The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Mrs. Stephanie Wooderchak

It has been a pleasure to work with you over these past years. I wish you much happiness in your new life adventures.

Mr. Gabe Kiefel

I wish for each of you a rich life, full of authenticity. It has been said that to wish someone to live in interesting times or an exciting life could be considered a curse.  This would be because interesting times may be full of surprises and discomfort.  An exciting life carries with it the possibility of danger or injury.  I do not wish for you a boring life. I hope that you may live a full life. However, I wish for you smooth sailing, calm waters, and an amount of predictability.  I hope you find what you seek in this world and wish that you gain the wisdom to know what to do with it once you have found what you seek.

Ms. Kathy Pradere

I wish I could give to the senior Class of 2020 the graduation ceremony they deserve. You worked hard for many years and deserve to walk on stage, to have your name announced and to be handed your diploma in front of family and friends.

I applaud you for blazing forward with a unique graduation ceremony that will be remembered forever. I encourage you to continue striving towards achieving your goals and dreams. Even though the path you take may look a little different than you expected, you will have amazing stories to tell about how you got there.

Mrs. Liv Leid

BRAVO! You did it! Congratulations on your hard work and perseverance; I know it will pay off. I encourage you to live with life and to be courageous and adventurous. What a proud day, and I couldn’t be happier for you!  “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Henry David Thoreau

Mrs. Nicole Abel

I wish for you strong work ethic.  Have fun with what you are doing, and be proud of what you have done. 

Mr. Matt Elder

Find something that you truly love. Understand that you are powerful. Be curious. Don’t be afraid to be earnest. Know that many things that feel personal are often random. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults, if you succeed in doing this, please tell me how. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. Be kind to each other. Be proud of yourself. Be brilliant.

Mrs. Roseann Groom

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.  

 –Henry David Thoreau

Because your character is something that can never be taken from you without your permission and because it is built on the thousands of choices you make every day, I wish you…

…Patience when life’s choices are difficult.

…Kindness when reaching out to others.

…Humility when choosing to behave authentically.

…Respect when showing people they are important.

…Selflessness when meeting the needs of others.

…Forgiveness, because it is an attribute of the strong.

…Honesty, so you live a life free of deception.

…Commitment, following through on promises and finishing what you begin.