The class of 2016 said goodbye to Pahrump Valley High School on Friday night to a crowd of over 1,300 parents and relatives.
The ceremony was started off with a rendition of the national anthem by graduating senior Courtney Rohleder and then there were two masters of ceremonies, senior class president Bryce Ford and student body treasurer Courtney Murphy, who got things started.
Pahrump Valley High Principal Chris Brockman was the first to speak. He thanked administrators and PVHS registrar Jennifer Shockley for organizing the graduation and the staff for working so hard to put the event together.
He was followed by Valedictorian Derek Moore, Salutatorian Wesley Warren and the commencement speaker, the principal of Manse Elementary School, Kyle Lindberg.
Moore talked about how one should focus and work hard in life and how those efforts lead to success.
“Whatever it is we do,” he said. “We can be successful by working hard, by putting in a good effort and that is one of the most important things I have learned. Hard work pays off. I know we would rather play video games or scroll endlessly on our phones, but those things do not lead to success. We have to actively try to better our lives … Live long and prosper.”
Warren spoke about being a life-long learner. He said, “We should learn to listen to people around us better… Knowledge, no matter what it is, is valuable. Nothing is simple at first glance. We should always be curious and investigate everything.”
Lindberg was chosen to speak at graduation because of his familiarity with this class. He had the fortunate experience of teaching this class math in sixth and seventh grades at Rosemary Clarke Middle School and then was their eighth grade administrator. He remembered some of the things he did with this class and then spoke about success by going through some quotes.
“Life has no remote control, get up and change it yourself,” he said. “Your mind is like parachutes and they only function when they are open.”
He then spoke about missteps in your life.
“There will be missteps in your life and it’s up to you to make corrections in your life. Remember, do not be afraid to ask for help.”
He then quoted Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
And with that, the class of 2016 received their diplomas without incident.
If anyone would like to get graduation pictures, they are available at Maughan Photography at Maughanphoto.zenfolio.com