By Scott D. Johnston
Forty-seven North Beach High School seniors donned black and gold robes and caps as members of the graduating Class of 2017 Saturday evening at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.
Brett Mackey officiated for the final time as NBHS principal. He is moving to Eastern Washington this Summer. He told the graduates, “Five years ago I was speaking at your 8th grade moving up ceremony and you were my first four-year class as a principal. Many of you I got to know at a very early age, dating back to the good ole Ocean Shores Elementary PE days. I had visions of what many of you would become. I looked at your potential and saw greatness. And you didn’t let me down.”
Mackey wrote his remarks in the form of a letter to the graduates, which he read aloud. In it, he recalled receiving unexpected inspiration from the widely reported comments of basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, who spoke extensively in the months leading up to his death from cancer in 1993.
“His impact will be with me forever and I believe is relevant for you today,” Mackey told the seniors. “He said, ‘I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm,” to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have.’”
The Class of 2017 Co-Valedictorians were Seth Bridge and Christopher You. Salutatorian was Emily Deal.
Assistant Principal Wendy McCoy recognized 13 graduates who received a total of 57 scholarships from 25 organizations, worth more than $132,000. Recipients were: Hannah Avery, Seth Bridge, Emily Deal, Hunter Dianovich, Nannette Fruh, Olivia Harnagy, Summer Irvin, Ryan Louderbach, Cheyenne Martin, Reilly Moore, Ryan Turner, Cassidy Warren and Christopher You. Bridge was the leading recipient. The Honors Program Scholarship he received from Concordia University is valued at nearly $60,000 over four years, and he earned eight additional scholarships.
“I just want to congratulate you and wish you the best as you travel on your own path,” Mackey concluded. “Never forget where you come from and always remember, ‘Once a Hyak, Always a Hyak.’
