UNION CITY — Following the Mississinawa Valley concert band performing the national anthem, class president Paxton Scholl welcomed family and friends to the Mississinawa Valley graduation on Friday.
Mississinawa Valley High School Principal Jeffery Winchester first introduced the salutatorian Amanda Armstrong, who gave an encouraging speech about how the lessons she learned at home will travel with her to college. She gave the class of 2018 encouraging words about overcoming failure.
“Something everyone will face in their lives is failure. It’s pretty inevitable, but it’s all about how we come back from the failure that really matters,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong will Indiana Wesleyan University where she will major in biology and psychology.
Valedictorian Paxton Scholl will attend the University of Dayton where she will major in pre-medicine and psychology. She gave a moving speech, bringing herself to tears, as she spoke of her mother and all she means to her. She said her mother was her “guidepost for everything.”
To her classmates she had a message for them as they begin their new lives after high school.
“If we love what we do in every aspect of our lives, the rest of our dreams will fall into place,” Scholl said.
The second valedictorian was Brieanne Varvel. She said many will leave Mississinawa Valley area but should take the lessons they learned with them wherever they go. Varvel will attend The Ohio State University where she will major in neuroscience with a track in pre-med.
The class officers are:
Class president: Paxton Scholl; vice president: Amanda Armstrong; advisor: Kim Hershey
The Mississinawa Valley High School Class of 2018 are:
Amanda Danielle Armstrong
Guadalupe Arrona
Victoria Elizabeth Bentley
Kinsie Marie Blocher
Ethan J Bowman
Jenna lynn Bridges
Kaylee Ty Clark
Kali Payton Copeland
Jarrin Keith Craiger
Taydem Ranae Elson
Julianna Michelle Gilroy
Nathan Tyler Gladdish
Chase Antonio Grice
Clayton Diego Grice
Dayinaira Ann Hall
Ciara Rose Hampshire
Jessica Leann Hampshire
William Richard Heath III
Karma Jewel Helmer
Colton Levi Hines
James Michael Lee Husted
Stevi Nicole Keen
Abigail Mae Livingston
James Izack Maloy
Elizabeth Mae Mangas
Cody Austin Matchett
Kenneth Allen McFarland
Damon Randall Lee McGhee III
Zachery Lee Miller
Josiah Luke Philiposian
Piper Makenzie Phillips
MaKenna Lanae Price
Chevy Lee Edward Quinter
Dilyn Mack Rammel
Payton Jaylynn Reichard
Brook Nicole Roth
Casey Michael Rust
Angel Lynn Schaffer
Paxton Carol Scholl
Matthew John Slob
Brieanne Hailey Varvel
Audree Itzell Weimer
Airrika Rochell Westfall
Daniel Grant Wogoman
Lindsey Nichole Wright
Nicole Brianna Yount