By Stephen Smoot
“God brings His children to heaven by many paths,” wrote Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in his classic novel Don Quixote.
Similarly, the 64 Pendleton County High School seniors who tread their paths through 13 years of school each embarked on their own particular journey. Even alongside others who may have been their best of friends, each individual pathway produced a unique set of memories and experiences, as well as knowledge and wisdom gained through both classroom and life learning.
As Olivia Gonshor gracefully played the piano, the soon-to-be-graduates filed in. Avery Townsend, class president, then opened proceedings with the invocation.
Nicole Hevener, introduced by the class vice president, Paigelynn Long, shared her thoughts as principal. “I would like to take some time to thank our teachers, staff, school board members, superintendent, and directors for all they do to keep Pendleton County High school such a wonderful place to work and learn.”
She recognized them and also the “class advisors for the countless hours that have been devoted to this very special day.” Next, she praised the “love, hard work, and guidance” of “extraordinary” parents and guardians of the students preparing to graduate.
Hevener articulated the theme of “choosing what path to take when coming to a crossroad, knowing that decision would have long-lasting effects for the future.” Her inspiration for sharing that ideal came from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.”
She then shared some of the roads traveled by many of the graduates, including 25 honor graduates, 12 Promise Scholarship recipients, 38 accepted into trade school or college, and an incredible 21 (almost one-third of the class) South Branch Career and Technical Certificate completers, three graduates of the Grow Your Own teacher education program, two Career and Technical Education Completers in careers and education, and eight career and technical education completers in agriculture business.
Emma Hartman, salutatorian, was introduced by Lydia Heavner, class secretary. Hartman introduced lyrics to “The Impossible Dream,” a song from the modern play “The Man of La Mancha” based on Quixote and most often associated with crooner Andy Williams.
Hartman offered different interpretations on what the lyrics meant in general and to her own life. She quoted “to fight the unfightable foe, to bear with unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go . . . to right the unrightable wrong.”
Quixote tells of a man who clings to an older time’s values of virtue, honor, integrity, courage, and noblesse oblige regardless of the rapidly changing world around him. Though portrayed as senile, his purity of heart and devotion to purpose drive him on.
Hartman speculates, saying, “Maybe the whole purpose wasn’t to reach the goal, but to try . . . maybe it’s about still striving with every ounce of drive you have left.” Hartman also explains that not meeting the goal, even failure, can bring the blessing of teaching about life experience.
She applied those lessons to some of the most important goals in her life, including excellence in varsity volleyball and obtaining a highly selective presidential scholarship from Fairmont State University.
All that possible with the help of “a Father in Heaven who knows each person in this gymnasium personally . . . (and) cares for each and every one of us.”
Jenna Smith, treasurer of the class, introduced the valedictorian Lizzie Alt, her travel mate this week on the state championship contending softball squad.
Alt centered her speech theme on one of childhood’s most repeated lines, “the phrase ‘I can’t wait.'”
Alt shared that her first “I can’t wait” was volleyball season, but later, graduation itself with a lot of “I can’t waits” in between. “It has almost become routine for us,” she stated. “We wake up, go through our routines counting down the days to the weekend, or the next hangout, or whatever moment seems to be better than the one we are in now.”
She went on to point out that “with that, we are always assuming we will have more time . . . we find ourselves focused on what’s next and we lose sight of the moments in front of us.”
This bit of wisdom comes usually from those who have much less time remaining, and therefore value time as dear.
Alt thanked her friends, “some of the most amazing people,” as well as the parents of friends with whom she bonded through sports and other activities over the years. She also recognized her family, including her brother James, saying that at her sporting events “he’s the one screaming the loudest, I guarantee you.”
She then praised “my mom . . . my biggest inspiration and my best friend” and also “God . . . for the life He has given me and all the opportunities He has provided me with.”
Then came the commencement address from Dr. Christopher Mallow of Upper Tract. His graduation took place 15 years ago, but he also reflected on pathways of sorts, affected by “the moments that jolt you, a wedding, a reunion, a graduation like this.”
Starting on a path in West Virginia, as others have noted, gives certain advantages, including that one is “known for being hard-working, resilient, and resourceful.”
After the traditional video dedication, retiring superintendent Charles Hedrick took to the podium. In his talk, he reflected on how his current path resembles that of the graduates in that a long period of time, effort, and work was ending and a new chapter of life opening up with a wide array of possibilities.
Smith provided the benediction, followed by Gonshor on the piano, playing the introductory music to the rest of the graduates’ lives.
