Advice abundant at Polson graduation
Linda Sappington
Caps fly as the Polson Class of 2016 celebrates at Saturday’s commencement ceremony.
Linda Sappington
Graduates salute as the Polson Concert Choir sings “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Linda Sappington
Stormie Cenicola, left, helps Janissa Stiles adjust a lei that Janissa’s grandfather shipped from Hawaii. “It’s a family tradition,” she said.
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
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POLSON — As graduates headed into post-high school years, a plethora of advice was provided Saturday as 94 Pirates walked the plank to receive their diplomas.
For instance, if a graduate becomes uncontrollably angry, “take a breath and repeat, ‘prison orange is not your color,’” suggested Salutatorian Kylie Murphy.
Valedictorian Natalee Wheeler, described as a future “CEO of a major corporation” by teacher, tennis coach and guest speaker Bob Hislop, suggested graduates “set obtainable goals and plan ahead.”
Thirty-eight students did just that by earning a total of $893,000 in scholarships. Five grads are signed up to serve their country in the military. Collin Walker missed the ceremony as he had already left the area for basic training with the Army National Guard.
That fit some of Hislop’s advice.
“Leave Polson. Go away for six months, or a year,” he advised. “If you still love Polson, it will be here waiting for you.”
The Polson Concert Choir sang Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” seemingly in agreement.
Hislop also advised the graduates, “Don’t have good days and bad days.” Instead, he said, have good days that might have a bad 15 minutes.
Hopefully, senior class president Dylan Cooper can take that advice with a bit of humor. The National Honor Society student and recipient of the Principal’s Award sneezed at the wrong time on his way to graduation, and rear-ended the car in front of him. Unfortunately, it happened right in front of the school. Although a bit unnerved after filing police reports, as he rushed to join his line of classmates he was greeted with a standing ovation.
Cooper — described by Hislop as “the most organized student” —will attend the University of Montana to study health and human performance, which includes chiropractic, naturopathic and physical therapy.
“Like an alternative to pre-med,” Cooper explained. He learned that the more AP classes he took and the harder workload he took on, his work habits improved. “I could do more and be more effective.”
Graduate Nichole Lake echoed Cooper’s statements, reflecting that high school taught her time management. Lake participated in basketball, volleyball, track and high school rodeo and earned a University of Montana Rodeo Scholarship.
Lake’s advice for success was to “stay busy and be involved in everything,” she said.
Hislop wrapped up his advice for graduates, saying their success in college will be based on how they manage their free time.
“Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of things you can’t change,” Hislop added. “It’s time to go out and make the world a better place.”
Polson High School Class of 2016
Shelton Allen
Sebastian Baxter
Lydia Bowman
Saydee Butte
Kenyon Cairns
Curtis Capdeville — Montana State University Premier Scholarship, Mission Valley Power Scholarship
Tristan Caye
Stormie Cenicola
Jacob Clairmont
Brenna Clarke
McKinley Colton — Polson Rotary Scholarship
Washington State University Western Undergraduate Exchange Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship
Marlee Congdon — Buck Young Memorial Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
Dylan Cooper — Polson Elks Scholarship, Montana State Elks Scholarship, Montana Governor’s Best & Brightest Merit Scholarship
Mariah Corrigan
Michael Corrigan
Keely Cran
Jordan Croft
Cara Cunningham
Caleb DesJarlais
Wyatt DuCharme — George & Faye Harris Scholarship
Lydia Dupuis — George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Grand Canyon University Discover Scholarship, Grand Canyon University President’s Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation, Mildred & Hib Hanson Memorial Scholarship, St. Luke Community Healthcare Rosemary Miller Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship
Jamie Eastham — Peggy Unrau Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship, Sandpiper Art Gallery Scholarship
Cortnie Ellenwood
Orlando Encizo Ambrosio
Aiden Finley
Kelsey Fowler
Lane George
Kenneth Gieber
Tigrai Gipe
Shantelle Gyzeny
Raymond Hale
Quaid Harlan — Montana State University Premier Scholarship, Mission Valley Power Scholarship, St. Luke Community Healthcare Rosemary Miller Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship
