MARYSVILLE As one door closes, another opens and for this years commencement at Marysville Mountain View High School that was the theme.
The former Marysville Alternative High School changed its name in mid-year, so the 24 graduates at the June 6 ceremonies were the first to have the new school name on their diplomas. Principal Dawn Betcholdt said it was a unique distinction and that four more students should complete their final school year by August.
She stressed the resilience of this years batch of students, noting that four were 21 years old and that five were mothers, one with two kids, one was a father, and one student was ready to go into labor. Another student was lucky to be alive after a life-threatening accident two years ago, Bechtholdt said.
They worked hard, got knocked down and worked harder to be here tonight, she said to the crowd of several hundred family members in the Cedarcrest Middle School cafeteria.
Several students were presented with awards and scholarships, including Jearamie Kortus, winner of the Washington Award for Vocational Excellence. This is the sixth consecutive year a student from the school has won the award, Bechtholdt said and Kortus worked hard for the honor, according to advisor Judy Whitman.
Shes a true success story, Whitman said. Jearamie sacrificed many things that other teens take for granted.
A mother, Kortus was a volunteer in the school day care center and helped other moms at the school manage the challenges of juggling their transcript and their newborns at the same time.
Other moms see her as a role model, Whitman said.
Samantha Trua and Shiann Sanchez won $1,500 scholarships from the Marysville Rotary, Steven Williams received the Northwest Career Colleges Federation Scholarship, and Charlene Osborne won the Everett Community College Scholarship.
These are the kids that did not quit, Whitman said. You need to congratulate yourselves for toughing it out.
Family members were loud and vocal in support of their new grads as they made their way through the receiving line around the room as diplomas were handed out.