‘Go on and be great’: Lawrence High graduates urged to be proud of their alma mater, look to the future
photo by: Ashley Hocking
Before Lawrence High School’s 145th commencement, as the 352 graduates were lining up in the hallway of Allen Fieldhouse, Hanna Liebegott said she wasn’t nervous about delivering an address to her classmates.
“I do debate and perform with the choir,” Liebegott said before Tuesday’s ceremony, shrugging off any thought of jitters.
When it was her turn to speak, she tried to pass on that sense of calm to her peers, encouraging them to take deep breaths. In the past four years, she told them they had grown and embodied what it means to be Chesty Lions, the school mascot.
“For me, it means to be brave and courageous and do what is right,” said Liebegott, who will be attending Emporia State University and aspires to become a middle school choir director.
Speakers throughout the evening echoed those sentiments, urging the grads to be proud of where they came from and of how much they’d grown.
photo by: Ashley Hocking
In his speech, graduate Fransoir Jones told his classmates about how he came to thrive at Lawrence High School and found goals, ambitions and a sense of community and family.
“I am proud to be part of the class of 2019,” Jones said.
Superintendent Anthony Lewis told the graduates to relish the moment and reflect on the past 13 years of their education, but he reminded them as well that their journey had only just begun.
“The real work starts now,” Lewis said.
photo by: Ashley Hocking
Lewis also told the graduates to honor the people who helped them get to this point and made sacrifices and commitments for them — family, grandparents, teachers and mentors.
photo by: Ashley Hocking
Among the proud relatives cheering on graduate Eric Galbreath were his great-grandmother Boopie Butler, from Fulton, Mo., and his grandmother Loretta Galbreath, from Jackson, Miss.
“He has done well,” Loretta Galbreath said of her grandson. “We are very proud.”
Seniors Jared Coté, who planned to attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City and major in trumpet performance, and Michaela Cordova, who was heading to Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., to study psychology and pre-medicine, both agreed they were excited to be moving on to the next stages of their lives.
“Now we can focus on something we want,” Coté said.
In his speech, Lewis urged the graduates to do just that.
“Take more risks as you explore this world,” Lewis said. “Go on and be great.”
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
photo by: Ashley Hocking
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