Dayton grads survive change, ready for future

In her salutatory address, Leah Kennedy addressed the series of changes Dayton High School's class of 2009 has seen during four years of high school: Three principals. Four athletic directors. Four vice principals.

Plus changes to the campus, including a renovated parking lot and new buildings.

While it took some adapting, it may be what will most benefit them in the future.

"It showed us a lot of what the real world is like," Kennedy said before the ceremony. "Everything is changing nowadays and we have to adapt to that."

On Thursday evening, 161 seniors received their diplomas during a ceremony on the high school's football field.

"We worked our whole lives for this, and it's finally here," said Rachael Griffin, 17. "It was hard work."

Nicole Williams, 18, saw the event as a symbolic end of childhood.

"It's the first day of the rest of our lives," she said. "It's scary. We have to finally grow up."

Jeanette Beckman, 19, countered that she already felt grown up. Rather, she said, graduation opens the door to new opportunity.

"We finally finished high school," she said. "We can achieve so much for ourselves now."

Vice Principal Tim Logan said the class was a diverse one with a variety of strengths.

"It's got some good leadership and some good athletes," he said. "It was a good class to be around."

From college to the military to oversees travel, the graduates' plans are equally diverse.

But before any of those plans could be actualized, they marched through the procession.

"It's a ginormous deal," said Dakota Knight, 17.