Blue Ridge grads told about life lessons

BY STACI WILSON

Blue Ridge valedictorian Rebekah Harris apologized to the high school’s English teachers at Saturday’s graduation ceremony before she let them in on a little student secret.

“No one reads the books,” Harris said.

Even with that admission, Harris said she did learned a lot in the course of her high school career but wished someone told her some of those things earlier – like, it doesn’t matter what you wear; and if you have a car you become a taxi service for your friends.

“I wish someone had told me graduation

wasn’t the end,” she said. “It’s the beginning. There is a tomorrow.”

She added that there would be a tomorrow when the Class of 2011 wouldn’t be dressed in “silk Snuggies with zippers and hats you could serve cheese and crackers on.”

She said that despite high school sometimes feeling like four years of torture, the valedictorian and senior class president said she has made some of the best memories of her life along the way – and learned to be herself.

Salutatorian Kaitlyn Krug said she wanted each of her fellow graduates to do whatever makes them happy, a theme echoed by Blue Ridge English teacher, senior class advisor and commencement guest speaker Kimberly Davenport.

Davenport said most people ask graduates “What do you want to be? I want to ask who do you want to be?”

“Who we are inside is more important than what we do,” she said. “You will be remembered for the character you have far more than the career you have. Set goals but don’t be afraid to change them.”

2011 Blue Ridge graduates are: Justin Banko, Christian Barrett, Frank Barton, Jillena Bennett, Brittany Birtch, Ashlee Brand, Matthew Brewer, Eric Brown, Shawn Carey, Taylor Carlsen, Morgan Clapper, Katherine Conklin, Jordan Crook, Linda DeJesus, Larissa Decker, Sydney Decker, Shauna DeJesse, David Delgado, Ashley Del Longo, Jessica Derrick, Shannon Dock, Lynette Dooley, Ashley Dorunda, Katie Drake, Sabrina Ely, Jacquelynn Formosa, Thomas Frailey, Gino Galu-Edgar, Brittany Gelineau, Eric Giangrieco, Adam Gordon, Casey Gorick, Heather Grover, Katelyn Grubb, Emily Guinan, Wesley Guthrie, Amber Hack, Allison Hall, Kristina Hall, Rebekah Harris, Carissa Hawk, Felicia Haynes, Benjamin Hepler, Holly Holbrook, Tyler Irwin, Elijah Kelley, Daniel Kempa, Corey Kleiner, Kelsey Kleiner, Quintin Klenchik, Marissa Kotar, Stephanie Koziol, Kaitlyn Krug, Zachary Kruger, Julianne Kuhn, Anthony Liddle, Rhonda Lynch, Paige MacKenzie, Andrew McGraw, Meaghan Merritt, Jillian Millard, Curtis Miller, Lindsey Moxen, Eric Onyon, Fancy Osborne, Alicia Osterhout, Sarah Parsons, Dylan Pruitt, Amanda Rispoli, Hayley Rupakus, Erin Salinkas, Thomas Shelanskey, Daniel Smith, Eric Smith, Lexa Smith, Zachary Smith, Nicole Soller, Tiffany Spencer, Randy Hall-Stone, Gregory Stonier, Heather Taramelli, Thomas Towner, Courtney Ucci, Samantha Ulrich, Dylan VanSickle, Brooke Wallace, Macy Wega, Brooklyn Welch, Theresa Whitehead, Mark Willchock, Gabrielle Wolfe, Alyssa Wright, Earl Youngs, Christopher Zawiski.