St. Ignatius graduates 29 students despite pandemic
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ST. IGNATIUS – The high school graduation in St. Ignatius was historic this year for several achievements – along with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ceremony was held outside on Saturday, June 6, for the first time to support social distancing guidelines. Students created a half circle, separated by about six feet, in front of a podium. Guests sat in a line of six behind each student. After the ceremony, a parade of students in vehicles followed the St. Ignatius Fire Department truck to allow community to give students a proper salute.
During the ceremony, Superintendent Jason Sargent acknowledged the many things the Class of 2020 missed out on after the school was closed due to the coronavirus, like the Senior Skip Day and spring sports, but he encouraged students to keep a positive mindset and celebrate their accomplishment.
Valedictorian Hunter Eichert’s speech kept with the positive approach. She said no one expected the senior year to turn out like it did, but the students did make history: “We had the longest Senior Skip Day ever.” She explained that the students hadn’t been in school since March.
Salutatorian Robert Dempsey said his speech was going to be “short and sweet,” but he wanted to make sure to thank family, teachers, staff and community for their support. He said everyone from janitors to teachers at the school helped create the building blocks needed for student success.
State of Montana Principal of the Year and St. Ignatius High School Principal Sean Hendrickson said the school’s graduation rate was at 93 percent this year, which was the “highest ever achieved” at the school. He said 81 percent of the class was moving on to college, trade school or military.
Governor Steve Bullock sent the students a recorded congratulatory message that was played during the ceremony. He acknowledged that the students were graduating during a difficult time and that it was a challenge to plan for the future, but he encouraged them to meet difficulty with strength. He wished them all personal success.
Valerie Umphrey was celebrated for her 38 years in education, and Lisa Foust was thanked for her 30 years at the school. Both teachers retired this year.
The Class of 2020 included: Darwin Adams, Miles Anderson, Beau Biggs, Charles Trance Bird, Raven Bird, Karolyna Buck, Jedidiah Dumont Christy, Hayden Currie, Robert Dempsey, Amy Dillard, Keisha Dillard, Isaac Dumontier, Hunter Eichert, Bridger Hames, Creedince Hammond, Kolten Gardipee, Derrick Gibbs Jr., Olivia Garland, River Gonzalez, Isaiah Matt, Troy Matt, Walker Murphy, Jason Moore, Courtney Mitchell, Aidyn Rosenbaum, Lilyin Carleen Rossbach, Drew Stewart, Joseph Stults and Azia-Rain Umphrey.