Jacob Harrod
Hannah Hobbs
Kimberly Holland
Jordan Homola
Sheridan Houle
Remington Janeway
Elizabeth Johnston
Carson Jones
Julian Jones — RealLife 1010 Scholarship
Sutton Kanta
Haley Kendley
Jennifer Keyler
Nichole Lake — Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship, University of Montana Rodeo Scholarship, Cinch Rodeo Team Scholarship
Malysa Lamphere
Claire Lanier — Mary Lou Fugleberg Memorial Scholarship, Grace Ritzman Foundation Scholarship, Polson Rotary Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation Montecahto Club Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship
Payton Lefthand
Mollie Lemm — Polson Elks Scholarship, Montana State Elks Scholarship, Senate Youth Leadership Award, Montana University System Honor Scholarship, Polson Rotary Scholarship, Buck Young Memorial Scholarship, Polson PEO Chapter AI Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Polson High School Pepsi/SERVE Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation Oberlitner-Theiler Family Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship, Herff Jones- Believe in You Scholarship
Shawna Lenz — George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship
Nick Marquardt
Shea Martinez
Kenneth Maughan
Brenna McGuinness — University of Idaho Discover Idaho Platinum Scholarship
Zachary Mooso
Thunder Morales
Haley Morgan — Polson Rotary Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation Travis Dolphin Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship
Elias Morigeau
Kylie Murphy — Polson Rotary Scholarship, St. Luke Community Healthcare Rosemary Miller Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation District 23 Employees’ Scholarship, Bertram & Alta Hochmark Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship, University of Washington Purple & Gold Scholarship
TabathaJo Niblack — Polson United Methodist Church Scholarship
Dylan Noyes — George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
Tessa Nunlist — Montana State University Premier Scholarship, Polson Rotary Scholarship, Buck Young Memorial Scholarship, Polson PEO Chapter AI Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation Oberlitner-Theiler Family Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship
Canyon Plant
Amaya Poole
Hannah Potter — Mission Valley Shooting Club Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education, Foundation Class of ’59 Scholarship, Bertram & Alta Hochmark Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
Clinton Rehbein
Madison Reilley
Jessica Richard
Tyra Rucker-Huitt
Logan Rushing — Oregon State University Provost Scholarship, Oregon State University Tuition Grant Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
David Rutledge — Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation, Trusler Family Vocational Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
Alexander Salois — Polson Elks Scholarship, Polson Rotary Scholarship, Montana State University Premier Scholarship, Bertram & Alta Hochmark Scholarship, Polson Golf Association Father’s Day Tournament Scholarship
Erin Sampson — Buck Young Memorial Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, George & Florence Clarkson Scholarship, Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
Witley Sampson — Air Force ROTC Scholarship, Polson Rotary Scholarship, George & Faye Harris Scholarship, Montana State University Premier Scholarship, Mission Valley Masonic Lodge Scholarship
Julia Sanderson — Mars & Verna Rolfson Scholarship
Brook Sherman
Grace Sievert — Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation, Oberlitner-Theiler Family Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship
Madyson Silva
Kory Slocum
Hudson Smith — Bertram & Alta Hochmark Scholarship, Dorris D. Harbert Scholarship
Donald Stanger
Janissa Stiles
Carolyn Stinger
Hunter Tamcke
Reinel Tenas
Kenon Tevyaw
Kanon Tompkins
Levi Trotter
Jordyn Turner
Jenny Usher
Brady Vance
Camera Vollin
Collin Walker
Jacob Wall-Wilbert
Jaben Wenzel
Natalee Wheeler — Polson Elks Scholarship, Montana State Elks Scholarship, Plum Creek Community Scholarship, Montana University System Honor Scholarship, Montana State University Premier Scholarship, Polson Beta Sigma Phi Torch Scholarship, Montana Youth Serve Montana Scholarship, Polson Rotary Scholarship, Polson PEO Chapter AI Scholarship, Polson Scholarship & Education Foundation Women of Rollins Club Emma Sager Scholarship, Peggy Unrau Scholarship
Isaiah Williams
Warren Wood — Gonzaga University Academic Scholarship
Nathaniel Young — United States Air Force Academy Appointment
