The weather was damp but that didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of the nearly 365 students graduating at Oak Harbor High School’s stadium Monday night.
The graduates first gathered in the Student Union Building, snapping photos, hugging and chatting with friends.
“I feel oddly calm,” said Montana Koslowski as she waited. She plans to attend Virginia Tech after graduation and eventually become a counterterrorism analyst. “I’ll probably get nervous right before we walk onto the field.”
Oak Harbor doesn’t allow its students to decorate their mortarboards, but many of the seniors got creative with leis made of flowers, folded dollar bills and even candy. One graduate wore a hand-written note pinned to her lei: “Congratulations young lady. You did it, and now conquer the next milestone.”
Principal Dwight Lundstrom described the Class of 2016 as a “high-achieving group” that excelled in academics, athletics and in the school’s technical programs.
Five students earned perfect 4.0 GPAs: Carly Hall, Taylor Halverson, Jared Hunt, Suzanne Kaltenbach and Helena Webster. More than 90 students received a total of $181,000 in local scholarships, $250,000 in military scholarships and $4.7 million in college and national scholarships.
Finally, it was time for their teachers, principal and the superintendent to lead them through campus to the stadium. The home stands were packed with family and friends, their cameras ready. The crowd in the stadium stamped their feet and erupted in cheers as the long stream of purple snaked its way to the seats assembled on the football turf. The principal gave each pair a fist bump before they split off to metal folding chairs on the field.
The district has held the ceremony outside since the new stadium was built. That’s allowed graduates to invite more guests. This is the first year the weather didn’t cooperate. The principal had a feeling that might happen so he ordered plastic ponchos. Some of the seniors slipped them on. Others didn’t.
The graduates smiled and shivered through speeches as the storm clouds dropped and drizzled. When it came time to award diplomas, the students came in pairs down a ramp toward the crowd. They stopped at the bottom to hug, high-five or strike a pose.
The principal reflected on all the people in the community who helped the graduates be successful.
“If you’re from Oak Harbor, you can meet the challenges you’re facing,” he said.
Kaltenbach, one of the student speakers, said she learned it was hard work, not natural ability, that gets you places. She reminded her classmates they were a tsunami of purple “or a sea of grapes … but a tsunami sounds more intimidating.”
Class president Patricia Sablan, who served in student leadership since middle school, shared the transformation she made from feeling unconfident to an empowered leader of her peers. The trick, she said, is believe you can.
“All of you are going to do some totes awesome things in life,” she said. “I’m very proud of you.”
