As spring progresses and summer is just around the corner, most students are beginning to count down the days until the long awaited break. For the seniors, the countdown to graduation and all of its festivities have started.

This year, graduation is on June 9, 2023, and will take place at the high school on the front lawn, weather permitting. Graduating students will walk to the stage and will be given their diplomas to graduate. 

The ceremony will start at 5:15 p.m. and will last between an hour to an hour and a half. In the past years, the ceremony has been known to be lengthy, but the administration has devised a plan to make the ceremony more efficient and cut the time in half by strategizing the seating and adding photographers. Each student will be given six event tickets and two parking tickets for friends and family to attend the ceremony.

At the ceremony, the class valedictorian(s) will speak. Then the administration will announce each senior as they walk to the stage and are presented with their diploma. High school secretary Mrs. Pegram says that her favorite part of the ceremony is hearing the bell in the bell tower ring while the students walk to the graduation stage. 

The week before graduation, there is an awards ceremony held in the high school auditorium. This year, the ceremony was May 31, at 5:30 p.m. and lasted until 7:30 p.m. At awards day, students who submitted their awards and scholarships to the senior survey Google form will be recognized. The administration will acknowledge each student with the awards they earned, only if the school has the certificate of approval for each award. 

As the school year comes to an end, teachers and administrators reflect on their favorite parts of the senior Class of 2023. Watching them grow over the years has been Pegram’s favorite part of working with the seniors. 

Pegram states, “I have known some of these kids since they were in kindergarten, and I have enjoyed watching them grow from little kids in elementary school to adults who are graduating high school.” 

Mr. Uram, who was also a teacher at Trinity West prior to his current position as high school principal, stated that he has enjoyed watching the seniors not only grow up in age but also accomplish new and big things these past four years. 

“They are a fun group of kids. Not only do they work hard academically, but they work very diligently in all other avenues they pursue. They are all very involved and are always looking to make improvements,” explains Uram.

Grab a calendar and mark the date for graduation because the end of the school year is quickly approaching. Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2023 and best of luck on new adventures!