The Charlo class of 2026 walked across the stage on Sunday, May 31, and proudly held up their diplomas for the crowd to see.  

In this small, tight-knit community with 22 graduates, this moment was a personal celebration and a personal goodbye for the seniors, who depended on their classmates, community and teachers to support them through the journey.  

Salutatorian Madison Harris kicked off graduation with her speech, reminiscing on the memories she made at Charlo High School.  

“Most of my favorite memories were definitely from sports, like beating Drummond and winning against Lincoln individuals, messing around with friends after track events, and just being around the people who made sports worth being there,” Harris said.  

Harris said she’ll miss Charlo and even the teachers who complained about their absences. She added that the class has learned a lot over the years, including how to write an essay the night before it's due.  

“Most of us have grown up together. We have all laughed together and made memories that we've carried forever, even if we forgot everything that we learned in algebra. I'm so glad that we've got to share this really chaotic experience together,” she said.  

In her speech, she gave each of her graduating classmates a piece of advice and left the next Charlo classes with one as well. Harris concluded her speech by thanking her mom.  

“She's raised me to become the best version of myself and has stuck with me through everything, even the math assignments that left us both crying at the table and took us all night to finish,” Harris said. “She has taught me so much.” 

Welcomed to the stage next was valedictorian Leah Cahoon, who started her speech by thanking her parents and telling them she strives to be an accurate representation of what they taught her to be.  

Looking at her graduating class, she said every person and experience has shaped her into the person she is today.  

“I'm so proud to be a reflection of this amazing group of people in Charlo,” she said.  

Cahoon thanked her classmates for their unique personalities and reminded them to stay true to themselves. To conclude her speech, Cahoon performed “A Million Dreams” as a song that represents “us and the amazing places we’re going in our future.”  

Charlo also had a special guest speaker, Dougie Hall, who is a professional rodeo cowboy, motivational speaker and actor from Browning.  

Hall started off his speech by telling the graduates about his life and culture on the Blackfeet Reservation that shaped who he is today.  

With jokes in between, he told the graduates of little moments and difficult times that contributed to his career, goals and life.  

“When the Creator made you, He forgot to add the quit. Just keep being like water and keep moving,” Hall said. “Some days you're going to go slower than others, some days you're going to go really fast.”  

His advice to the graduating class was to hold on tightly to their biggest dreams and do everything in their power not to let people talk them out of those dreams.  

“Every single one of you guys is special,” he said. “I believe Creator put us here to do our best to live a pleasant life, and to help everybody else to do the same thing.”  

    Class president Brielle Zempel and Abbi Wagner walk into the graduation ceremony. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 Kenyan DuMont proudly holds out his diploma during the graduation ceremony. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 Salutatorian Madison Harris recognizes each of her 22 classmates during her speech. (Emily Messer/Leader)

 Theo Delay and Bowie Bettercourt walk into the graduation ceremony at Charlo High School. (Emily Messer/Leader)