In his message to the crowd at Liberty High School’s graduation ceremony, Principal Zachary Pless said he had asked staff upon starting his position what their favorite time of year was. Their answer was not the holiday dinners, field trips or other special events but rather Graduation Day. Traditionally, Liberty’s graduation ceremony has been an event to reinforce the often repeated statement that the school is “like a family,” remind students of how far they have come and inspire them to keep that motivation with them as they move into the future. All of that was on display Thursday, as families gathered on the Marina Green to watch 32 Liberty graduates take their next steps into the world.

To kick things off, Superintendent Dr. Charles Young said the ceremony was a celebration of the hard work put in not only by the students but also their parents and guardians who guided them along the way.

“For our graduates, this notable milestone achievement illustrates your hard work, commitment, determination and ability to stick to it, or as my mother used to say, ‘stick-to-itiveness,” he said.

Young expressed how proud he was of the challenges students overcame to reach that point.

“You have demonstrated a kind of inner resolve, determination and a ‘never give up’ spirit that will carry you far,” he said.

The theme of overcoming obstacles was also present in Pless’ address.

“I’ve had a chance to meet, talk, argue and yes, sometimes cry with each and every one of these young men and women,” he said. “Life has not been without challenge for most of them. A lot of us know their stories deeply, and we know that coming here was not a smooth and narrow path like it is for some.”

Nonetheless, Pless said, they overcame these challenges. To illustrate this, he quoted a remark often attributed to Winston Churchill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

“Through all of it, they kept their heads up, their eyes on the prize and they kept pushing,” he said.

Now, Pless said, Liberty students were prepared to leave Liberty and “conquer the world” with the understanding that many of them would come back to visit.

“It’s a second home for many of these students, and we hope that you’ll always think of it that way,” he said.

Students returned their appreciation. Salutatorian Nathan Curtright, who is graduating as a junior, praised the support he received from Pless as well as teacher Chris Winder and Office Manager Linda Ladd, who Curtright referred to as “the mother of the students at the school.”

“(She) asked me every day and every morning, no matter how tired I was, and as soon as I was leaving how my day was,” he said. “Ms. Ladd was the nicest person I met at the school.”
Of Winder, Curtright said, “He made sure I stayed on track to graduate early and get the amount of credits that I needed.”

Curtright felt that going to Liberty was a beneficial experience for him.

“Liberty High School is more than just a school to me,” he said. “It’s a place where you meet great people, live in a great environment and have many opportunities,” he said. “The school gives you immense chances to earn credits if you put in just a little more work.”

Valedictorian Chloe Durocher also praised the staff for making graduation possible for the students on the stage.

“I’ve definitely come a long way to be where I am now, and I’m sure most of us feel the same way about ourselves,” she said.

Durocher said Liberty provided a lot of great memories, such as the holiday dinners and field days and even more upbeat memories like when counselor Jody Smith brought her pet pig to school or when English teacher Cliff Nelson started breakdancing and doing The Worm in class.

“We should take a moment to remember the small things we might miss,” she said. “Throughout all of the hard times and the good times, we’re all a family. We’re lucky to be part of a school like this. Everyone is so different and we all come together despite what groups we came from.”

In between Durocher’s speech and the handing out of diplomas, Pless, Smith and teachers Winder, Nelson, Chad Pound and Kathleen Sauter delivered short speeches about the positive qualities of every graduate who was present. Additionally, student Luke Hornbrook performed a self-composed rap about graduating.

“Liberty is far from an ordinary school, and that’s why I love it,” Durocher said.