School is a lot like golf, Iola High School’s Class of 2024 student body president Chris Holloway told his fellow graduates during commencement activities Saturday.
You have to have great grounds and pick the course you’re going to play. You’ll face plenty of hazards, “making each of the 18 holes harder and more competitive, just like each year of school gets harder and more challenging.”
For Holloway and many other students, no “hazard” is quite as difficult to get past as Travis Hermstein’s history classes.
It helps to have the right team behind you though, just like you need a good caddy and coach. In school, teachers fill those roles.
“Our school has 36 teachers. Each of them have a unique and interesting way to teach us. Some use individual white boards you can write notes on. Others use a chalkboard you can hear a mile away, at least in Mrs. (Virginia) Crane’s class,” he said.
Students will spend nine months — a total of 1,440 hours — with their teachers. The best will make a 51-minute class feel like 10, filled with jokes and thought-provoking conversation.
“I hope you never forget that,” Holloway said to the teachers.
He also joked about learning to respect the boundary between teachers and students in a small town where families have been longtime friends, noting art teacher Emily Sigg “blocked me on every social media and made a big deal that I can’t be her friend. She did say after I graduate she’ll add me back. I walk across this stage in 20 minutes, so all you teachers, I’m giving you a heads up because your social media feeds will be going crazy.”
And just like golfers, Iola students are diverse in their skill levels and abilities. Some, like the seven valedictorians, prioritize academics. Others are athletes. Others sing, play instruments and perform in theatre and forensics.
“I was always told it doesn’t matter what you do in life, be the best you can at it,” he said.
“Go out into the world and play the best round of golf in your life.”
AS PART of commencement ceremonies, Abigail Meiwes was recognized by the local Rotary Club as the graduating senior with both the highest GPA and ACT score. Meiwes received a watch by Iola Rotary Club President Jonathan Adams.
Valedictorians were Rebekah Coltrane, Kiera Fawson, Rio Lohman, Abigail Meiwes, Jaydon Morrison, Jenna Morrison and Kalibre Smith.
Salutatorian was Piper Aronson.
