The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – Thirty-four seniors will receive their diplomas in front of numerous loved ones and community members this Saturday in the Dayton High School Gymnasium, during Dayton's 132nd graduation ceremony. Baccalaureate will take place the night before at 7 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at 110 S. Third St.

Jennifer Warren is the Class of 2017's valedictorian, while Jenna Phillips is salutatorian. Along with Warren and Phillips, Cal Martin will also have a speaking role, leading those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance, and calling roll while his classmates receive their diplomas.

Warren is the daughter of Bill and Kristine Warren. Jennifer will finish her four years of high school with a perfect 4.0 GPA, putting her on the top step of the podium in a very strong senior class. She plans on attending Washington State University in the fall, and is currently planning on studying animal science, with a minor in business.

Warren was very active in extracurricular activities and sports during her time at DHS. She was a two season (football and basketball) cheerleader all four years, and has received eight varsity letters in the sport. She also received four varsity letters in track. She won multiple awards in each of these sports, including best all-around cheerleader during her senior basketball season, most inspirational for senior football, and most dedicated during both seasons of her junior year of cheerleading.

Warren held many offices and received various awards from her involvement in clubs at DHS. She was on ASB for two years, filling the roles of PR Manager this year and VP last year. During her four years in FFA, she won awards including the Rising Sun award, and held state offices for two years. She was also involved in class government, National Honor Society, Knowledge Bowl, Pep Club, Youth and Government, Girl Scouts, and YoungLife.

"Don't be afraid to get to know someone; they probably have a cool story that you could get to know," Warren said, when asked if she had advice for her fellow classmates and DHS students.

Jennifer was recently named the winner of the PEO Citizenship Award. During the summer, she plans on attending FBLA Nationals in Anaheim, going to YoungLife camp in Canada, and working for her father at the Warren Orchard.

Jenna Phillips, daughter of Liz and Dave Phillips,. will complete her high school career with a 3.95 GPA. She plans on attending the University of Washington to study marketing. She said she has wanted to study marketing for about a year, due to her experiences in FBLA, making her interested in learning more about the business world. Her sister Keisha, also a DHS alumnus, graduated from UW with a degree in marketing.

Phillips was an outstanding athlete at DHS, playing basketball and volleyball for four years, and winning numerous awards in both sports. She won first-team honors twice for basketball and three times for volleyball. During her senior season of volleyball, she was also named league player of the year. Phillips also was a part of the golf team her sophomore year.

On top of her athletic achievements, she has been heavily involved in extracurricular activities and clubs. She was a member of FBLA for four years, National Honor Society for three years, and class government for three years. She was a member of YoungLife all four years, yearbook staff for one year, and ASB for two years.

Her first two years of high school saw Phillips hold the title of class government VP. In her Junior year, she was ASB PR Manager, National Honor Society VP, and class government Treasurer. She was ASB President her senior year.

"I think what I enjoyed most was how close and supportive our community is and just being able to see friendly faces where I went," Phillips said when asked about what she enjoyed the most at DHS. As parting words of advice for her fellow students, Phillips said to "challenge yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself."

Cal Martin is the son of Steve and Jody Martin, and is the 2017 Class President. He finished high school with a 3.92 GPA, just missing out on top honors for his competitive class. Earlier this year, Martin signed his National Letter of Intent to play football at the University of Redlands in California, where he plans to study Engineering.

Martin was a standout athlete in football, finishing his senior year with the DW football team as a Seattle Times AP All-State MVP Finalist. His final season also saw him win first team all-league as a linebacker and second team as a tight end. Martin also played basketball and ran track all four years. Awards for these sports included being a team captain for basketball, and being a district and regional champion in track. He placed third in javelin at the 2017 WIAA State 2B track championships.

Courtesy Photo

Jenna Phillips

Martin was a recipient of the PEO Citizenship Award, along with Warren. He was ASB secretary twice, held a major state office in Youth & Government, and was a captain for four years on the DHS Knowledge Bowl team. Martin also held the position of Parliamentarian in Honor Society, and was involved in American Legion, FFA, class government and YoungLife.

Martin plans on working this summer, as well as going to YoungLife Camp and working out to get in shape for his Freshman year of college football.

"My words of advice to fellow members of DHS is to not base your life decisions on advice from people who don't have to deal with the results," Martin said. "Only you can make your own destiny."