Not the end, but the beginning. This was the common theme throughout Warrenton High School’s Class of 2026 graduation ceremony Saturday June 6, at the school.
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Not the end, but the beginning. This was the common theme throughout Warrenton High School’s Class of 2026 graduation ceremony Saturday June 6, at the school.
Principal Shelly Struckhoff told the graduates that she wanted them to take a moment to appreciate what the day means.
“For many of you graduation may feel like the finish line,” she said. “Today is not the end of your story, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter.”
She said success will look different for each student, but encouraged them to keep growing and moving forward.
The student speaker at the ceremony was student body Vice President Emma Duncan who also followed the theme of new beginnings. She urged her classmates to stop calling this part of life the best part.
“Because the second you decide your best days are behind you everything becomes a comparison instead of a new experience,” Duncan said.
She noted that high school is just one chapter in a greater story and reiterated the concept that high school is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of something greater.
The commencement address was given by Warrenton High School Class of 2010 graduate Ryan Romaker. Since graduating, Romaker completed flight school and served in the U.S. Navy, before retiring and serving as a pilot for private flights.
Using his training, Romaker said that life is a lot like flying.
“Any landing you walk away from is a good landing,” Romaker said.
He said that the three most important things for the graduates are their family, friends and the motivation that takes them through life. He spoke about the death of his brother in 2016 and how it changed his life. He spoke about the support his mother and father gave him. He told the graduates to take a moment to recognize their families and the mentors who have supported them in their journey.
“Having even one person who believes in you is a powerful advantage,” he said.
He also added that your friend groups define your success more than anything else. He noted that having good supportive friends can take one far, but that bad friends can hold you back.
With respect to motivation, he said that, “motivation is what turns dreams into reality. What matters is that you find what sets your heart on fire and refuse to settle for less.”
Like the other speakers, Romaker said that the best chapters of every student’s story are still ahead.
“You will fail,” he said. “Success is just stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of motivation.”
He closed with a quote from former football coach and announcer Lou Holtz who said, “Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the tradeoffs they are making to win. Losers on the other hand see hard work as punishment.”
In total, 251 students graduated Saturday from Warrenton High School.
