The
in partnership with local businesses
Presents Class
the
2020 of
Belding High School
Greenville High School
Carson City-Crystal High School
Ionia High School
Central Montcalm High School
Lakeview High School
Clearwater Academy Homeschool
Montabella High School
Fellowship Baptist Academy
Tri County High School
Vestaburg High School
Page 2 | Saturday, May 16, 2020
Graduation
Index
BELDING HIGH SCHOOL 2-5
CLEARWATER ACADEMY HOMESCHOOL 6
LAKEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL 31-32
CARSON CITY-CRYSTAL HIGH SCHOOL 6-8
FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST ACADEMY 8
MONTABELLA HIGH SCHOOL 33-34
GREENVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 16-26
TRI COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 35-38
IONIA HIGH SCHOOL 27-30
VESTABURG HIGH SCHOOL 38-39
CENTRAL MONTCALM HIGH SCHOOL 9-14
‘I’ll do it’
Montabella senior’s resiliency inspires, leaves a mark
W
HEN Maggie Ludwig begins pre-med stud-ies this fall at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, she will be bringing 18 earned college credits along with her. The Montabella High School senior also has the qualifications to work as a certified nursing assistant while she attends college, and that is her plan. She only has to pass the state credentialing exam, which she can’t take until September when she turns 18. Maggie said people underestimate her abilities sometimes because she has cerebral palsy, a group of disorders that affect movement and muscle tone or posture. “I don’t let my CP stop me,” said Maggie. “I want to prove to people that I can still do things and be successful.” Along with a desire to prove herself, signing up for dual enrollment classes at Montcalm Community College, and the CNA course at Mid-Michigan Community College, while in high school was also a practical decision. Maggie took two semesters of freshman English, as well as courses in medical terminology (because she intends to go to medical school), sociology, political science and psychology. She’s aware of how much schooling she has ahead of her. “I know I’m going to be in college forever, so I want to get some of that out of the way,” she said. Born three months premature and weighing just 1 pound, 5 ounces, Maggie was in the neonatal intensive care unit for 97 days. Her mother Katie, now an emergency department nurse at McLaren Central Michigan Hospital in Mount Pleasant, said determination was in Maggie’s personality from the beginning. “There’s no doubt in my mind that’s why she survived. She just fought from the start,” Katie recalled. “As a nurse, I see things every day, and I’ve seen miscarriages that were that big. I was thinking, ‘This baby isn’t going to make it.’ But she just had that ‘I’ll do it, I’ll do it, I’ll do it’ right from the start. If she wants to do something, she just figures out a way to do it.” Maggie is as good-natured as she is goal-oriented, and always smiling, said Katie. When Maggie was little, she wanted to ride a bike, but with CP, her balance was poor. As with other challenges throughout her life, she met this one head-on and succeeded. She rode that bike. “She doesn’t ever give up. It’s just not in her. She just keeps on and does what she has to do, and it doesn’t bother her,” said Katie. “She’s a tough little cookie.” People sometimes confused her physical disability with an intellectual disability when she was younger, Maggie said. There is still a lot of stigma around that
