LPO graduation celebrates students, bright future

Each of Lake Pend Oreille High School’s 26 graduates came to the school for their own individual reasons.

For some, it was to please their parents. For others, it was because someone told them that they would not be able to graduate. And, for still others, it was because they wanted to be able to say they had done it, principal Luke Childers said at Thursday's commencement ceremony.

“We each have different paths that we take. And as long as we keep on moving forward, who is to say that path is wrong? The lessons they have learned are for far more than ‘The Scarlet Letter’ or geometry. They got lessons in humanity, how to coexist as humans. They gained empathy and humility and each step of the way, they stayed the course.”

While the school staff served as advocates and cheerleaders, it is the school's graduates who deserve the accolades for their achievements, Childers said.

"These 24 awesome individuals are the ones who have put in the work," Childers said. “They have trusted us to guide them through this crazy maze that is high school, they have persevered through the challenges, through the tough times, and made it to this moment right now.”

Some came willingly while others followed a different path but that is reflective of each student’s individual journey, Childers said.

Each of the students graduating, at one point, wanted to give up. Instead, they found the motivation and are now seated on the stage.

“Class of 2024, and you as individuals, it’s your individuality that makes you all so special,” Childers said.

One of those students is Jayda Chubb, one of two class speakers selected to speak at the ceremony.

A student at LPO for two years, Chubb said she came to the school with a lot of obstacles and thought it was “a lost cause” that she would be able to graduate on time. Starting high school in 2020 during the height of COVID, she said she hated doing classes online and found it easy to skip.

Then, she came to LPO. 

“I got to sit down with the previous counselor and she pretty much told me to get it together and I'll be fine. I was like wow, really,” Chubb said. “It was that simple. And with the help of my teachers and Sarah, I was able to complete all of my credits to stand here tonight. I have also secured an electric apprenticeship and enough scholarships to cover my educational costs.”

It was in coming to LPO, Chubb said, that school started to make sense.

“It was the best thing that I’ve ever done for myself and I recommend that if you are struggling or see your child struggling, to put them in LPO because it’s such a beautiful place,” she added.

Saying she would not be who she was, or have the career opportunity she has, Chubb thanked the staff and her fellow students for all they have done and for the love and support.

“I am so glad I got to spend the last two years with you guys,” she added.

Coming to LPO was also the best decision for her, Aaliyah Springsteel said after joking that it felt like a family reunion because her parents, a brother and several of her brother’s friends also attended the school.

Previously, she didn’t feel engaged at school. At LPO, that isn’t the case.

“You can’t get away with that here. All of the teachers know you by your name and unfortunately some know my mom, my dad, my brother,” Springsteel said, her voice trailing off as the room filled with laughter. 

“The teachers put so much energy into making the school what it is. It’s like a family, a big dysfunctional family,” she added, again causing the room to erupt in laughter. “We have our good days and our bad days … but it’s all real.”

It’s that “realness,” that love and support from the teachers, the staff and her fellow students that made her time at LPO so special, said Springsteel.

“The school is amazing because of the teachers but it would not be what it is without my peers,” she said. “I so  appreciate these beautiful people up here on stage with me tonight. We spent our school years together and I'm looking forward to sharing our adult years as well. You guys are all amazing, resilient people and you will rule the world. My time at the school has been nothing short of amazing and I would not have wanted to spend my time anywhere else.”

After the speeches, it was the teachers’ turn to shine the spotlight on how special each of the 24 students on the stage was. While noting that two of the students could not attend the graduation ceremony, LPO officials said they would hold them in their hearts.

Some of the students were celebrated for their unique look at the world and their willingness — and determination — to follow their own path. Inside jokes, allusions to school events, and future plans were all celebrated, prompting laughter and applause throughout the intimate and personal ceremony. 

Each of the students was called to the front of the stage, where they were honored by the school’s teachers, each one offering a personal look at what makes each of the students special. From advice to requests to keep them in find for IT support, electrical work or for first dibs on the latest invention, the ceremony is among the more intimate in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, with ceremonies within the larger ceremony — and personalized gifts from the staff to the students to set them on the path to success.

Graduating Lake Pend Oreille High School are Grace Balch, Kamber Bangeman, Henley Bloom, Trevor Brown, Stella Burke, Xander Caven, Jayda Chubb, Luc Dameron, Levi Dumars, Kailyn Gingerich, Micayla Hamelin, Kaiden Harper,  Conner Keehn-Powell, Landen Lindberg, Alexander Macias, Azlynn Marble, Kai McKinnon, Gabriel Medokowich, Andrew Munden, Quinn Pirlot, Clarity Robinson, Jordan Sheldon-Huffey, Quinn Smith, Aaliyah Springsteel, Jaden Stiles, and Trowa Tryall.