SWHS graduation sees next generation look to past for inspiration
May 20—The more things change, the more they stay the same — and even though every year brings new students into Southwestern High School, four years later, they all take their turns saying goodbye.
Southwestern High School's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024 was held Friday night in the school's gymnasium. Around 267 young people gathered in their school for the last time as students, surrounded by a packed house of family, friends and well-wishers.
Lindsay Patterson, National Honor Society President, gave the student address at the commencement. Her words recalled the idea of similarities between different generations — watching high schooler-centered films from the 1980s like "Dirty Dancing" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" with family, and relating them to her own point in time.
"Ferris Bueller was an eccentric person who valued life experiences outside of the confinement of school; making memories overvalued perfect attendance in his book," said Patterson. "This truant but wise character once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.' As I stand here today on the very stage that I will conclude these past four years of my life on, this philosophy seems so relevant."
While many things remain the same down through the years, others hold a distinct place in history. The Class of 2024 began their time in high school under some of the most adverse and unique conditions the American teenager has ever known — those created by the spread of Covid-19.
"As we embarked on this journey in those desperate days of freshman year, we were at a tremendous disadvantage," said Patterson. "We took our first steps into the next phase of our lives, hidden behind a mask or a screen, unsure of what was to come next. Instead of letting that disadvantage destroy us, we made the most of it. We developed a familiar relationship with our Chromebooks, we got used to eating lunch anywhere but the cafeteria, we sat in the same classroom all day with a smile, and we survived. As long as that year was, looking back, it all seemed to go by quickly."
Patterson closed by urging her classmate to follow Bueller's advice — words originally conceived by seminal filmmaker John Hughes — and to stop and look around at the people beside them, their friends, teachers, administrators, family and everyone else who helped bring them to this point.
"We have all finally grown up," she said. "Despite the quick nature of life, I hope you can make it a habit to stop and look around once in a while in your busy lives to appreciate all of the happy, beautiful, messy, tragic, successful and wonderful things that you are undoubtedly going to have in your time here on earth."
Ashton Delk was the one senior to graduate as an AP Scholar with Distinction, earning a average score of 3.5 on all AP exams, with a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams. Four more — Skyler Flowers, Gavin Merrick, Khloe Pierce, and Wynter Wilson — graduated as AP Scholars with Honor, with an average score of 3.25 on all AP exams, and a score of 3 or higher on four or more exams. Nine more students were AP Scholars, scoring 3 or higher on three or more exams.
There were 73 Advanced Diploma recipients, 33, seniors to receive Proficient and Distinguished marks in all KSA (Kentucky Summative Assessment) areas, and five Governor's Scholars, those being Arwa Abd, Ashton Delk, Lindsay Patterson, Madeline Peterson, and Abbey Soots.
As part of the ceremony, the Southwestern High School Choir sang the traditional state song, "My Old Kentucky Home," reminding graduates that no matter where they go in life, Southwestern and Somerset will always be their home here in the Bluegrass.