aspect of cerebral palsy. “There can be mild cases, which is something I have, or severe cases where they are mentally and physically challenged,” said Maggie. “I may walk kind of funny, but I’m not mentally challenged. People judge me for that.” She has an enviable resume for any high school student. Maggie will graduate with high honors. She participated in academic team competitions like Model UN, Quiz Bowl and Science Olympiad. She was a member of the Spanish Club and traveled to Spain for almost two weeks the summer after her sophomore year. Maggie also served on the prom committee and was secretary to both student council and National Honor Society. Her favorite high school experience, though, was marching band, in which Maggie played trumpet. Marching is not the easiest thing to do for someone who has difficulty with walking and coordination. “I had some challenges I had to deal with, but I managed, and I think I pulled it off. It was fun,” she said. Maggie has had multiple surgeries, beginning in sixth grade, to rotate and straighten bones, lengthen tendons and cut out certain nerves to reduce spasticity. For the nerve surgery, she was out of school for a month and spent time at Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation. “They cut into my back, and I had to learn to walk again. It was pretty rigorous,” said Maggie. Montebella High School Principal Shane Riley said “resiliency” comes to mind when he thinks about Maggie. “She is a very hardworking young lady and has a pretty upbeat personality despite some of the things she has had to overcome,” Riley said, adding that there were times she missed a lot of school because of medical procedures that she’s had to undergo. “The fact that she didn’t let it slip, she kept up her with her studies through all of that, obviously talks about her dedication and speaks to her … again, that word ‘resiliency’ keeps popping up,” he said. Maggie is a role model for other students who are facing any kind of difficulties in school, whether physical or emotional, said Riley. “The fact that she was able to work through the cerebral palsy and do so well could be used as an inspirational example,” he said. Working through the CP and other challenges is a part of Maggie’s personality as well as her mom’s. “I can’t” or “I won’t” has never been part of either of their mindsets. “When kids were not including her, I made her deal with it,” Katie said. “I told her, ‘People are going to treat
you different your entire life. It’s not going to go away. You need to learn how to deal with it, and you need to learn how to deal with people to deal with it.” KAREN BOTA Because of what kbota@thedailynews.cc Maggie has been through with her cerebral palsy, she has had to work “three times harder” than anyone else, Maggie said, yet she takes it in stride. She describes herself as determined, outgoing and confident — the confidence coming from growing up knowing “I am myself and nobody can change that.” “I want to be remembered as someone who stood out in terms of a disability, but also someone who rolled with the punches and was always determined to be successful and not let anybody tell them otherwise,” said Maggie. When Maggie expressed interest in a career in medicine, Katie wasn’t surprised. After all, Maggie started physical therapy at 10 months old and has grown up around health care providers. Katie talks to Maggie and her other daughters, Natalie, 12, and Maxie, 10, about her experiences as an ER nurse, so shop talk at home is common. Maggie said at first she considered nursing, or maybe studying to become a physician’s assistant, but her mom nudged her in a different direction. “She said, ‘You’re competitive, and with your drive, you could push all the way through medical school,’” said Maggie. As Maggie looks ahead, she thinks she’d like to be a neonatologist and work with babies who were born early, as she was, or perhaps a radiologist, diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging. “Because of the CP, I have some physical limitations. Being on my feet all the time would put some stress on me if I were an ER doctor,” Maggie said. “As a radiologist, you don’t have to be in the hospital as much. And it looks fun.” “If she wants to be a doctor, she completely will be a doctor. She’ll figure out a way to do it,” Katie said. “I have no worries about her being a productive part of society. “She will make her mark for sure.”
Graduating Class of 2020
and a Very Special Congratulations to Lauren Barker Dr. Charles R. Barker, Jr., D.O. Family Practice, P.C.
