Four CHS seniors attended a ceremony on January 15th finalizing their early graduation. The ceremony was organized by assistant principal Robert Blumenthal, CHS principal Brent Martinson, and his secretary Cristine Roof. The four graduates, Erin Frencl, Alexander Harmeling, Amelia McCready, and Chase Utnik incorporated each of their voices in the ceremony. It began with the Pledge of Allegiance given by Utnik followed by a warm welcome from Harmeling. McCready spoke on the accomplishments made by her and her peers as well as the lessons they learned along the way. To conclude the ceremony, Frencl announced the turning of tassels, symbolizing the new beginnings and experiences to come. The graduates put forward a great effort in their studies to accomplish mid-year graduation and they each have a lot to show for it. 

“Early graduation is an accomplishment on its own. Students who choose to graduate early must announce their intentions to do so, and then follow through over the course of a school year. It’s a challenging undertaking and not all students who want to graduate early are able to do so” Blumenthal explains. 

To graduate early, a student must earn 42 credits by the end of the first semester of their Senior year. In addition, they must take both Government and Economics courses during their summer break as the classes are required for graduation. Moreover, if a student has not completed all four years of English, they will be required to cram two semesters worth of the class in just one semester. 

It is clear that hard work and effort prepared these students for a successful future regardless of the paths they may take. Harmeling plans to study Cybersecurity at PNW, McCready will study psychology at the University of Colorado, Frencl plans to go to cosmetology school for Esthetics, and Utnik has enlisted in the United States Navy. 

McCready shares words of wisdom and touches on both her in-school and after graduation experiences.

“Some advice I have for other students would be to communicate with the staff as much as possible. Most teachers are understanding of when life gets in the way, and if you are always trying your best, good communication with teachers can help you with stress and more. My favorite experiences at high school had to be working as an aide for Mr. Hennigar and spending time with my friends during lunch. I had a few teachers/ staff who had a very positive impact on my high school experience that truly helped me get to where I am today, and that would be Mr. and Mrs. Hennigar, Mr. Livovich, and now retired Mr. Neuliep…I enjoyed my time in high school and put in all my effort to maintain good marks and graduate early. I chose mid-year graduation, truthfully because I had all my credits and realized my time would be better spent somewhere else than taking the extra credits I needed. Now and until college in the fall, I am working at Hero Pet Animal Hospital to gain medical experience in the veterinary field”, she says. 

In addition to the four graduates that received their diplomas on January 15th, 22 other students graduated mid-year but will receive their diplomas in June with the rest of the 2022 graduation class. These students include Klaudija Bozickovic, Justin Brock, Kayla Cervantes, Hayden Cirak, Madeline Davia, Kamryn Delvalle, Madison Galvan, Jaismeen Kaur, Garrett Kollada, Kaitlyn Kogl, Grace Lawson, Matthew Leep, Marleigh Napier, Mya Nolasco, Iesha Oueslati, Roslyn Pede, Jose Ponce, Genavieve Pugh, Drake Redman, Autumn Underwood, Mathew Vincent, and Jackson Westmoreland.

“These students collectively made a very positive impact on CHS. It’s no secret that the past year and a half have been very difficult for most students. The 26 who have graduated early have overcome more than most students to reach their goals” Blumenthal concludes.  

 The Sandscript Congratulates each of these astounding students and wishes the best for them in their future endeavors. 

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