Tarkington High School graduates celebrated the end of one chapter of their lives and the beginning of another on Thursday, May 25. Walking into the high school stadium, graduates scanned the faces of the audience, looking for their loved ones, and then smiled and waved before taking their seats for the ceremony.
On behalf of her fellow graduates, valedictorian Beth Lambert thanked the entire staff of Tarkington ISD for being a key part of their success before launching into her speech, which she explained was inspired by a speech her dad, Richard, had shared with her while preparing for her valedictorian address for eighth-grade promotion.
“The moral of the speech was to have no regrets. To my Dad’s slight disappointment, I did not use it as the inspiration to write my speech in eighth grade, but I am tonight,” Lambert said.
Instead of having regrets, Lambert encouraged her fellow graduates to have wishes.
“Perhaps all of you have some kind of wish, too. Maybe some of you wish that you’d spent more time with your friends instead of working, or maybe some of you wish that you cared about your grades more, and maybe some of you don’t have any wishes at all, and for that, I applaud you. Fellow classmates I want to encourage all of you to work hard and to achieve your own five minutes of fame, but not while also sacrificing the little things that bring joy to your life,” she said.
Superintendent Dr. Elna Davis shared letters that were written to the graduates by elementary and primary school students, many of whom offered sage advice. One student wrote:
“Dear graduates, congrats. You’ve won the battle. The wild ride is over. But beware, another one’s about to begin. Don’t forget to shine your light in the darkness. When somebody’s having a bad day, just help them out. It only takes a little ‘Hi’ or ‘You’ve got this’ to shine brighter than the Sun. Also never give up. Sometimes you feel down but don’t let it stop you. You can do it. I believe in you. You make a difference.”
Dr. Davis then played a recording taken from a video made of THS Class Historian Cameron Dawson. While the recording was made without any forethought to it being included in the graduation ceremony, Dr. Davis believed his message needed to be shared. In the recording, Dawson encouraged his peers.
“If you have a goal in your heart, if you live and breathe to achieve it, then you will, so long as you deliberately work for it every single day. That’s band, that’s life, that’s sports, that’s school, that’s literally everything. It’s you reap what you sow, you put in what you get out. And that is honestly, just really, useful if you want to achieve anything in life,” he said. “If you want to grow as a person, if you want to get better as a musician, work for it. It’s going to take a while, but it will be worth it.”
The Tarkington High School Class of 2023 includes the following graduates:
Trevor Dean Abbott, Cory Michael Armstrong, Kirri Danielle Bailey, Bailey Cheyenne Baker, Angela Bastard, Nayeli Senorina Bautista, Dalton Antonio Bay, Emma Rose Beaube, Bailey Ashton Berg, Beau Hunter Blanshan, Bethany Skyler Brandt, Robby Wayne Bridwell, Jordan Joseph Bullock, Shane Dalton Burch, Connor Dale Champion, Rebecca Ashley Chapa, Thomas Andrew Chapman, Tyler Michael Chapman, Kimberly Nicole Cisneros, Annabelle Grace Clements, Tatum Rion Clements, Anne Maree Cochran, Conner Will Colbert, Logan William Cooley, Alexander James Cooper, Aaron Kane Couhig, Jakobie Leigh Crance, Graysen Mckinzie Daily, Cameron James Dawson, John Marlon Decuir, Victoria Raelynn Dodson, McKensie Grace Doolittle, Ricardo Jesus Espinoza, Karla Faith Ferguson, Skylar Kain Finnegan, Russell Hugh Flint, David Jackson Fuller, Conner Ray Gilmore, Daniella Cristabel Gramlich, Cullen Andrew Greak, Javier Alexis Guzman, Jason Alan Hale, Ainsley Renee Hayden, Hailey Renee Heard, Ian Miles Herndon, Jase Todd Hightower, Dennis Ray Hollingsworth, Lexy Paige Hopper, Christopher Dean Huffman, Adam Lee Jackson, Skyla Rebecca Johnson, Joshua Hunter Keith, James Martin Kelly, Bridges Ravein Key, Chloe Nichole Kirchner, Blake Lee Knight, Lauren Elizabeth Lambert, Emiley Dianne Lane, Brynn Marie Lerman, Charli Jeanea Lewis, Cheyenne Kimberly Lewis, Emily Kate Lowe, Bryant Eniselifuluaso Ma’Alaelu, Kali Tyne Majors, Chelsey Joann Manners, Masyn Taylor Manners, Hannah Elizabeth May, Dane Alexander McCallion, Landon Lee McKeand, Zane Russell McRae, Jonathan Wayne Morgan, Tyler Scott Morrison, David Houston Morrow, Dustin Lynn Morse, Mason Andrew Mullens, Alexa Kay Owens, Carly Alexis Paschke, Clayton Thomas Primeaux, Lillian Janenne Privett, Martyna Jolene Proulx, Star Elizabeth Reeves, Armando Reynaga, Carla Marielynn Salazar, Alexis Renee Sanchez, Ronald Ray Shirley, Aiden Robert Sickler, Savannah Grace Simpson, Harleigh True Sizemore, Isaac Morgan Smith, Ethan Drake Squier, Nathaniel Dean Steele, Kayla Dawn Stiles, Jamie Alyssa Sunday, Lillian Abigail Taylor, Tryndall Ewald Waller, Ava Grace Whitton, Allen Wayne Winder and Ryan Alexander Wright.
Do you have a favorite graduate in the Tarkington High School graduating class of 2023? Scroll through the photo gallery below to find your graduate.
