Onaway graduation set for Friday

 

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

The pomp and circumstance starts early in Onaway this year with the commencement exercise taking place a week before the Memorial Day weekend. 

Ever since the 2020 outdoor ceremony on the football field, that was necessitated due to the novel coronavirus, school officials have wanted it outside again, but did not want the truck show on the other side of M-33 to interfere with a very special moment in the lives of graduating seniors. 

So, the decision was made to move it to a Friday evening the week before the holiday weekend. It has been conducted on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend for many years. 

As of Tuesday, the forecast was calling for an uptick in the temperature again, but with some scattered showers. Fingers are crossed in Onaway that bad weather holds off. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. with the 39 seniors ready to take part.

Onaway High School (OHS) band director Samantha Ward will lead her charges in the classic graduation march, “Pomp and Circumstance,” before band members play the national anthem.

Secondary principal Marty Mix will provide the first speech, welcoming everyone to the event and providing some insight on the Class of 2022, that includes his oldest son receiving a diploma.   

Mindy Horn, who was hired in April to take over as superintendent, will provide the opening remarks.

Then the parade of OHS’s highest ranking students will take turns at the podium, first with honor student Taylor Larson, followed by salutatorian Kyli Brewbaker and then valedictorian Maisy Heiermann. 

Board members from the Onaway Area Community Schools board of education will hand out diplomas as 2023 student council president MacKenzie Robbins announces each name. 

Mix will deliver the closing remarks and have the graduates turn their tassels to mark the celebration of another graduating class.