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Saturday, May 16, 2020 | Page 3
Be l di n g To the Class of 2020:
F Tayah Allen
Thomas Anderson
Cam’Ron Antcliff
Christian Augustyn
Maria Barbosa
Lauren Barker
Valerio Bello Munoz
Dylan Betz
Luciano Biella
Erica Billings
Jack Bonning
Ashton Boroff
Mitchell Brokaw
Breanna Brown
Eli Brown
Erica Buchner
our years ago, we began a journey together at Belding High School – you, as students, and me, as your principal. When the adventure began, you were the first student group I met with. I recall our first meeting during freshmen orientation and telling you how humbled and honored I was to serve in my position. I also told you that the four years of high school would pass in the blink of an eye. In no time at all, your goofy freshman energy made a sudden shift into adulthood, accelerated swiftly by our current somber situation. It is somewhat amusing to think that at a time where the world is forcing us to slow down, you are faced with a rush of emotions, changes, and decisions that were supposed to be shared with friends, family, and staff members over the final two months of school. Yet, I do not fear the future because I know it is the good hands of the leaders, scholars, thinkers, creators, collaborators, and citizens built at Belding High School. As you move beyond the walls of BHS, I only ask you to do so with three simple concepts as your guiding force: Be Kind, Be Honest, and Be Tough. I commonly tell both students and my own children that it costs nothing to be kind. In a world sharply divided on almost every conceivable topic, being kind is a skill that translates to all arenas and transforms all attitudes. Kindness matters – always. Very few qualities rank as highly on my personal list of characteristics as honesty. Be honest in relationships with family and friends; be honest in your profession; and, be honest in the pursuit of your passions. You do not have to dig too deeply into literary canon for advice about being true to yourself. Honesty is the cornerstone of your character and the litmus test of your loyalty. Finally, toughness. You have been conditioned from an early age that being “Belding Tough” is important. While at times this mantra applies to physical toughness, I believe that it is about more than feats of strength in the athletic arena. Being tough means giving your all when giving up is easier. It’s perseverance, grit, drive, determination, and any of a number of qualities that lead to success in all facets of life. I do not know what is next for each of you, but I know that you have the ability to change your communities for the better. Using kindness, honesty, and toughness, combined with the abundance of skills honed at BHS and those that will be developed at your next destination, you are ready to be the storm of positive impact that is needed in this world.
Andrew Bunce
Marina Campo Calvo
Jasmine Castillo
Benjamin Catindig
As always, I am proud of you, I am thankful for you, I love you, and I count you positively among the blessings in my life. Congratulations, Class of 2020!
Love, Mr. Ostrander Belding High School principal
Not Pictured:
Leo Bacajol-Macario, Matthew Blackledge, Joshua Carter, Zackary Carter, Erica Collins, Zachary Conley, Kyra Emmons, Cassandra Lopez, Ignacio Medina Jr., Alexander Osmolinski, Marco Roque-Badder, Carlos Israel Rosales, Jacob Smith, Nathaniel Stanaland
Andrew Chambers
Hannah Chambers
Makenna Church
Cassandra Coe
Briana Conley
Raven Cramer
Brandy Dart
Katelyn Dombrowski
Elisha Doty
Christina Douglas
Paige Dukes
Cayden Edmonds
Malte Einvall
Ashley Enbody
Nils Eriksson
Lizzie Feuerstein
Travis Fiedler
Katelynn Gasper
McKenna German
Rafael Giraldi Riskalls
Mica Gladding
Alice Grillo
Page 4 | Saturday, May 16, 2020
Be l di n g
A letter to the Belding High School class of 2020
O
ne of the most common phrases I’ve heard the last few weeks from my classmates has been “I never thought I would miss school.” Although that short phrase is commonly overlooked, to me, that poses pride and backs up the love I have always had for this school and community. I am a firm believer that Belding has the best staff and most down-to-earth and good-hearted students around, backed up by the most supportive community. Throughout this school year, our class experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. From the best homecoming spirit week to the last home game of our sports career, last home band show, and the final drama production. The most important thing is that those experiences were spent together. On March 12th, we walked out of high school together for the last time in our lives. At that time, we
didn’t know that we would be missing out on the most memorable months high school has to offer. You might get told that these months weren’t as important as we think they are, that we will look back and will laugh. Don’t accept that advice. We’ve spent the last 14 years growing up with our classmates. We’ve experienced some of life’s hardest lessons and have watched each other grow up. Senior year prom means more than a dance. Senior year sports mean more than a season. Graduation is more than a ceremony. They’re a proper goodbye to the people that have shaped us. My advice to you is to find some way to compensate for that goodbye. Go out of your way to thank a student or teacher for what they have done for you. Take some time to look back on high school and just be upset that you’re missing these things. Life isn’t about five years from now, it’s
about the present. There’s an empty part in every senior’s heart right now for a lot of different reasons. To the class of 2020 and Belding High School, thank you for giving me the best experience I could have asked for. They say that graduating is about new beginnings and it is not. High school is an integral part of you becoming who you want to be. I truly consider myself lucky to have gone to Belding High School and I hope nothing but the best for Paden Rousseau every single classmate.
