Karns City’s Class of 2024 takes ‘the opportunity to bloom’
KARNS CITY — One seat remained empty at Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School’s graduation Thursday, May 30, which saw 105 seniors receive their diplomas, according to superintendent Eric Ritzert.
That seat was filled by the football jersey of Mason Martin, a senior and Karns City Gremlins quarterback who sustained a traumatic brain injury in September after collapsing on-field during a game against the Redbank Valley Bulldogs.
As the rest of Karns City’s graduating Class of 2024 took their seats on the football field, Mason, who continues his recovery in the hospital, was recognized by classmates, friends and school officials.
Three of Mason’s friends and fellow graduates — Tyler Hutchison, Taite Beighley and Levi Wissinger — placed the jersey on a chair, reserving his spot, where the rest of the seniors sat for commencement.
The three student athletes have known him for years and visit Mason in the hospital on weekends, they said. Following graduation, Taylor will attend Butler County Community College, and plans to become a nurse anesthetist. Levi plans to join the workforce as an HVAC technician. Taite is considering both college and the workforce as possible paths before he makes a decision.
“Although (Mason) won’t physically be here, he’s part of it,” Ritzert said before the ceremony. “I think that’s weighed on students. It brought them closer together, as well as brought the community closer together.”
“It was hard seeing a classmate you see every day in the hallway, at your locker every day, kind of disappearing,” said salutatorian Latham Price before his speech. “It was amazing how we kind of unified as a grade.”
Principal Michael Stimac addressed graduates about the sense of unity that so often unfolds after tragic circumstances.
“I think it’s safe to say that we were all a little more vulnerable in the weeks after Mason’s injury, a little bit more sensitive, but a lot more willing to be kind to one another,” Stimac said. “Why do we wait until something tragic happens to come together?”
“What if we were kind to everyone all the time?” he said. “After tragedy strikes, life moves forward and we all tend to slide back into our moments of self-centeredness — which is natural, I know. But I challenge all of us to come together, to stay together, and to be intentional about being good to one another when things in life are good.”
The Rev. Pete Sapp, of Trinity Church in Bradys Bend, offered a prayer for Mason as he led graduates and guests in an invocation.
“Mason Martin will one day stand on his own two feet on this very field and receive a tear-filled standing ovation from so many who have cheered him on from the very beginning,” Sapp said in prayer.
Ava Fox, president of the senior class, also touched on the impact of Mason’s injury and hospitalization, as well as resilience, on the graduating class.
“Our class experienced a crisis this past fall that nothing could have ever prepared us for,” Ava said. “When Mason collapsed during his football game, each of our lives changed and was put on hold, and a part of us was left missing. Despite this, instead of dwelling and fearing the worst, our class, along with the community, kept pushing forward.”
“Mason is the epitome of resilience,” she said. “He has taught us that each obstacle we face is a step closer to grow and that every challenge presents us with the opportunity to bloom as he has proven time and time again.”
Noah Mourer, valedictorian, spoke words of encouragement as he presented his speech, titled “Dandelion: A Promise for Better Days.” Noah will attend Slippery Rock University in the fall with plans to study civil engineering.
“Fellow classmates, here we are,” he said. “We’re now standing bright and tall for the world to see us. Soon, as we venture into adulthood, our bright colors will fade, yet we will not wilt.”
“This is not the peak,” he said. “Life doesn’t go down from here. It has only begun.”
Latham, who will attend the University of Florida to study computer engineering, also addressed his classmates before the presentation of the graduating class.
“We must not let the future intimidate us,” he said. “We must not wish for the future to come any sooner. And we must leave the past behind us. We must live in the present and cherish every moment — treating our time as if it’s a short growing season, just like that of the cherry blossoms.”
“After all,” he said, “life can change drastically in the blink of an eye, or the snap of a football.”
