LITTLEFORK – Sixteen orange-and-black-clad seniors took their final trip through the Littlefork-Big Falls School as students Friday, and would leave the building alumni.
“These students have the absolute right to be proud of their accomplishments” said Superintendent Fred Seybert. “As these graduates move on to the next phase of their lives, they will look back fondly and proudly of their years at L-BF.”
He wished the class luck as they prepare for their futures and noted the “fine institution” they came from. The superintendent said that just recently, L-BF was recongized as a top school in the nation and “Everyone is responsible for that.”
“With the education these young people have received, the board, the administration and the staff believe they are up to the challenge and will go on to become very productive and outstanding citizens,” Seybert concluded. “The graduates of prior classes have done that and I know the class of 2013 will do the same.”
Valedictorian Courtney Pfeifer and salutatorian Kristy Horne Dunn commended their classmates on reaching the goal they have worked towards for 13 years.
“Can you believe this day is finally here?” Pfeifer asked her classmates. “It’s hard to imagine that 13 short years ago, we were all wide-eyed little kindergartners ... Who knew that all of this would come from that first day in kindergarten? Everything we’ve done up until now has led us here.”
Horne Dunn said she felt the graduating group was more like a family than classmates.
The girls listed each classmate highlighting their role in “the family” and remembered experiences the group shared throughout their schooling years.
“One thing we’ve come to know is the good times outweigh the bad,” Pfeifer said.
In conclusion, both Pfeifer and Horne Dunn thanked the staff at L-BF, their fellow classmates and their families.
“Although we’re going out on our own, we’ll always need you in our lives,” Horne Dunn said.
L-BF Principal Christopher Bachmeier assured the graduates that feeling nervous, excited and scared were all normal emotions to feel as they prepared to accept their diplomas.
He said a quote he heard on television, “I wish there was a way to know you are in the good old days before you actually left them,” applied to the class.
“When you leave high school and come back and visit, which you are more than welcome to do, you remember the good old days and how you have left them tonight,” he said. “That’s alright. The good old days last forever.”
Bachmeier shared a story to inspire students to choose their outlook on life and reminded them they are transforming into alumni of L-BF – “a special group of people.”
“We are proud of you and we hope you are proud of us,” he said. “Today is a great day ... congratulations and good luck. Remember, once a Viking, always a Viking.”
