First `Cats class of millennium graduates

Published 2:45 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE _ Cheers filled the Mount Si High gymnasium as

the Class of 2000 graduates joyously sprayed each other with silly

string and popped balloons at the end of their ceremony.

“It was the most enjoyable year of my 23 years in education just

being around these kids,” Principal George Ilgenfritz said in an interview.

“They gave me energy.”

“And they certainly have left a legacy; there’s no doubt there,”

he added.

During the evening of celebration, a banner hung behind the

graduates that depicted the Valley’s mountains and rivers and appropriately read

“The End of the Beginning.”

The commencement marked the end of a long educational journey

for the class who’s every move has been observed by educators since

kindergarten, simply because they were to be the first graduates of the

millennium.

“I’ve waited for this my whole life,” said Sheneil Harstad, who is

going to Western Washington University this fall. “I’m excited but scared at

the same time.”

Ilgenfritz and senior speaker M.J. Crandall jump-started the

ceremony by welcoming the 222 graduates and their families with speeches.

Crandall, this year’s ASB president, eloquently addressed the

class with his speech about diversity — diversity of the students as well as

the Valley that has been a big part of their lives.

“We have worked so long and so hard for graduation that it

almost seems surreal,” he said.

As for hard work, more than 150 school, state and national awards

were given to this year’s senior crop, and college-bound students were

offered a total $1.2 million in scholarships. Ilgenfritz said he was impressed

with the diverse talent of this year’s seniors.

“I thought this class was really an outstanding class across the board,”

he said later. “There were superstars in athletics, academics and activities.”

Many diverse talents were displayed as the ceremony continued.

Musical selections included the song “Reminiscing” sung by

Nelson Dunford with Laura Edvalson on piano. Candace Kramar received

a standing ovation from the class for her rendition of “Wide Open

Spaces” and a jazz number was performed by

18 Karat Swing members Arin Mann, Nicole Stevenson, Nick Babock

and Michael Schumaker.

Valedictorian Malia Arenth read her poem titled “Rain,” which was

an analogy of a student’s journey through education and life.

Ilgenfritz gave special recognition to Arenth and salutatorians

Nicole Stevenson and Rufino Virata. Counselor Thomas Tilton also thanked

foreign exchange student Alexandra Yurievna Meshkova for choosing

to spend her senior year at Mount Si.

Following the recognitions, Virata gave a speech about integrity.

His speech was peppered with jokes and evoked cheers and laughter from

the audience.

“I hope integrity is not a thing of the past,” he said.

Virata went on to define integrity and state that it should be part of

all graduates’ lives. The salutatorian will attend the University of

Washington this fall to study biochemistry and computer science.

The coming months hold a variety of futures for the class of

2000. Many are going to state universities, some are joining the Armed

Forces and a few plan on continuing to live and work in the Valley.

“This is one of those exciting experiences, one of the turning points

in life,” said Matthew Apple, who plans on moving to San Francisco with

his friend, Melissa Jordan, to work and attend college.

“We’re not only graduating, we’re starting over,” Jordan added.

And as the seniors’ last evening together concluded, groups of

friends hugged, laughed, cried and got messy with silly string.

Zach Wright summed up the overall feeling of graduating and

moving on when he said, “I will miss doing all the crazy things we do with

our friends — just being teenagers.”