Karns City’s Class of ’23 receives diplomas
FAIRVIEW TWP -- Friends and family gathered at Diehl Stadium on the Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School campus Wednesday, May 24, to watch as the 93 members of the Class of 2023 received their diplomas.
Student speakers were Addisyn Christie, president of the senior class and student council, salutatorian Reese Booher and valedictorian Cecilia Morrow.
Their theme, “Life is Like a Box of Chocolates,” was echoed by Michael Stimac, high school principal, as he opened the ceremony with some shared memories he has of several of the students, saying they are all unique and different.
“Seniors,” Stimac said, “your leadership, your charisma, and your attitudes made this year special.”
Addisyn, who will be attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the fall, said graduating was bittersweet.
“Today, we gather on this field for the last time to celebrate our achievements,” she told her fellow graduates. “One of the most valuable lessons I learned was that it’s not about what you wear or how you look. It is about the legacy you will leave behind after you graduate.
“As we leave here today, our future awaits us. We don’t know where we will be in five years. But as we receive our diplomas today, we are one step closer to our dreams.”
Reese, who will be attending the University of Pittsburgh for neuroscience with the hope of moving on to medical school, said she made countless memories at Karns City that she “wouldn’t trade for the world.”
“This day is a major stepping stone that marks the point where we can begin to make our dreams become reality,” Reese said in her speech, “whether we attend a university, enter the work force, or even if plans haven’t been decided yet, we have all come leaps and bounds from when we started our school careers.”
Cecilia, who will be attending Duquesne University for chemistry, began her speech with the story of a seventh-grade field trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, where they were told they were the best behaved students the museum had seen in a while.
“We were the chocolate-covered class,” she said, pointing out the exemplary character they’ve become known for in the district, saying they learned it from one another.
“From recess on the playground to varsity sports, we have been side by side, rooting for each other and patching up bloody knees,” she said.
Superintendent Eric Ritzert agreed, describing the class as tight-knit with an entirely positive sense of humor.
That sense of humor was one of the cornerstones of graduate Emily Griffiths’ relationship with one of her teachers, who claimed they would pull kindhearted pranks on one another throughout her time at school.
“He put glitter in my locker, and a friend and I covered his room in a bunch of foil and Saran wrap,” Emily said.
Another graduate, Mitchell Waldroup, who was accepted at Penn State DuBois for mechanical engineering, said he’s excited for the new chapter in their lives.
“As you prepare to embark on the next phase of your life, I encourage you to embrace new challenges, overcome adversity, and continue to learn and grow,” Ritzert said in his address.