Emily Guernsey
Nathan Haarsma
Joseph Hall
Lorynn Harding
Samantha Harig
Maddilynn Harkrader-Nickolai
Riley Hart
Antonio Hernandez-Lopez
Blake Hulliberger
Hannah Hummel
Daniel Iacopelli
Gabrielle Jakeway
Caiden Jensen
Jack Johnson
Layla Johnson
Azariah Jones
Ella Jones
Madison Kazmerski
Emma Kinsey
Nathaniel Kramer
Joyshellee’ Kunecki
Molly Lake
Riyen Lake
Joseph Lanning
Guy Link
Olivia Lowry
Abigail Maag
Connor Magee
Mason Maharry
Jordan Mangus
Sofia Marino
Luke Marvin
Alexis McCarty
Britney McMaster
Alexandria McNinch
Luke Meadows
Jacob Mendoza
Maxwell Merren
Tyler Meyers
Matthew Miller II
Abby Millering
Ailey Neal
Cameron Nummer
Blake Oberlin
Carmen Olmsted
Zoe Ornelas Macedo
Lillian Oswald
Brett Parcher
Saturday, May 16, 2020 | Page 5
Be l di n g
Emersen Parker
Rafael Pehna
Justin Pennington
Molly Pennock
Tori Perez
BethAnn Peters
Michele Pileri
Liz Powers
Zachariah Powers Jr.
Elvis Preston II
Kassondra Purcey
Trent Purcey
Mattsen Putney
Abigail Quinn
Cole Reeves
Bryanna Rhodes
Matthew Rich
Drew Riches
Brandon Rodriguez-Damaso
Jonathon Ross
Paden Rousseau
Hunter Shoen
Anakin Sims
Connor Slager
“Let your smile change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.”
Congratulations
to all
2020 Graduates! We hope you will be blessed with great success in every field you pursue!
2020 GRADUATES We know your Senior Year did not end the way that you had planned... But we can’t wait to see how you overcome and soar.
You were made for this! Congratulations Class of 2020!
You Make Us Dr. John C.
O’Donald
Proud!
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Page 6 | Saturday, May 16, 2020
Be l di n g
Joshua Sluiter
Obec Sosa
Rachel Sosa
Trevin Springsteen
Freya Stendal
Brianna Stone
Olivia Stout
Dylan Straubel
Danielle Theodore
Ashley Tiffany
Cameron Tomich
Isiah Vandermolen
Jeremy Warner
Devin Wiley
Morgan Williams
Caitlyn Wright
Zakkariyya Yandle
Erick Zavalza Rodriguez
“Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” — Brian Tracy
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Saturday, May 16, 2020 | Page 7
Car son City-Crystal Dear Carson City-Crystal High School Class of 2020,
Nash Akin
Devin Alton
Austin Carmichael
Abbagail Clark
Ellie Clark
Liberty Devereaux
Megan DeWald
Tayvon Evans
John Ewalt
Anne Fitzpatrick
Cade Fleisher
Hunter Fleisher
Alyssa Gillson
Katherine Hall
Nicholas Hardy
Chloe Haring
W
hat a way you have ended your senior year! I know that this is tough and I also know that you missed out on a lot of things that you were excited to experience. However, when I reflect on it, I feel that this will only strengthen the incredible bond you have as a class. You are a unique group of individuals and you have accomplished so much as a group. Many of you are heading off to college with scholarships, athletic commitments, and dreams for your future. Many of you are already prepared to start a job and have your careers planned out. But I believe what you have accomplished the most is the friendships and camaraderie that you have created. Your graduating class has always been supportive of each other in a way that other classes have not. You all are spirited, kind, brilliant, creative, and a million other amazing adjectives. The method in which you ended your time in high school has not slowed down your friendships or the support that you have for one another. It is inspirational and heartwarming to watch. As you move on from your time at Carson CityCrystal High School, I have a few suggestions for you. First, I want you to remember this period in your life. Continue to check in on your classmates as you grow in your own way. Don’t ever lose the part of yourselves that creates the strong connections that you have created. Second, never lose sight of your goals. I have watched how much you have all changed over the past four years. You have grown into amazing young adults and you are one of the most motivated classes I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. Always remember what you are capable of. (And if you ever forget, reach out because I’m happy to remind you!). I know that I can speak for the entire high school staff when I say how proud of you we are. Go out and share with the world all that you have to offer. Congratulations, Class of 2020!
