Every year, iSucceed holds a formal ceremony to celebrate its graduates. Students come from every walk of life throughout the state. And for many of them, earning their diplomas is no easy task. But they make it through and we celebrate them for it.
This year’s graduation ceremony was held at Sandpoint and Boise. There were 75 graduates, Many of whom graduated early or won college scholarships.
“Our graduation ceremonies are very special to the students, parents and staff to celebrate in person the hard work and accomplishments of our students,” said Executive Director Katie Allison. “This was an exciting year to see students graduate from all 4 Quarters with several early graduates as well.”
Before the event, students got to celebrate with unlimited bowling where they met each other in-person, enjoyed food and had fun. Here are some photos from the festivities.
Once graduation rolled around, students enjoyed a great ceremony. Executive Director Katie Allison spoke first at the ceremonies. One of our favorite quotes from her was this:
“If there is one thing I can say to you today, it is: Don’t let this be the only highlight of your life, keep pushing forward. Today… is just the beginning. Today… all doors are open to you. Today… your high school worries are over.Today… celebrate this accomplishment… but don’t remain idle. Don’t waste a minute!”
Valedictorian and early graduate Naomi Schartzer also spoke at the ceremonies. She gave an elegant speech.
“Most people go through life not knowing what is to come, or what is going to happen next. At least for today we can imagine. We can imagine where the next step will take us, or even the next step after that. For today we can not be scared of what will come. We can just sit back and soak in the satisfaction of knowing that we are one step closer.”
Read Naomi’s story here.
Two students won a scholarship combined at $57,000. Many decided to attend college. Here’s some of our graduate’s plans:
Emme Tulloch – Attending California State University San Marcos, studying nursing.
Whitnee E. – Currently attending Boise State University, studying pre-veterinary.
Andrea Tinnen – Attending North Idaho College, studying pediatric nursing.
Naomi Shartzer – Completing pre-med courses in Idaho, and then moving to Washington to obtain a medical degree and work as an obstetrician.
Katelyn Palmer – Plans to travel and pursue a career in modeling
Alan Billingsley – Deciding between Boise State University and Oregon State University, will work towards an IT degree specializing in CAD software and 3D graphics. He wants to be a civilian contractor for the US Military when he’s done.