56 Forreston High School seniors graduate on Mother’s Day

FORRESTON — Within two minutes of being seated for their commencement ceremony, the members of the Forreston High School Class of 2023 stood and went to find their mothers in the audience.

The commencement ceremony coincided with Mother’s Day, and took place the afternoon of May 14 in the high school gym. Fifty-six students earned their high school diplomas.

“Our students will leave here today pursuing different avenues, each finding their own way and offering their own life stories,” Forrestville Valley School District Superintendent Sheri Smith said. “I believe all of you have the background and the knowledge to go out into the world and do well.”

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Siblings McKenna and McKeon Crase hold hands as they enter the Forreston High School gym where the Class of 2023's commencement was held on May 14, 2023. McKenna plans to study business at Highland Community College; McKeon is joining the U.S. Marine Corps. (Alexa Zoellner/Shaw Media)

Co-salutatorians Brooke Boettner, Owen Greenfield and Johnathen Kobler — all of whom earned 4.11 GPAs — and valedictorian Brock Smith, who earned a 4.12 GPA, addressed their classmates.

“Success is never achieved comfortably, so make mistakes and remember that success is not just about getting good grades or achieving a certain status. It’s about finding your passion and pursuing what makes you happy.”
— Brooke Boettner, Forreston High School Class of 2023 co-salutatorian

“Success is never achieved comfortably, so make mistakes and remember that success is not just about getting good grades or achieving a certain status,” Boettner said. “It’s about finding your passion and pursuing what makes you happy. There will always be setbacks. Harsh things will happen to us. We will learn from it and we will grow more resilient because of it. So take the risks, and never stop pushing yourself to be the best you can be.”

Forreston High School Principal Travis Heinz reminded the Class of 2023 that high school wasn’t the best years of their life, but a compass mean to help them find their truth north.

“You have a lifetime ahead that will bring you joy and sadness,” he said. “The important thing is that you learn from all those experiences and to always move forward and continue to learn from those experiences. Those are the things that will keep you grounded and allow you to always life out your dreams.”

Heinz reminded the students that they alone control their reactions to what life has in store for them, and encouraged them to to do their part to make the world a better place.

“Dream it. See it. Live it,” he said. “I love you all.”