Paige Sherer, Drew Welch Receive High Honors

26 Worth County students graduated from Worth County for the last time Sunday. Out of them, 17 graduated with either honors or with highest honors. Paige Sherer was named Valedictorian and Drew Welch Salutatorian. 

Graduating Sunday were Lance Abplanalp, Hailey Adwell, Ali Brown, Liz Brown, Colt Cameron, Levi Cassavaugh, Lanie Cousatte, Wyatt Craven, A.J. Drury, Dillon Farmer, John Galanakis, Dillan Gavigan, ZeeAnna Gladstone, Braxton Hightshoe, Andrew Howard, Cash Jacobs, Jase Latham, Claire McElvain, Tucker Owens, Tanner Ridge, Damian Roush, Maddie Runde, Taylor Sanders, Caydee Sherer, Paige Sherer, and Drew Welch.

Senior Class Officers were Ali Brown (President), Levi Cassavaugh (Vice President), Claire McElvain (Secretary), and Lance Abplanalp (Treasurer). Student Council Representatives were Lanie Cousatte and Cash Jacobs, Class sponsors were Nanci Drury and Cree Beverlin. 

The class motto was, “The cure for senioritis is graduation.” The class color was Baby Blue. The class flower was the White Rose. The Class Song was, “Where did All the Time Go,” by Dr. Dog.

Graduating with honors were Lance Abplanalp, Hailey Adwell, Lanie Cousatte, John Galanakis, Dillan Gavigan, Braxton Hightshoe, Jase Latham, Claire McElvain, Tucker Owens, Tanner Ridge, and Maddie Runde. Graduating with highest honors were Ali Brown, Levi Cassavaugh, Taylor Sanders, Caydee Sherer, Paige Sherer, and Drew Welch.

Ali Brown, Senior Class President, introduced teacher Kelley Ross, who spoke to the class. Ross said that she first met the current Class of 2023 in fifth grade, and they were a good group of kids to work with. There was the time that Jace Latham brought in a tomato worm, but unfortunately, it died the next day. They then proceeded to dissect it. 

Ross had them for five different years in science. As speaker, she wanted to give them one last lesson. Every object has a center of gravity. If you put plants into a pot wrong, eventually, the weight of the plant will bring the pot crashing down. A portable crane has a wide center of gravity so that it will not fall down. She said the whole purpose of school was to give them a wide base of gravity so that they could withstand life’s challenges. 

She said that whatever they wanted to pursue, whether it was ag, computer science, entrepreneurship, vo-tech, or personal finance, she encouraged them to keep learning every day. The weevil, for instance, has a low center of gravity; however, it helps them as they wobble, but they don’t fall down. 

She encouraged them to be grounded in their faith, which makes people more joyful, and be grounded in who they are. “You are not a mistake,” she said. “Find what you love and pursue it. Learn to forgive yourself and others. Stay away from debt and addiction.”

Salutatorian Drew Welch thanked the teachers, administrators, and staff as well as the mothers who were always there for them. He said that some will start over in college and some will work. He thanked all his close friends and family and congratulated all his classmates.

Valedictorian Paige Sherer thanked her mom and her twin sister Kaydee. She thanked everyone for the countless memories, and her coaches for pushing her to be her best. “Now we are getting ready to make our own moments,” she said to her classmates. “You have the power to make things happen. Be kind to people, even when it’s hard.”