Adrian High School Class of 2020
After their last Christmas break, the seniors began their last semester in the Adrian School District. They moved methodically through third quarter, doing homework and participating in extracurricular activities or working. Spring break signified the end of 3rd Quarter, with only one more to go...the excitement and reality of being at the end of their journey with Adrian R-III was brewing! Then...BAM! Spring break turned into extended time off due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. State contests were canceled. Businesses began closing. Stay-at-home orders were issued. And then that fateful day came when all schools in the State of Missouri were mandated to close for the remainder of the school year. Devastation among the seniors and their families ran rampant, as it did for many people on their behalf. Their last quarter in the halls of Adrian High School was gone. Oh, the heartache! The uncertainties, the sudden changes and cancellations, just everything was difficult to accept and process. Be assured, though, the Class of 2020 stood stronger than ever! They persevered!
At long last, the seniors were reunited as one at the George Bruto Athletic Complex on Friday, June 19, 2020. Dressed in their caps and gowns, the graduates walked the track to "Pomp and Circumstance" and took their seats of honor. The quartet of seniors in the Blackhawks Band stood before their classmates, parents, families and guests to play the National Anthem one last time. Hunter Nelson, Katelyn Frazier, Mary Wood and Riley Tucker performed it beautifully. Mr. Abe Lewis, Secondary Principal, delivered a heartfelt message to the Class of 2020. Jacob Hawkins gave a moving commencement address. Scholarships and academic awards were presented by Mr. Lewis and Mrs. Chancy Glynn, High School Counselor. Valedictorian Mary Wood and Salutatorian Gabe Kussmaul addressed the senior class using carefully planned words of encouragement, memories, humor and more. Mary Wood talked about the "Heart of a Blackhawk" (see Mary's speech below). The graduates were announced by Mr. Don Lile, Superintendent, and presented their diplomas by Board of Education President David Knuth. Mr. Lile presented the Adrian High School Class of 2020, and graduation caps flew in the air amidst the roar of the crowd. Blackhawk Pride shined bright as the newest Adrian Alumni led the crowd in the school song. Even through the adversity of the Coronavirus Pandemic and losing their "lasts" during the 4th Quarter of their final year at Adrian R-III, the Class of 2020 took their places in line and walked together as one. The recessional was one of strength, courage, and perseverance, and most assuredly reflected the "Heart of a Blackhawk."
To the Class of 2020, we wish you all the best as the next chapter in your life begins!
Valedictorian Speech, Mary Wood
Good evening class (others) of 2020. I would first like to thank my family. To my siblings who all drove to see me and for the support of my parents and grandparents. Thank you to my friends, who have made the dark days bright and the good days great and to the teachers who have worked hard to help us be where we are today.
Change. Change happens whether we want or not. Sometimes we see those changes happening or we look to see that one day we have grown up and are graduated. We had change when we started school, coming to a building with strangers for hours at a time. When we started middle school, we had to navigate lockers and changing schedules. Finally, high school came. We had to plan what classes we wanted to take, new teachers who could never understand the pain they were causing by giving us actual work, and the trouble of keeping up with where we were going to sit. What we do not always realize right away, is that those changes were for the best. Those strangers became your friends, those plans helped us realize what we enjoyed and what we wanted to do for our future, our teachers prepared us with the tools we would need after graduation and made us better, that seat was a small release from any chaos the day brought. Same with these last few months. Our education and what we believed as normal changed. We were not quite sure what our (immediate) future was going to entail. A change that comes from this pandemic, strength. As author Isabel Allende once said “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring the hidden strength forward.” I believe many of us have pushed ourselves in our lifetime. Whether it be from stepping up for a project or pushing ourselves to get a certain grade.
Change. Change happens whether we want or not. Sometimes we see those changes happening or we look to see that one day we have grown up and are graduated. We had change when we started school, coming to a building with strangers for hours at a time. When we started middle school, we had to navigate lockers and changing schedules. Finally, high school came. We had to plan what classes we wanted to take, new teachers who could never understand the pain they were causing by giving us actual work, and the trouble of keeping up with where we were going to sit. What we do not always realize right away, is that those changes were for the best. Those strangers became your friends, those plans helped us realize what we enjoyed and what we wanted to do for our future, our teachers prepared us with the tools we would need after graduation and made us better, that seat was a small release from any chaos the day brought. Same with these last few months. Our education and what we believed as normal changed. We were not quite sure what our (immediate) future was going to entail. A change that comes from this pandemic, strength. As author Isabel Allende once said “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring the hidden strength forward.” I believe many of us have pushed ourselves in our lifetime. Whether it be from stepping up for a project or pushing ourselves to get a certain grade.
Strength. Not only was our normal education halted, but memories that would have happened. Sports, contests, senior trip, and even prom. Activities that we looked forward to, or dreaded, but memories that would be held onto. Now, we think of all the possibilities that we lost. Yet, instead of taking the loss, we should appreciate the wins we have all had. We have made it to today, sitting on this field listening to this speech that maybe you will remember, maybe you won’t. We have memories of homecomings, of taking school trips with our friends, of placing in competitions, of performing in the band or a play. We are graduating, a few months later than we planned but still able to have the ones who support us here in person. Two large moments in our lives have been based around events where many were uncertain. When four planes were hijacked and 9/11 occurred, we were being born. When this virus shut down schools and businesses, we did not know how long it would last or what graduation would look like, if it even happened. But in desperate times we still hold onto hope, for our class is unstoppable, unbreakable, and we are not defined by our past but what we do in our present.
So now that we are done with high school, we move onto the next chapter of our lives, whether that be college or the workforce. Just like being a Blackhawk has made a mark on us, so we will make a mark in the world. When asked, “What does being a Blackhawk mean to you?” the responses were different yet similar.
To be a Blackhawk means having pride for your town and being there for everyone as you would want them to do the same for you. ~Kyler Six
To me being a Blackhawk means having pride in everything that you do and always being there for your community whenever they need you. ~Olivia Bagby
To me being a Blackhawk means having pride in everything that you do and always being there for your community whenever they need you. ~Olivia Bagby
It means to take pride in everything you do. Be proud and be loud. It also means to show kindness. Be nice to others and let them know that being a blackhawk is something to be proud of. ~Katelyn Frazier
"I've been a Blackhawk all my life, I will forever be a Blackhawk. It's a big family, even if we get mad at each other, a Blackhawk always has each other's backs." ~Ragan Hendrix
"I've been a Blackhawk all my life, I will forever be a Blackhawk. It's a big family, even if we get mad at each other, a Blackhawk always has each other's backs." ~Ragan Hendrix
It is pushing through a tough situation with your head held high whether you know what the outcome is going to be or not. ~Makenna Hummel
Being a Blackhawk to me means no different than a family. It is being in this small community and knowing that you will always have a family to back you up and be by your side. ~Steevie Kooker
To me, being a Blackhawk means that you're always there for each other when things get tough. ~Madison Minnick
Being a Blackhawk means being a part of a family. Something bigger and better. ~Jan Atchison
It means spirit, it means courage, and most of all it means family. ~Hunter Nelson
I would say that being a Blackhawk to me is always being someone that others can look to and think “I want to be just like her one day”. It’s setting an example by not only words, but by actions. ~Jenna Shipley
We have been taught annotated bibliographies, proofs, how many representatives are in Missouri (eight), even what our bones are named. We also have been taught about having a heart of a Blackhawk. About caring and supporting each other, of being proud of where we came from, and that will never change.
See the Adrian News Leader on Facebook for 2020 Graduation Pictures!
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