MORAN — As they exit the halls of Marmaton Valley High School, Ava Newman implored her classmates to appreciate what they’ve accomplished, but not to wait to pursue their dreams from here.
“You’ve no idea what the future holds,” said Newman, valedictorian of MV’s Class of 2025, “This is only just the spark.”
Newman shared a quote from Japanese author Toshikazu Kawaguchi.
“Don’t leave anything for later,” Newman said. “Later, the coffee gets cold. Later, you lose interest. Later, the day turns into night. Later, people grow up. Later, people grow old. Later, life goes by. Later, you regret not doing something when you had the chance.”
Salutatorian Lily Mynatt noted Saturday’s ceremony may be the last time the entire graduating class will ever be gathered as one.
“Enjoy this time with your family and friends,” she said. “You never know how much time you’ll have together.
“Make memories that will last a lifetime,” she said.
Of the 19 graduating seniors, six — Piper Barney, Haylee Lanham, Ty LaRue, Brayden Lawson, Mynatt and Newman — donned honor cords for being in the National Honor Society and maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average or above,
Mynatt and Newman carried the added distinction of being Kanas Scholars Curriculum Completers. That is, their coursework included extra units of language arts, math, science and foreign language classes above and beyond what are needed to graduate.
Additionally, Kason Becker, Jaedon Granere, LaRue, Lawson, Kelee Michael, Ryan Pugh, Dominic Smith and Lane Storrer were recognized for completing career and technical education courses.