Ms. Verwys CC-C High School Teacher
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” — Dr. Suess
CONGRATS 2020 GRADS!
Class of 2020 Let’s celebrate YOU!
The road to success is not always smooth, but you have shown that dedication and focus can get you where you want to be! Keep driving toward success!
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Page 8 | Saturday, May 16, 2020
Carson City-Crystal Carson City-Crystal High School, Class of 2020
W
ith the last half of my senior year approaching, I was preparing for the most exciting part of my high school experience. Graduation, the senior mystery trip, my last track season, prom, senior pranks, the final walk-through, Honor´s Night and our last day-barbeque were among them. With the closings of schools, businesses, universities and restaurants, my senior year was paused. Covid-19 eventually canceled the rest of my senior year. The Covid-19 pandemic caused all of my plans to become no more. I was beginning to narrow down my list of colleges that I wanted to attend. I could not visit campuses, meet with advisors, or coaches. This made it difficult for me to take all the factors into
consideration to make my decision. I may not have a graduation ceremony, and cannot spend the last few months of my senior year with my friends and family before I plan to leave for college in the fall. Through all of the negative news and cancellations of exciting events, the small community has made sure that we seniors have been noticed and that we are getting our stuff taken care of. I am extremely excited to get back to seeing my friends and family after this pandemic ends. To make up for my missing year of track and field, which was planned to be very successful, I am looking forward to competing on the Olivet College track and field team this nest year. I really hope that this pandemic will be over and my plans to attend the college in the fall will not be
changed to all online classes. My senior year was very interesting due to this pandemic. I could not be more excited to get back to all the activities I had planned and to see all of my friends and family soon. We are so sad that our most exciting events have been canceled. The class of 2020 definitely can make it through Allyson Stevens anything.
Cecilia Havens
Isabell Hill
Ryan Holland
Kali Hollinshead
Travis Hutson
Monica Ibarra
Trystyn Jeffery
Meghan Keiffer
Dakota Kozlowski
Jenna Loomis
Elena Lopez
Sarah McCrackin
Madison Miller
Olivia Miramonti
Conner Newswanger
August O’Brien
Aoife O’Grady
Angelina Peiffer
Congratulations to all area Graduates.
CONGRATULATIONS
CLASS OF 2020
LAKEVIEW
TRI COUNTY
Lakeview - Howard City - Trufant - Morley www.cffcu.biz 271294 271573
Saturday, May 16, 2020 | Page 9
Car son City-Crystal
Zachary Pinkston
Victoria Polley
Brenden Saylor
Jacob Schneider
Victor Silva
Connor Smith
Torie Snider
Allyson Stevens
Gavin Stevens
Hannah Taeter
Dalton Tyler
Nicole Tyler
Alonzo Velazquez
Jamison Ward
Elizabeth Wieland
Brian Yeakey Jr.
