La Grange Class of 2022 Graduates
Amidst the backdrop of a painful week – when every school moment seemed to take on an added level of preciousness and importance because of the Uvalde school shootings – the La Grange High School Class of 2022 graduated Thursday on a hopeful note for the future.
There was additional police presence at Leopard Stadium, and a no-bag policy for spectators. Near the beginning of the ceremony, a moment of silence was held to honor the 21 killed in Uvalde.
Emma Coltrain gave the opening remarks saying, “Dear Lord ... Thank You for gathering us all here safely tonight to spend one last night together ... Thank You for the past four years and the friendships and lessons it has brought.”
Abigail DelaRosa led the pledges to the U.S. and the Texas flags and Sophia Gardiner led the school song.
Rory Halpain gave the welcome saying, “We sit before you as successful young adults ready to take on the next chapter of our lives ... We have finally made it
... it has not been an easy path but still we made it to this moment.”
The retiring Bill Wagner, presiding over his last graduation as superintendent after 45 years in education (most of which were at LGISD), announced the honor graduates.
The featured speaker was Matthew Driscoll, the head basketball coach of the University of North Florida.
In true coach fashion, Driscoll was loud and boisterous during his talk to the graduates.
Some of his “nuggets” of advice, as Driscoll called them, were:
• Extolling the virtue of patience, he said, “We live in a microwave world but the best stuff comes from the oven.”
• “Embrace where you plant your feet.”
• “Success is being the difference in someone’s life. Believe you can be the difference.”
Kambri Mihatsch gave the farewell saying, “Fellow graduates ... promise me that you will never doubt yourself. I am counting on seeing you conquer life in your own fantastic way.”
Then it was time to hand out the diplomas as principal John Pineda called up each of the 132 graduates of this year’s class.
Alessandra Solorzano gave the closing remarks, saying, Thursday’s graduation was “not the end, but the beginning.”
The class gathered for one final time at midfield (they were the first class to graduate on the artificial turf at Leopard Stadium) and threw their caps skyward, and their 13-year journey to this day was over.