With many tears of nostalgia and joy, Cypress High School’s Senior Class of 2015 said a heartfelt goodbye to one another this past Thursday. The hardworking and diligent young women and men of the Centurion student body fought through a very demanding and long school year to make it to this point in their academic careers, but with graduation comes a new set of obstacles.
The hardest of these obstacles would be the pain of having to let go and say goodbye to all of the friends that one has made throughout their four year journey from childhood to adolescence.
The other would be deciding what to do after high school, and planning for the path that lies ahead.
“It’s all just so unreal,” explains Cheyenne Wheelwright, as she speaks on her emotions about finally making it to graduation. “I had to go through a lot this school year. The hardest challenge that I had to overcome was one of my advanced placement classes’ for my school. It was a Statistics class. It was the last thing that I needed to pass in order to make it to graduation. Luckily, I had a great teacher to teach me throughout the school year. His name was Mr. Montrella.
“He was by far the most inspirational and influential teacher that I had at Cypress High. This was because he was so patient and caring to all of the students. He actually cared about us making it to graduation. He cared about our lives, and our futures.”
Wheelwright, under the guidance of professor Montrella, saw her dream come to fruition, and wound up passing her course with flying colors to reach her graduation.
When asked about where she sees her life going after graduation, Wheelwright expressed with much flavor and pizzazz, “my dream is to go to college and major in Culinary Arts. I want to be a chef, or a baker of some sort. I love to cook.”
Wheelwright plans on attending Cypress College this upcoming fall semester.
Over 640 seniors made it to Cypress High School’s graduation this year, according to assistant principal Joe Saldana. “The thing that I am going to miss most about this 2015 class of seniors is their enthusiasm,” states Principal Saldana. “My only hope is that the students continue to follow their dreams, work hard, and never ever give up.”
Class Valedictorian Brenda Paulis delivered a very inspirational and heartwarming speech that proved the notorious fighting spirit of Cypress High School true. Her never say die message had the entire audience screaming in pandemonium, as a sea of people dipped in orange and blue school colors filled Handel Stadium to the very top.
Police actually had to be called in to regulate how many more graduation goers could go to celebrate in the bleacher tops of the stadium.
“This was a close knit group, and a very good group of kids,” said Robotics teacher Michael Manning. “They developed lifetime relationships, and that is what is most important. I know that they are all going to do really well out there.”
The point that Manning made about developing lifetime relationships reigned true in the young life of Wheelwright.
“I’m getting kind of emotional, and am trying to keep it together,” says Wheelwright. “I am going to miss the school’s environment, the students, and my friends. I am going to miss the karaoke singing tournaments at lunchtime, and most importantly, I am going to miss being able to just be a kid. I don’t think that I will be able to do that once I get to college, to just be a kid. I don’t ever think that the environment or feel of it will ever be the same. I don’t think that I will be able to do that once I get there.”
Still, Wheelwright’s views on the end of her high school career aren’t all sorrows.
“I am still excited to be done and to pursue my cooking career. I am ready to use what I have been taught.”