Reflection, emotion themes at Wahluke High School graduation
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 9 months AGO
It’s a tradition at Wahluke High School for seniors to give a rose to those family and members and friends who helped them get to graduation.
CHERYL SCHWEIZER/COLUMBIABASINHERALD
Guest of Honor Matt Watrus got a special gift, his own Wahluke High School jacket, in recognition of his years helping students.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | June 10, 2024 1:30 AM
MATTAWA — Every school has traditions at graduation, some formal, some not. It’s a tradition at Wahluke High School graduation that the gym will not only be full, but so full it’s standing room only. That tradition continued when the class of 2024 graduated Friday night.
It’s also a tradition that graduation is an emotional ceremony, although that’s not unique to Wahluke. That tradition also continued when guest of honor Matt Watrus choked up a little during his speech.
The class of 2024 entered high school in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it left its mark. Class president Valerie Adame Hernandez remembered their eighth-grade promotion ceremony was canceled. But the seniors faced and beat that and many other challenges.
“We never gave up,” she said. “Instead we pushed and pushed on, understanding that every obstacle we overcame made us stronger.”
A complete story on WHS graduation will be published in the Columbia Basin Herald Lifestyle section Wednesday.
Guest of Honor Matt Watrus got a special gift, his own Wahluke High School jacket, in recognition of his years helping students.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
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