hard year in my life, I believe my savior is still good and all glory to him that I'm standing here today. God has blessed me with a new perspective and more blessings than I could even number. As a freshman, I remember seniors telling me that high school moves really fast. And I also remember thinking, "Yeah, right." Now I realize what they mean. It does go so fast. And the next four years of
013our lives, either in college or at work, will go so fast. When we get married or start a family, it will go so fast. A lot of our parents are probably thinking this right now. Then one day, you'll be retired, sitting in a rocker, reading a book, maybe to your grandchild or next to your spouse, and you'll look at your life and think, "This went really fast." So, because this is inevitable for every individual, I encourage you today to learn with me how to live in the moment. Cherish this summer. Smile more often, laugh harder, and make a lot of memories. Live in the moment. Cherish the Mondays and the weekends. Cherish being young. Cherish the boring classes and the exciting projects. Live in the moment. When you start school in fall or work on
014Monday, cherish the wisdom you learn from the mentors in your life. Live in the moment. Cherish the moments with the people in this earth because because ultimately we do not know what lies ahead. We do not know the number of our days because they are not ours to hold. Instead, we must choose to cherish each day with gratitude, rejoicing in the fact that we are alive. So, choose today to live in the moment. Thank [Applause] [Music] you. Thank you, Dakota. Congratulations on being the class of 2025 saludiatoran. Next, we will have two pieces from our Clinton Massie High School choir under the direction of Mrs. Aaron Hails. I was your dream. Now I'm grown. My journey has just beun. I'm looking back. This was my life. I will remember it all. And I thank you
015for the moment when I learned how to stand on my own. And I'm grateful for the memories of the life and the love I have known. And I want you to know not everything is changing. There's a place deep in my heart that will stay with you for now [Music] and here we stand ready for words may go up with our hearts with our dreams. They will stay close to our hearts. One by one we go to find our way out in the world our lives to ourselves we will be and we thank you and we thank you for the moment the moment you show us the way showed us the way we should have cherish the You taught us to give and we want you to know everything is changing. There's a place deep
016in my heart that will stay with you for now and [Music] [Applause] I was a child though I was small. I was your dream of pretending your story chasing my dreams. This is my time now to try something. I hope that I find what my heart's longing for. And I can't wait to see what's in store. I walk through that [Music] door and I thank you for the moment when I'm not and on my own. I'm grateful for the memories of the life and the love I have known. And I want you to know everything is changing. There's a place deep in my heart that will stay. So when I see the sky, I will choose to fly. I am still your dream. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] May the road up to teach you. May
017the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. The rains fall soft upon your field. And until we meet again. And until we meet again, we meet again. May the God that loves us so hold you in the p of his [Music] hand. [Music] Amen. Amen. [Applause] Thank you, Mrs. Hails. Thank you to our Clinton Massie High School choir. Next, we will have our validictorian address for Mr. Owen Goodwin. [Applause] [Music] Hello everyone. I would like to begin with two things. The first is a thank you. Thank you all of you for being here today. Graduates, staff, siblings, parents, and anyone else who cared enough to be here tonight. I would like to say thank you on behalf of the whole graduating class of 2025. I believe that it
018is easy to understate the value of importance of you guys being here for us. So, whoever you are, thank you for showing up. The second is a confession. When I was first told that I would be giving the speech tonight, I was told two things. The first was that I was giving a speech, and the second was that I needed to not put it off. I did put it off until Tuesday. I really had no idea what to speak about when I was first told that I had to give a speech. Um, the list of things relevant to the lives of some 800 people is really very short, as I'll get to in just a minute. So, first I'm going to talk about myself. Over the past 18 years, my parents have made it a
