WILSON CREEK — Like so many students who gathered to celebrate high school graduation this year, the seven students of the Wilson Creek High School class of 2023 took time to reflect on their lives, thank all those who helped them along the way and considered what their futures might look like.

“First, I’d like to say thank you to all the teachers and staff,” said Wilson Creek High School 2023 valedictorian Aimee Willis during her graduation speech. “And let’s not forget to mention all the family and friends who have given their support and encouragement throughout high school.”

Willis, along with salutatorian Kayla Rhoads, Dominic Armstrong, Jocelyn Maurer, Jordan Meyer, Ben Reitz and Hank Sutton sat in their white caps and gowns on the small stage in the Wilson Creek School auditorium on Saturday, June 3, for the school’s annual graduation ceremony.

As in previous years, the Wilson Creek School — which reported enrollment in the 2022-23 school year of 125 students, 69 of them in elementary school and 56 in high school — celebrated its graduation with a slideshow of photos of each graduate from the time they were babies through teenage years and a student presentation of white roses as a sign of appreciation to all their family members and friends.

Willis reminded her fellow graduates that life goes by quickly, far faster than anyone expects, and there will be young people born in 2023 who will graduate from Wilson Creek High School in 2041.

“One day, you’re getting on the bus for your very first day of school, and the next you’re sitting on the stage in a cap and gown wishing time had gone by slower,” she said. “We have the ability to take opportunities and leave a positive mark on the work. So make the most out of your life.”

Rhoads, the school’s salutatorian, said learning in high school is less about facts and information than it is about the kind of person you will be in life.

“You learn the kind of person you want to be and the kind you don’t want to be. You will learn to stand up for what you want,” she said.

Rhoads noted that Wilson Creek High School is a small school, and that has its drawbacks. But those have been far outweighed by the benefits of living in a small community where people know each other, look after each other and care about each other.

“There will always be something about Wilson Creek. Whether that is the teachers that treat you like family or the students that make high school memorable. Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it, but it will have to do for now,” she said.

Jackie Floetke, director of Career and Technical Education with the Wilson Creek School District, cautioned graduates that even as they celebrate what they have earned on graduation day, nothing in life is guaranteed.

“You are not guaranteed to live free from adversity or struggles. You are not guaranteed wealth beyond measure. You are not guaranteed you will not face heartbreak, loneliness or sickness

at some point in your future. You are not guaranteed the easiest path through life,” she said. “How you face it all will make you the person you will be and how the rest of the world will see you.”

“I wish you a long life of happiness, health and joy. Spend your time wisely. Don’t stress out on the things you can’t control. Good luck, and have a wonderful future,” Floetke said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.