MCDERMITT — For five McDermitt senior boys, last Wednesday allowed them to gather one final time as a class as the school celebrated its 2022 graduation in front of family and friends in the McDermitt Combined School gym.
“A graduation ceremony is always such a special occasion,” said fourth-year principal Dr. Leslie Molina. “The culmination of years of hard work, the actualization of goals attained and the acknowledgment of success achieved. So, it is only fitting that we gather tonight to honor these five young men as they close out their high school journey and begin a brand-new adventure.”
Molina noted to the graduates that their journey started with tentative steps but ones that have taken them to remarkable heights.
“You have encountered some trials and tribulations along the way,” Molina said. “But you have preserved and come out stronger for them. You have experienced exceptional moments, magical moments and created moments that will be fondly remembered in the years ahead.”
Molina told the graduates that she was honored to get to know them over the past four years.
“You are an amazing group of talented, smart and capable young men, who, when you put your mid to it, can achieve any goal you set for yourself. May you always lead by example, work hard and play straight. May your successes be many and your tribulations few.”
Braeden Ramsey was honored as the Valedictorian and Tristan Bitt was named the Salutatorian. The seniors also received a number scholarships and sports awards on the night.
Each of the graduates received $200 from Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ellis to put toward their future. The Eliss’, who live in Henderson, regularly award graduates every year and have made a number of donations to the school.
Ramsey opened with an excerpt by Navy Admiral William H. McRaven about making your bed.
“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day,” Ramsey quoted from McRaven. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed, will have turned into many tasks completed.”
Ramsey continued noting that life isn’t fair and that you will fail often.
“But if you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up. If you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have now.”
Ramsey spoke of his classmates, beginning with Bitt, noting they knew each other since they were four-years-old, where they were in the Head Start Program.
“He has stuck with me through thick and thin and I know I can always count on him for a friend to lean on. I have had the privilege of playing basketball with Tristan since the third grade and he has always pushed me to do my best. Sometimes, pushing me past what I thought was my breaking point, which helped me to find new limits for myself.”
Ramsey met Enrique Villalobos and Jason Villalobos when they came to McDermitt as freshmen.
“I found that friendship with them came naturally and I have spent a lot of time with Enrique and his parents (Art and Sherry) who have treated me like family. I consider them my second family as well.”
Ramsey met Lane Barnett at the start of their junior year and Ramsey noted it made it feel the class was finally complete.
Ramsey thanked all of the teachers, staff, administration and family that helped get the class to where it is today. He had a special thanks to Val Hinkey, the Head Start teacher for Ramsey and Bitt.
In addition, he had a special thanks to April Wilkinson, who was the guest speaker at the ceremony.
“April is like the big sister that I never had and will be one of the hardest goodbyes as we move on in life and away from school,” Ramsey said.
Bitt told the boys that they had made it and that after pushing one another each day that they were able to go beyond their limits.
“Being on this stage tonight fellas, shows that pushing and helping each other only proved to be a positive for us,” Bitt said. “I would not have wanted to be with another group of classmates, friends and brothers. For one thing, with just five of us, we had more opportunities and received endless help. To most, this is only a place people drive through, quiet and unknown to outsiders, but to all of us, this is McDermitt, a small, close community and family.”
Bitt talked about meeting Ramsey when he was a chubby little Indian boy with long hair. Bitt said it felt it was just them through eighth grade, since they would only run into Enrique and Jason in Orovada during field trips or basketball.
Enrique came to McDermitt as a freshman to create a Big 3, while Jason remained the quietest of the group. Barnett came to the school as a junior and the Big 3 turned to the Fantastic Four.
“Finally, after four years of high school fellas, we conclude our high school chapter,” Bitt said. “Now. We must prepare ourselves for the next journey we have in life — college, work and last but not least, adulthood. I wish you all the best of luck. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you guys from doing whatever you want in life.”
The guest speaker for the night was April Wilkinson, who has been a social worker at the school for three years.
As a “new-ish” social worker, Wilkinson didn’t know what to expect at the start of the 2019-20 school year, but being around kids, she felt was her calling.
Then March of 2020 hit and everything came to a screeching halt with the Covid-19 virus. Zoom was the word of the day — everyday.
“I tell us this, because this is the first time that I really laughed with Enrique and Braeden and we weren’t even in the same room,” Wilkinson said. Now, I did not know these boys well. I had coached Enrique a long time ago but that was it. So, I was instructing on powerful leaders in different cultures and what those characteristics are like and let me tell you, I was going on for 30 minutes. I had my closing thoughts and them asked the boys a follow up question to start a discussion to which Braeden leans forward, unmutes his microphone and says ‘sorry what was that, my dad keeps on going by with the lawnmower.’ From then on, we had a bond.”
From that point, Wilkinson spoke of how Braden, Tristan and Enrique helped out with everything and set the tome for who she is today in the school and how she will work with other students to make them leaders as well. She spoke of Lane and Jason in the same manner.
“While Jason is quiet, he is always willing to help out,” Wilkinson said. “Or maybe he said no every time, I just couldn’t hear him. When Lane moved here two years ago, he fit right in. He came from a bigger school, so I am sure to him this might not have been what he was expecting. The boys welcomed him with open arms. Another characteristic that I value in them.”
She told the class the world needs a quiet voice who will speak up when they see something wrong. The world needs the new kid to show them that change is okay and will be successful no matter where we are.
“So, who will change the world,” she said. What does the world need? The world needs you class of 2022. Countless times you have modeled leadership, strength, kindness to others, commitment to your community, compassion for the ground we walk on and for those around you. Now, I have called on these kids many times. I have asked them to help me around the school and not once, not once — did they ask well what do we get out of it and not once did they complain. Yeah. Wrap your head around that for a moment.”
Holding back tears, Wilkinson told the class she is sad to see them go but thanked them for the impact they left on her career and school.
“Next school year will be hard for me,” she said. “I’ll still look for you in the hallways, think of something funny and want to tell you. I’ll miss cheering you on in school and especially at basketball games. Plain and simple, I will just miss you terribly. Now go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.”