Graduation ceremony moved indoors due to rainy weather
The ceremony was held inside the main gym Saturday, May 21
May 24, 2022
The class of 2022 finally walked across the stage at graduation Saturday, May 21 in the main gym. Administration decided to move the ceremony inside Friday, May 20 at 12 p.m. Principal Dr. Gail Holder explained what factors go into making that final decision of where graduation will be located.
“The hardest decision to make is whether it’s going to be inside or outside because there really isn’t a great decision. If you have it outside, people are going to be upset that it’s not inside and vice versa, so that’s really the hardest part,” Holder said. “We watch the weather and see if it’s going to rain, and if not, then we’ll make the decision by noon Friday, May 20 on whether or not graduation will be inside or outside.”
The graduation ceremony also included additional speakers aside from Holder, such as the senior class president, the student body president and a class elected speaker. Student body president and senior Logan Pfeister described how she developed her speech.
“I thought about my speech a lot because I knew I would be speaking at the end of the year, so I started thinking about it at the beginning of my senior year on what I wanted to include,” Pfeister said. “I wanted to make sure I recognized all of the accomplishments we’ve had while still going through a lot. I think we’re a pretty decorated class and we’ve had a lot of success in our class despite the pandemic.”
Additionally, Holder expressed her gratitude for registrar Deana Thom in regards to planning the graduation ceremony.
“Mrs. Thom, who works as our registrar, really does the majority of the logistics, the planning and working seniors towards the end of the year,” Holder said. “She really does a lot of the heavy lifting on graduation and I’m just kind of there on consult.”
Despite the bittersweet feelings at graduation, senior Alex Vinh looked back at some of his favorite moments from this past year.
“My favorite memory was winning state in football this year. It was cool to see my friends on the field and seeing their work pay off was a great thing to watch,” Vinh said. “I will miss the feeling of going to class and seeing all of my friends. Especially because I know that my next chapter doesn’t include all of the same faces I’ve seen my whole life.”
As Pfeister prepared to give her speech, she described her feelings leading up to giving her speech in front of her class and their families.
“I’m not going to lie, I was super nervous. I’m not the best at public speaking but I felt like it went really well,” Pfeister said. “I love Mill Valley and I’m going to miss it, but I’m definitely ready for my next chapter and I wish the best of luck to everyone else in my grade.”
Overall, Vinh expressed some advice for all of the underclassmen who are also entering new chapters of their lives.
“Learn to be comfortable with yourself instead seeking validation from ‘popular kids’ or upperclassmen. Most times those decisions will catch up to you in some way,” Vinh said. “Also just choose to be a good person, there will be a lot of times when you’re given the option to be the bad guy or the guy who advocates for what is right; and choosing what is right will benefit you in the end.”
