Before local high school seniors embark on their next journey in their lives, they will say one final goodbye.
Commencement ceremonies for Warrenton and Wright City high schools will be held this weekend.
Warrenton’s graduation ceremony will be held Saturday, May 19, at 7 p.m. on the football field. Around 200 seniors are expected to graduate.
Meanwhile, Wright City’s commencement ceremony is Sunday, May 20, at 2 p.m. inside the high school gymnasium. Approximately 115 seniors will receive diplomas.
Warrenton High School Principal Jeremy Way described this year’s senior class as a diverse group that stood out academically and athletically.
“They have a lot of different kids doing a lot of different things,” he said. “We had our first ever all-state kid in speech and debate. We have kids who performed at Powell Symphony Hall, have kids who have gone to the scholar and fine arts academy. We have kids excel in sports.”
Wright City’s senior class has a lot to be proud of as well, said Principal Shawn Brown.
“It’s a solid class that works hard to achieve their goals,” he remarked. “There is not a lot of fanfare. They come in and take care of business every day. They have been a really good class. We will miss them.”
This is the second year in a row commencement will be held outside at Warrenton. This year’s keynote speaker will be Jamie Brent, a Boston lawyer who graduated from Warrenton High School. She is the daughter of teacher Teresa Brent.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside the high school gymnasium and begin at 7:30 p.m. Way said seating in the gym would only be available for those who have tickets.
Should the ceremony be forced inside, Way said a phone call through the district’s School Reach notification system will be made around noon.
Way said reaction to last year’s first-ever commencement ceremony being held outside was positive. He said some small tweaks will be made for this Saturday’s ceremony, such as moving the band closer so they can be heard easier by the crowd
“Everybody was excited,” he recalled about last year’s ceremony. “It’s more of a celebration for a lot more people to come out. It was one of our largest groups who attended last year. It was great for the parents to see what was going on.”
In Wright City, seating for the commencement ceremony will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Brown said doors will open at 1 p.m.
Science teacher Richard Mabrey will be the keynote speaker. He was chosen to speak by the senior class. Class President Erika Dohrman and senior Abby McNeill will speak as well, according to Brown.