019point to take my brother and I to many national parks as they could. I've been lucky enough to see many of the most spectacular sites our country has to offer. And I've learned over and over again that the beauty of our world has a way of making you feel very very small. As such, I have contemplated the meaning of my life far more times than I would like to admit. And my mind always leads me back to this question. What really connects all of us? Surely the point of life of consciousness would be found in some sort of experience that everybody gets to do. And the list of things that are truly universal is as I mentioned before very very short and for me it just has two items. The first is life and the
020second is death. Life in comparison to death is very easy to think about. It's familiar and although it's far from predictable, we can learn from the experiences of others. You may ask a friend what it was like to go through a breakup or to get laid off from his job. But you can ask a dead person what it's like to die. No matter who you are, if you're here today, you have experienced the death of somebody you care about. Some of you have maybe lost more than you can count. But you are likely no closer to understanding the true nature of death than the rest of us. It often leaves us battered, bruised, and with more questions than answers. Indeed, death is something that our class of 2025 has had to confront directly. I'm sure
021many of my classmates would agree that the death of somebody you grew up with so close to is a wound that never truly heals. The death of somebody you care about can truly change your perspective on life. The realization that the bank of memories is sealed forever, that you'll never again share a laugh or an inside joke, or that you'll never say goodbye again, is a realization profound enough to alter the course of your life. The hardest part of growing up is that not everybody gets to. With just 18 years of experience, I'm not vain enough to claim that I can tell you the meaning of life. Even with 50 or 100 more years, I don't know that I'd be any closer to an answer. Thankfully, you don't need to ask me because when people
022are dying, they're forced to come up with an answer. When people know their time is short, they don't want to waste it on anything not worth their time. So, in those moments, they decide what is important to them. And most people, the vast majority of people, seem to want the same thing. They don't want to hold their high school diploma one more time to get one last good look at it. They don't want to have their trophies or look at their bank statements. They want to see the people they love. They want to have in that room with them the people they care most about. And no amount of fame or fortune or glory could ever overcome that. When I think back on my family's trips, the 10-hour days in the car, the 20-m hikes,
023the good weather, and the bad weather, the best memories are not of where I went. It isn't the sense of accomplishment I felt after hiking out of the Grand Canyon. It isn't the feeling of wonder when I looked at the Tetons for the first time. What molded me into the person I am today is who I did it with. Those memories are special to me. Not because of what I did, but because of who I did it with. So, in the end, maybe we do all figure it out. It's not what we do, how we do, or why we do it. It's who we do it with. So, please don't wait until your end of the life until the end of your life to figure that out. Yes, go make your money. Go start your
024business. Go travel the world. Do what makes you happy, but stop searching for meaning. This is the meaning. It's right here in front of you. It's not about the job or the college degree, the money, the house, or the vacation. It's the people who cared enough to show up for you today. It's the people who are always willing to talk to you. It's the people who you go to when you just need a hug, and the people who never fail to make you laugh. You already found it. You already found meaning. Figure that out now instead of later so you can go live your life. Thank you, and have a wonderful rest of your evening. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause]
025[Music] [Applause] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Thank you to our Clinton Massie High School band under the direction of Mrs. Kristen Mlan. Next, we will have the presentation of our class gifts for Miss Emma and Miss Haley Swagger. Hi, my name is Emma Crombie and I'm the class treasure. I'm Haley Swagger and I'm senior class president. We would like to welcome Mr. Moss. On behalf of our class, we'd like to present Clinton Massie Local Schools with two plaques in honor of classmates Presley Goldie and Jason Flint. May their memory live on forever in each of us. We would also like to donate money to help refresh signage on campus. We would also like to give the remaining of our class fund to the incoming class