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things.” — Ronald Reagan
Fellowship Baptist Academy From the Graduating Class of Quarantine
T
o anyone willing to read the ramblings of a high school senior such as myself, as a member of the Graduating Class of Quarantine, I say goodbye to many of the teachers, friends, and mentors I met along the way. As a member of the Graduating Class of Quarantine, I fear what is to come in the uncertain future that lay ahead of me. But while the future may be uncertain, I can still rely on the people around me as we endure the epidemic, which currently plagues us as well as withstand the strife in the world around us. So while we are together, let me tell you how school has been for the Graduating Class of Quarantine. Every day is its own senior skip day, but what we don’t lose in school attendance we gain in opportunity, even if it is restricted to our front porch. While we may not be present in each other’s lives, we
Jackson Chandler
are present in each other’s minds because that is what we can aspire to do. I am not saying that seniors have it all, or that high school is perfect because I’d be lying. There is the graduation we will miss, the open houses we may not get, and the obscene number of tests we must take. All of this is in the hope that we can do it for four more years because next is college, and college takes work. If all that wasn’t enough, my entire class has contracted Senioritis. For those left behind, you have my condolences, but remember to stay strong and work hard because as you can see, it doesn’t get easier. These years have such a huge impact on the rest of your lives, so don’t waste them. My biggest regret from high school was not learning better study habits because four hours of college statistics each Monday has made me want to cry. So if you are going to be a sleep-deprived high school senior or a student in general, make sure that
Keyz Armstrong
Parker Miller
you are doing it for the right reasons and not because Skyrim is still fun. This year has been a year to remember not because of the attempted impeachment of our president or the notorious virus for which I have named this year’s graduating class, but because we were able to be a part of it together, and yes, that includes the noisy middle-schoolers. Sincerely, Jackson Chandler The Graduating Class of Quarantine Valedictorian
Jackson Chandler
Gabby Schneider
Congratulations and Good Luck to all
2020 Graduates! Molly Lake
Belding High School 271894
200 N. Gooding St. Belding | 616-794-1130
Page 10 | Saturday, May 16, 2020
Central Montcalm To the Central Montcalm Graduating Class of 2020:
Tyler Alexander
Linda Appoloni
Haley Baker
Mitchell Bannister
Bianca Bean
Sarah Bodman
Garrison Bohen
Autumn Brecht
Jordon Bush
Tiia Chambers
Annalise Christiansen
Andrea Coggins
Kourtney Collins
Monica Compton
Cypress CondonStruble
Jason Crater
I
really don’t know where to begin because we really didn’t have a proper ending. Typically, this week would have been full of celebratory events bringing to conclusion your senior year. You would have experienced your last day of school, practice for commencement, your senior walk, capped off by your graduation day. With that being said, I don’t want to spend these few moments thinking about what didn’t happen. I want to write to you about what did happen with the class of 2020 and I want to do it with a story: In April of 1866, crates of nitroglycerin were shipped to California to aid in blasting through a mountain to create the Summit Tunnel. In route, one of the crates exploded at the Wells Fargo station in San Francisco, killing 15 people. Nitroglycerin is an effective explosive, but highly unstable. However, in another form it’s an effective treatment for heart disease and one of the oldest drugs used in the prevention of heart attacks. What awesome power is unleashed when two elements – nitric acid and glycerin — come together. For the last 4 years, the class of 2020 has displayed the character elements of service and spirit. Just like with nitric acid and glycerin, when you combine a servant’s heart with a contagious spirit, the results can be explosive. As the members of this class began to permeate our hallways with service and school spirit, we all witnessed a powerful explosion in our hallways and our school culture was altered in a positive direction forever. School spirit has exploded in our schools and is pervasive in our community. Our students take pride in each other and have a want for their classmates to find success in all of their endeavors. Just as nitroglycerin can be used to heal the heart, this combination of selflessness and healthy pride has, in many ways, brought the heartbeat back to CMHS. I am so privileged to be able to say that I am your principal. You have made my job such a joy and having watched many of you grow up, I know I can represent the CM community and say, “I am so very proud of you and I love you!” We will forever be connected by the uncharted ending to this school year and, more important, we will forever be connected as the mighty Green Hornets!
