Speaker Suzanne Newton urged graduates to make “glorious, fantastic mistakes” at the commencement exercises for Haines High School’s class of 2016 at Karl Ward gym Tuesday.

Newton, a school paraprofessional chosen to speak by the senior class, told the 21 graduates their lives were “about to get real, real fast.”

“It’s your turn to make the decisions, and your turn to make the rules… It’s your turn to make mistakes. Make glorious, fantastic mistakes and keep learning from them – learn and make the world more interesting and a better place from you being here,” Newton said.

Newton told graduates to get out of their comfort zones and ZIP code and to explore the Lower 48. “Live it, breathe it, become it, find out what makes our country tick, then fix what you don’t like, make new plans, contribute to the ‘us’ in the U.S.”

Newton’s comments to graduates about making themselves happy included suggesting they get a tattoo, a remark that visibly surprised some at the ceremony. “Get a tattoo or body piercings or henna ink. Your body is the temple of your mind, heart and sprit. Decorate your temple as you see fit. No two temples are alike – don’t follow the herd, don’t be a sheeple.”

She also told students to develop integrity. “Developing strong integrity sometimes is difficult to do, but it is the most valuable trait you will ever have.”

“Ball is life,” said Kayley Swinton, a standout on the girls’ basketball team who gave the valedictory address and compared opportunity to free throws requiring practice and focus. “We’ll have to put in a lot of hard work. Nothing is going to come easy.

“As we embark on our own journeys, we’ll have to apply the same self-discipline needed at the free-throw line to be successful in life… How do you want to be remembered? We will have to have the strength to approach our next shots with confidence in our hard work. Will you let the pressure get to you? Will you miss your opportunity to reach your goal, or will you choose to put in the hard work that’s needed to make the shot? Your success is up to you,” Swinton said.

Salutatorian Bailey Stuart said she hoped classmates would have memorable moments after graduation. “One thing for sure is that we will have a challenge adjusting to not knowing everyone surrounding us. After today, life will be different. We will no longer be a close-knit class of (21) students, but (21) individuals who are all doing different things in our own, different ways.”

As in other recent years, the senior class put its unique stamp on the proceedings. They chose Bruno Mars’ “Count on Me” as a choir musical selection, joining hands during the performance. “We sang (the same song) at (our) eighth-grade promotion. We liked it and thought we should circle it all up and use it to wrap it up for high school,” said senior Autumn Gross.

They also riffed off Newton’s speech, to “shake off” their high school years to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”

“We wanted to do something fun, kind of like a flash mob, but we didn’t know if we could choreograph that. So we just danced and hugged and laughed a lot. We just decided to go for it and have fun,” said class member Jenae Larson, whose extended family wore “Team Jenae” sweatshirts to the ceremony.

Larson and classmate Matthew Green joined as vocalists in a performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” a rock anthem also sung by students at graduation in 2009. Guitarist Jeremy Larson, who performed the song as a high school senior with classmate Jae McDermaid in 2009, returned Tuesday to back up his younger sister and Green’s version of the same song.

Scholarships awarded to graduates and alumni during a school ceremony Tuesday morning included:

University of Alaska Scholars ($12,000 over 4 years): Bailey Stuart, Kayley Swinton, Destinee Cowart.

Alaska Performance Scholarship: Corinna Hill, Destinee Cowart, Kayley Swinton, Trevor Cox, Hannah Thomas, Kyle Canfield.

American Society of Landscape Architects Alaska Chapter Academic Scholarship ($1,000): Libby Jacobson.

Haines Volunteer Fire Department ($500): Destinee Cowart, Kayley Swinton, Autumn Gross, Jenae Larson, Amy Messerschmidt, Jessica Giddings.

Lynn Canal Conservation ($500): Jenae Larson.

Uglys of Haines ($1,000): Autumn Gross, Kayley Swinton, Bailey Stuart;  ($4,000): Trevor Cox

Alaska Native Sisterhood ($500): Jenae Larson, Alisha Young, Heidi Kattenhorn, Autumn Gross, Kelsey Taylor; ($250): Trevor Cox, Lindsey Jobbins; ($100): Bailey Stuart, Kayley Swinton.

Haines Sportsmen’s Association Barbara Campbell Memorial ($500): Autumn Gross, Kayley Swinton, Lindsey Jobbins. 

Haines Women’s Club, Alumni Scholarship: ($750) Rebekah Green; Mildred Hermann Scholarship ($750): Destinee Cowart; Pat Jones Memorial Scholarship ($750): Jessica Giddings.

Chilkat Valley News Raymond Menaker Writing Award ($1,000): Kai Hays.

2016 Sealaska Heritage Scholarship Award: ($873) Kelsey Taylor, Autumn Gross.

Juneau Lions Club ($1,000): Jenae Larson.

Haines Education Association and School Staff ($600): Autumn Gross, Kayley Swinton, Rebekah Green, Jessica Giddings.

Delta Western ($10,000 over 4 years): Jenae Larson.

New Hope Fellowship ($2,000): Chelsey Hart.

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