TULALIP – It seemed appropriate that Tulalip Tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon compared students to salmon at the Tulalip Heritage High School graduation June 11.
“Just like salmon, you’re having fun learning” at school in the early years. Now, “you’ve gone downriver and you’ve reached the big ocean,” called graduation.
“No matter what tributary you take, we’re behind you,” he said. But the road “always leads back to Tulalip.”
The Tulalip Drummers and Singers performed the processional, and Cerissa Gobin sang the National Anthem. Virginia Jones gave the invocation, then Principal Shelly Lacy welcomed everyone to the Hawk gym.
“Each one of you can reach your dreams,” Lacy told the 18 graduates.
Karen Fryberg spoke for the elders, and she also talked about dreams.
“Dreams come true, you just have to have the courage to pursue them,” she said. “We get so much from our tribe to help us reach those goals.
She gave each graduate a bag with five pieces of candy in it. Each graduate then gave the candy out to five people who helped them achieve their graduation goal.
Tribal board member Theresa Sheldon said the graduates control their destiny through education.
“You control that. You did that. That’s your power. Do not stop there,” she said.
Trevor Fryberg was selected to speak for the students. His message was to not let things bring you down.
“There’s always something in the way,” he said. “People want to bring you down, but don’t let them.”
He compared high school to a football game, saying you have to play all four quarters, just like you have to finish all four years of high school.
“Sometimes you want to give up, but you have to stick it out,” he said. “You have to keep playing your hardest to get the win.”
To his classmates he said, “Good game. And we’ll have many games to come.”
Science teacher David Tanner talked about a number of outings he made with students this year. His favorite was going to the University of Washington and going on the new turf at Husky Stadium.
“My heart’s full for you. We belong,” he said.
Superintendent Becky Berg added, “We can’t wait to see where your life takes you.”
Following a video of the seniors put together by Nina Fryberg, the graduates received their diplomas.