Mr. J, CM High School Principal
Jarod DeHaan
Teague Donazzolo
Aubrey Doolittle
Hunter Doolittle
Not Pictured:
Josiah Hayne, Jeffrey Holbrook, Kyle Rohn, Blake Scott
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” — Confucius
Congratulations
Class of 2020
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Saturday, May 16, 2020 | Page 11
Central Montcalm Dear Class of 2020,
W
e the Seniors of 2020, were born into a dark time after 9/11, and it’s crazy to think that our senior year would end in a pandemic. Walking the halls, we had no idea that things would end so dramatically. If we’d have known that that Friday, March 13th, would (ironically) be our last day, then we would have hugged each other a little harder, a little longer. We would have said goodbye to our friends and teachers. Even amidst all this uncertainty, we have so much good to look at from our years together. Just think, we were known as the middle schoolers: the middle schoolers that the high school was reluctant to teach. In the end, however, the teachers came around (and maybe we matured) and they learned to like us! During high school, we accomplished countless great things with our talents: baseball won districts, softball went to regionals and won conference every year, volleyball won districts, boys’
basketball won conference, girls’ basketball won districts, the band got all 1s, and the theater had amazing performances. We also have some funny memories too: the lower parking lot struggle, MACC kids leaving early for lunch, our class never getting the spirit flag, and so much more. Throughout high school, we went through the steps to get to the one day we all longed for, graduation day. These four years were filled with anticipation of graduating together, reminiscing about times gone by, and spending a magical day with friends and family. If we could go back, we would probably do things differently and we would try to appreciate every moment instead of only living for the end result. Yes, it is sad that our final year ended too soon, yet we are a resilient class. We have overcome adversity together from a teacher battling cancer to losing a teacher that was dearly loved, to being there for students who lost family, and countless more. We have gone
through difficult times, and in the end, COVID-19 will make our class closer and stronger. There are positives to this tragedy. You have time to work on yourselves mentally and physically. As students, we can sleep in and do our homework after we feel refreshed from a good night’s sleep. We have time to connect with family, to learn how to do new things, and to reflect more on our plans for the future. We can adjust; we are resilient. In the end, in times like these, we need to be there for each other. Most of us have grown up with the same classmates since elementary school. We have seen each other more than our own parents and siblings. We, Class of 2020, are family. We will get our chance to see each other again in our caps and gowns, but for now, let’s all be thankful and grateful for what we were able to experience and for the new memories we get to make.
Francine Kalnins
Aubrey Doolittle
Lourdes Fike
Kyah Fisher
Treston Fitzgerald
Hunter Fuhrman
Collin Galbraith
Tyrah Gallagher
Carson Goodell
Elizabeth Greenway
Caleb Hagen
Lucas Hall
Cole Hanna
Kaitlin Hart
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Saturday, May 16, 2020 | Page 15
CC-C senior reflects on high school experience, personal struggles
K
ali Hollinshead started her freshman year at Carson CityCrystal High School not knowing where her life was headed or what the future had in store for her. “I was struggling with mental health issues, my grades were slipping more and more as the years continued and I also was just feeling really lost, personally and academically,” the 18-year-old recalled. Fast forward four years and Hollinshead, after having spent her senior year as team captain on the cheer team and a section leader in band, is now getting ready to graduate from CC-C with nearly all A’s in her classes — something which, at one point in time, she would have never thought possible. The change occurred during her sophomore year. “I was really closed off to everyone at the beginning of high school. I didn’t have many friends because of this, and that just made things even harder. My behavior was really erratic and I was doing things that I knew were not healthy,” she said. “I decided to turn to some of the staff at CC-C because I needed someone to hear my truth. That was the best decision I have ever made.” In opening up about her struggles to a support system that includes CC-C High School teachers Erin Verwys, Michael Porter and Chad Parmenter, Hollinshead says she was able to slowly turn things around. “(They) helped me realize how much potential I had to do something great with my life,” she said. “Through helping me academically to improve leaps and bounds from where I began to giving me advice that would further affect how I live the rest of my life, they really helped guide me down the right path.” Verwys said watching and working with Hollinshead has been an experience unlike any other that she has personally witnessed during her time at CC-C. “Some of her support system and I have constantly talked about it,” Verwys said. “We believe that (Hollinshead) is one of the biggest success stories that we’ve all seen in our teaching careers.” Verwys says she first met Hollinshead in class a couple of years ago when she