026of 2029 in order to help them create wonderful high school opportunities for their class. We also would like to take one more second and thank Mrs. Seir. On behalf of myself and the rest of my 2025 class adviserss, we would like to take a moment and recognize Mrs. Seir for all of the hard work she's put into this year. [Applause] Congratulations class of 2025. On behalf of the board of education as well as the rest of Clinton Massie local school district, we graciously accept this gift from your class and we wish you each best of luck. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you to the class of 2025 for your generosity. You've arrived. You've made it. You're here, right? Four years of high school over, completed, done. Just like that. 720 days of memories that are going
027to last a lifetime. Just like we talked about, kindergarten seems like just not that long ago. Outstanding students like the ones before us today are a product of quality families and a supportive community. We want to thank the community for your continued support for our schools and for our students. Students, you have a lot to be proud of tonight. But let's also admit you didn't get this far by yourself. Your parents, your family, and your support network have been integral to help you along the way. Please pause. Look into the crowd. Look to the floor. make eye contact with those people that are here tonight where mutual admiration and appreciation is shared to say thank you. I'm proud of you and way to go. Some of our students have already jump started their college career
028by taking CCP coursework while simultaneously being enrolled in high school. Students, if that's you, please stand. Thank you. Some of these students have already attained an associates degree while also receiving their diploma this evening. If you're receiving your associates degree or have already, please stand to be recognized. If you're counting, that's seven. I need one more. Mr. Meford, are you here? Please join us by standing. That would make eight as a junior. For comparison's sake, what does that mean? Eight students with an associates degree. Ask Beaver Creek with their five. Ask Centerville with their three. Who's keeping track? Thank you. We're extremely blessed to have a dedicated staff of hardworking professionals who daily work to educate, inspire, and support students to be successful in all that they do. If you're an employee of Clinton Massie
029Local School District, would you please stand to be recognized? [Applause] Thank you for your commitment to students. We are fortunate in our location to be partners with three different vocational campuses. That's Great Oaks Career Campus, Green County Career Center, and Warren County Career Center. If you're here representing these organizations, would you please stand as a partner agent of our students? Several of our students who attend these organizations have already graduated from one of our partner schools with a career passport with an industry credential, making them job ready immediately. If you're one of those students that has graduated from a vocational career center, would you please stand and be recognized? [Applause] Thank you graduates. This is not the finish line. It's just the launching pad. As Falcons, you're destined to soar to far away places in
030search of opportunities and satisfaction. But as your class motto states, "Chase your dreams, but always know the road that'll lead you home again." Regardless of where you go or what you do, your experiences here in the 45113 or at Clark's Vegas or Clinton Massie High School will forever be your home. Cherish these memories. Use these experiences to make positive impacts around the world while not forgetting where you came from. It's been my honor to be your principal. Congratulations to the class of 2025. Best wishes in all that you do. Stay classy, Clinton Massie. And as always, be smart and be safe. Let's make this official. Good luck. Owen Goodwin, Dakota Partner, Maria Jones, Addison Swope, Noel Gasway, Addie Gibson, Sophia Jones, Emilyn Arnold, Sydney Hudson, Marshall Hunter, Haley Swiger, Elanora Fricky, Emma Crombi, Nathan [Applause]
