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Parkview grads pause to celebrate

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Photo by Jim Leute

Megan LaVigne and Kristopher Hess were among the 68 students who walked across the stage during Sunday’s graduation ceremony at Parkview High School in Orfordville on Sunday.

ORFORDVILLE — Ashley Floyd is amazed at how much she and her classmates have changed.

Always a rambunctious bunch, the Parkview High School Class of 2012 has matured from sixth-graders with buck teeth, bad hairdos and equally forgettable attire to responsible young men and women ready to make their mark on the world, she said Sunday shortly before she and 67 classmates accepted diplomas from school board President Clay Hammes on the track around Hilgendorf Field.

"It really is weird to sit back and think how far we've come," said Floyd, one of the two valedictorians in Parkview's Class of 2012. "We've gone from those adorable elementary students to graduating seniors."

That transformation occurred over a long haul, said co-valedictorian Samantha Thomson, who got some help from two classmates in showing off the different pairs of shoes that she's worn along that road.

"I know girls love shoes, and I think guys secretly do, too," Thomson said. "All of these shoes carry memories and lessons that will walk with us for the rest of our lives."

Thomson spoke of her dancing shoes and work boots, which taught her lessons on having fun and working hard in a small town with a rich farming heritage.

She referenced her flip-flops, which she said represent a casual life balance between work and play.

She also showed off her volleyball shoes, in which she learned that while there is no "I" in "team," every team needs leaders.

And in her track shoes, Thomson said she didn't need to be reminded of what she already knew: "I hate running." But running, she said, taught her how to hang tough and persevere.

"The question I want to leave with you is what do we do with the lessons learned in the last 18 years?" she said. "The race doesn't end with high school, although I'm sure some of you wish that it did.

"The challenge is to take all of these different shoes that we've worn and continue to walk—or run, if you so choose—through life sharing what you've learned with everyone around you."