BRANDON SCHREUR bschreur@thedailynews.cc
Having spent her senior year as a team captain on Carson City-Crystal’s (CC-C) cheer team, Kali Hollinshead is graduating from CC-C this year and plans to attend Central Michigan University to study meteorology in the fall. — Submitted photo
noticed she was struggling with her academic work. “She seemed to be going through a tough time,” Verwys recalled. “There were moments when I could tell she was really struggling personally, which had then begun to seep into her academics. She was in my classes so I saw a lot of that. I became one of the people who sought her out and made sure she’s doing OK. There was a lot of time outside of the classrooms, trying to get that personal stuff under control.” The relationship continued throughout Hollinshead’s junior and senior years as Hollinshead continued to grow and improve on both an academic and personal level. “That girl, she’s got a lot of fight in her,” Verwys said. “She’s been through a lot and has struggled a lot. There were times when she claimed she was giving up, but she never did. She’d come back stronger than before.” During her senior year, Hollinshead became team captain on the cheer team — an accomplishment which she had been eyeing for some time.
“The cheer team was started during my freshman year. Deep down, I really wanted to join, but was hesitant to,” she said. “I ended up joining cheer the end of my sophomore year and, at this time, we just got a new cheer coach, Nicole Keyes. I loved being part of the cheer team because of all of the fun times we had together. No matter what was happening in everyone’s outside lives, coming to practice was always an escape.” A flute player since sixth grade, Hollinshead also became a section leader in band during her senior year. “There was a lot of pressure, at times, to make sure that I was always doing my best at all times to show a good example, but I’m sure by now my section of flutes has learned that no one is perfect and it’s okay to mess up sometimes,” she said. Although the past two months have been unorthodox due to school closings related to the coronavirus pandemic, Hollinshead is still excited about the idea of graduating. “Although this really hurts, I know the staff at CC-C are trying to make our graduation ceremony as special as they
can. They know how hard this is on us and I know that they want to make us feel recognized in the way we deserve. The senior parade that was just recently put on in town was so special for all of the seniors that were involved,” she said. “I hope that graduation can continue on as planned. All I want is to walk out in front of all the people who have helped me get to where I am today and make them proud.” Hollinshead plans to attend Central Michigan University this fall to major in meteorology and minor in performing arts. Her dream is to become a leading meteorologist while simultaneously following her passion for theater and acting. “(The career path) makes total sense for her, as those are the types of things she’s fascinated in,” Verwys said. “This year, we really started to hear that from her. During her sophomore and junior year, she was focused on small goals — not even making it to graduation, but just making it through the year. It was so nice when she started opening up to talk about those goals and what she was really interested in during her senior year.” Looking back over her time at CC-C, Hollinshead hopes all current and future students know how valued and important they are to the staff and their classmates. “If I had to give any advice to upcoming freshmen, it would be to know that every single one of you has the potential to do something great. Even though you may feel that life has thrown you nothing but obstacles, know that it’s possible to rise above any and all struggles and come out on top,” she said. “Also, go easy on your teachers. I know homework is not fun, but just know that the staff members all really care about you and always want you to succeed. You can do anything you put your mind to so don’t give up and keep pushing through!”
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TO THE CLASS OF 2020 Special Congratulations To:
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