Two Rivers students told to “expect the best”

Published 1:30 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE VALLEY – The graduating class of Two Rivers School may have been small, but big things are expected of its students in the future.

On Wednesday, June 12, 10 students of the North Bend school celebrated the end of 12 years of education at a ceremony held at Chief Kanim Middle School.

“If there are three words I can leave you with, they would be, ‘Expect the best,'” said Snoqualmie Valley School Superintendent Dr. Richard McCullough. “Take that motto and go through life, every now and then doing a gut check. Ask yourself, ‘Am I expecting the best?'”

Students at the school came from a wide array of backgrounds, with some finishing up just their final year of high school at Two Rivers, and others graduating after completing the school’s junior-high and high-school programs.

They join a list of distinguished alumni, some of whom attended the ceremony, such as Cornish College of the Arts student Josh Brown, who played piano for the processional.

Two Rivers Principal Tom Athanases also gave recognition to Bernice Wright, who attended the school from 1988-1994 and didn’t graduate, but returned this past year and earned her diploma.

Many of the students are continuing their studies in everything from radiology to education.

The school participated in numerous job-shadowing projects and field trips. One of the most popular was a mentoring program where Two Rivers students tutored students at North Bend and Opstad elementaries, a program that convinced graduate Ariel Hard to become a teacher.

“I had such a great support system here,” said Hard, who received three scholarships.

Each student was introduced by a teacher and given the opportunity to speak about his or her experiences at Two Rivers. Thanking family and friends was a big part of the speeches, but a lot of focus was given to the administration and teachers at the school.

“I never thought I’d be here,” said graduate Bryana McKay, who made up for being held back in other grades and graduated on time.

A majority of the students recognized teacher Elaine Marshall Burgener, who was called “friend,” “mentor” and “goddess.”

“It’s really not about me; it’s about the whole team at the school and the kids overcoming whatever obstacles they had to get here,” Burgener said.

Although many of the students had their own challenges, none of them expressed regret and they were thankful for not only those who helped them, but how they helped themselves.

“I’m glad my path led me to Two Rivers,” said graduate Lacey Alameda. “I learned here that pride doesn’t just happen. You have to be proud.”

All of the graduates expressed their gratitude for the support they had received over the years, which was evident as each student elicited a chorus of hoots and cheers from family members and friends who attended the commencement ceremony.

“The experience had been awesome for all of them,” said Hard’s aunt, Liz Phraner. “It’s a great school to have in the district.”

Three Rivers School class of 2002 members are: Lacey Alameda, Samuel Hart, Bryana McKay, Marjorie Van Buskirk, Nicole Daubert, Amber Hensley, Michelle Perez, Ariel Hard, Benjamin Lundquist and Louis Roark.

You can reach Ben Cape at (425) 888-2311, or e-mail him at ben.cape@valley

record.com.