MG seniors celebrate graduation

After a tough four years of high school the Marysville Getchell High School Class of 2022 was able to receive their diplomas on June 17.

Graduates at the school have had a long and winding school career.

“We’ve been through a lot in our 18-ish years,” said valedictorian speaker Natalie Otto. “We’ve seen the completion of the human genome project, the crowning of major social media platforms, the beginning of smart phones and some of the most turbulent elections in our history … lastly, we’ve experienced a pandemic that will be taught in classrooms for to come.”

The pandemic has left a mark on their high school career, said Otto.

“These past four years have been some of the longest and most challenging. From school being shut down and having to do online school to finally re-opening and experiencing school in a way we never had before,” Otto said.

Social distancing also caused teenagers to lose out on time in their community and time getting to know their classmates.

“We lost a vast chunk of our time in our teenage years that we can’t get back,” said senior class president Abbygail Bojador.

“We didn’t have the same opportunity to grow as a community,” she added.

Those struggles have also increased isolation and other problems during the high school years for many students.

“Like many of you, I struggled with my mental health,” said Bojador. “My hope for our class is that we are able to provide resources for future generations when it comes to mental health."

Students at the school were still able to work through their obstacles and finish high school though.

“You’ve made it through the hectic circumstances that affected our time at MG, you deserve to feel proud of yourself,” said valedictorian speaker Shannia Crafton.

Principal Richard Zimmerman congratulated students for taking the next steps outside of high school, with many planning on attending college soon.

“There future looks very, very bright for our students,” he said.

The Class of 2022 has close to a million dollars of scholarship funds, he said.

Students wanted to show appreciation to the people who have helped them along the way as well.

“To all the friends and family here tonight, thank you. You were the core support system throughout the pandemic,” said Bojador.

“I would like to thank the teachers and staff for all the support on our journey,” said Otto.