Noxon honors class of 2024

It was rainy Sunday afternoon, but there was joy and energy in the Noxon High School gymnasium as friends, family, and former classmates gathered to honor the 15 students in the graduating class of 2024.

Superintendent Dave Whitesell started off the speeches, saying high school is much like building a bridge.

"You build a bridge to have connections, to gain progress and of course to get to the other side," he said. He then asked the seniors to be "bridge fixers," strengthening their bridges for real life, to lead with compassion, integrity and to know they aren't on the bridge alone.

Class salutatorian Maria Sophia Pelobello from the Philippines was next on the podium, where she gave her speech about coming to Noxon as a junior, not knowing anything about the new small town in which she lived. She said she watched her new classmates to get to know their faces, their manners and then their names. She wished them all well and said she wanted to remind everyone that "if you want to do something, do it, the world doesn't care. Scream if you must, it won't kill you."

Sam Christsensen was the valedictorian. He said he would keep his speech short and sweet, saying he wouldn't have wanted to graduate anywhere other than beautiful Noxon, Montana. Christensen went on to recite President John F. Kennedy's famous quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." He thanked the community, alumni, the school board, teachers and staff, and of course family on behalf of the senior class.

Dana Grupenhoff was the guest speaker who has been teaching for over 26 years, with 20 of them being at Noxon. Turning the podium she said she wanted to speak directly to the graduating class, where she said she had met most of them when they were just seventh graders. Grupenhoff went on to read a bit from the children's story Hucklebug, a cute story about a little hucklebug who doesn't like the sound of work. She went on to say this was a lesson about making mistakes, growing, and finding the value in hard work.

"It is easy to forget the value of hard work, but put hard work into everything you do whether that be schooling, a job, or relationships," Grupenhoff said to the misty-eyed seniors.

Following Grupenhoff's speech, a short video was played, where the audience saw a glimpse of the students in everyday life. Next the antsy seniors were awarded their diplomas and threw their caps into the air, signaling a goodbye to their high school life and hello to the joys of adulthood.