031Mlan, Kennedy Morgan, Ian Adams, Brie [Applause] Addington, Azeree Allen, [Applause] Bianca Allen, [Applause] Skyl Xander [Applause] Avery, Dallas Bailey, Chase Baker, Jesse Baker, Trevor [Applause] Bills, Gabriel Black, Gracelyn [Applause] Boone, Brandon Bowling, [Applause] Jaden Bragg, Payton Brewer, James Brooks, Samantha Brown, Isabelle Ella [Music] Bulock, Jordan Burns, Paisley [Music] Bington, Reese Bington, Lydia Cameron, Cooper Carmarmac, [Music] Logan Cheser, Delaney Chester, Kai [Applause] Christensen, Ty Clutter, Wyatt Cooblitz, [Applause] Wade Collet, [Applause] Madison [Applause] Corson, Kendall Danberry, Lana Dean, Hie Dennis, Michael Dorgan, Sydney [Applause] Doyle, Liam Eids, John Edwards, Lauren Edwards, Jackson [Applause] Elkins, Avdon Faucet, Matthew Folly, [Applause] Jason Flint. [Applause] Molly Ford, Flora Franic, Riley Gilbert, [Applause] Drake [Applause] Gillian, Presley Goldie. [Applause] Maggie Grant, Bryley Green, Susan Green, [Applause] Paula [Applause] Fernandez, Jacob Harrison, Brendan Henderson, Daley Hickey, Alexander Hill, Whan [Music] [Applause] Hubble,
032Cooper [Applause] Hudson, Bryce Huffman, Ava Hughes, Colton Hughes, Healey [Applause] [Music] James, Matthew Jones, Mason Kick, Kristen [Applause] Cook, Taylor [Applause] Cotch, Hannah Croninberger, Ethan [Applause] Coleman, Luke Kine, Shayen Lamb, Ava Lamaster, Lillian Logden, B Loose, Gleb Loose, Mason Martini, Samuel Massie, Colton McHune, Carson McDow, Hannah McLad, Alexis Michaels, Hunter [Applause] Mons, Joseph Morath, Irene Garcia, [Applause] Cash [Applause] Mounts, Brendan Muser, Payton [Applause] Owens, Josh Parsons, [Applause] Matthew [Applause] Petri, Corvin [Applause] Pittinger, Ria Prell, Alex Ramirez, Emma Redmond, Holden Ruby, Brady Russell, Sydney [Applause] Schneider, Jacob Schneider, [Applause] Zoe [Applause] Sheldon, Kaylee Shriveler, Kaden Smith, Henry Smith, Wyatt Smith, Andy [Music] Steed, Landry [Applause] Stump, Caleb Stikes, [Applause] Audrey Ta, [Applause] Olivia [Applause] Tukesberry, Jack [Applause] Tommen, Daniel Thomas, Carly [Applause] Thompson, Hana Trumper, Jackson Walker, [Applause] Gracie Wallen, Cameron Watkins, Cheyenne [Applause] Weatherford, Matteline
033Wetsz, Kale [Applause] Wilson, Braden Woodyard, Oliver Wright, [Applause] To the Clinton Massie Board of Education, staff, parents, and community, it's my honor and privilege to present to you the Clinton Massie High School class of 2025. [Applause] The graduation tassel is a symbol of success. The ceremony begins with the tassel on the right. As these students have earned the right to graduate by moving the tassel to the left after graduation, this will be a public symbol of crossing over from high school to the next stage in their life. Students, please join together now in moving that tassel from the right to the left to outwardly symbolize the accomplishment of [Applause] graduation. Next with our closing, Miss Maria Jones. [Applause] Here we are at the beginning of a new chapter and the end of an old one.
034I'm going to be completely honest. I'm not some oracle of wisdom. I'm just here to give a small piece of advice. Honestly, if the last four years have taught us anything, it's that nobody really knows what they're doing, even when they look like they do. But that's what makes today matter. We're not here because we had everything figured out. We're here because we kept showing up. We showed up on the good days and we showed up on the hard ones. We showed up when we were confident and when we seriously doubted ourselves. And somewhere along the way, we grew even stronger. And we made a choice every single day to keep showing up. And that choice that was is what has brought us here. To the class of 2025. We didn't do this alone, but
035we showed up together. And that's enough. [Applause] Congratulations. Thank you, Maria. And finally, our benediction this evening presented by Miss Addie [Applause] Gibson. Will you bow with me? Heavenly Father, we thank you again for gathering us here today one last time. As we take our next steps into the future, I pray for your guidance and protection on our lives. May you put us on the right path for our futures and that we may glorify you and your kingdom. Help us to grow and strengthen our faith. I pray for our future plans and careers. May you bless them and make them successful. Thank you for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. And we thank you for the time that we had with Presley and Jason. I thank you for the memories we've made here and
036the times that we've shared at Massie. Help us to remember these experiences throughout the rest of our lives. I pray these things in Jesus name. [Applause] Amen. And now it is my pleasure to say one final time, congratulations to the class of 2025. We did it. [Applause] Students, you are free to be dismissed. Students, if you would please begin exiting. Adults, if you would please hold tight and allow the students to exit first. Thank you for being here this evening. Congratulations to the class of 2025. [Music]