BEATRICE – Over 170 seniors walked out of Beatrice High School, diplomas in hand on Sunday. Commencement exercises were held at the Beatrice High School O-Zone gymnasium with a packed crowd spilling over into the Hevelone Center for Fine Arts.


Five graduating seniors were co-valedictorians, earning a four-point-oh grade point average throughout high school….Lucas Hamilton, Alayna Happle, Addison Hatcliff, Jacob Mertz and Teagan Tempelmeyer. There were 47 graduating seniors earning at least a 3.5 GPA throughout high school.


One of the class speakers, Devin Viveros said the seniors made their way through high school in an internet and emerging technologies world where sometimes, fact and fiction are hard to separate.  "It;'s important for us to embrace the education that we received. It is also essential to recognize that our pursuit of knowledge doesn't stop when we walk out those doors in a few minutes. Now that we are finalizing our high school journey, we can finally move on to the next step in our life. We can now find our own unique method to learn through the experience of life."


Also speaking to the Class of 2024 were graduating seriors Kate Gleason and Bryan Price.  (Gleason).."Change is a natural fear experienced by everyone at different stages of their life. With change is the fear of uncertainty. We don't know exactly know what the next steps will guide. Yet it can be such a powerful tool if we allow it to be. If humans lacked change we would lack growth. Even the smallest adjustments can have a butterfly effect on the force of our life...(Price)..."The thing about living life is that it just about never is going to be easy, for us. There's many different boring meetings and long hours on the job...and many different challenges that are going to require vast amounts of time and energy that we don't think we have. We can see that in all these things there's a bigger picture before us. If you've never had to go through those boring meetings or you're never going to have to...you'll probably discovered the secret of life and you're going to have to pass that on to me."


Beatrice High School Principal Jason Sutter was leading his final graduation ceremony, after 36 years with Beatrice Public Schools as a teacher and administrator.


"I've been here so long I've encountered all the students' academic, fine arts and athletic accomplishments on that Wall of Fame in the commons area. I've seen 'em all....and it's been a joy. This class of 2024 is one of the special classes that truly embodies the many traits and foundational things that I, as principal, your teachers and staff have worked to infuse into this school. I'm proud of you, class. And I'm honored to graduate, so to speak, with you. Congratulations Class of 2024."


Beatrice School Board President Eric Trusty and Superintendent Jason Alexander handed diplomas to the class of 2024 at Beatrice High School.