Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD'S CLASS of 2017 enters Luther L. Wright's John Krznarich Gym during Sunday's commencement ceremony.
By RICHARD JENKINS
Ironwood - Just as 126 classes have done before them, Ironwood Area Schools' Class of 2017 held its graduation ceremony Sunday.
The 59 graduating seniors were preceded into Luther L. Wright's John Krznarich Gym by some of the district's younger students - representing the future graduating classes.
Following the high school choir's rendition of "Make Your Own Kind of Music," teacher Ted Sim delivered the school's commencement address.
While he acknowledged hard work was fundamental to success, he reminded the graduates of the need to find something they are passionate about.
"Find something you love to do, and do it," Sim said. "Some of you are going to find it fairly quickly, some of you are going to take years to find it - but spending your life in an occupation that you do not like is not what life is about."
"If you go to a job everyday and love what you do, that's not work," Sim told the graduates.
Following the commencement address, Superintendent Tim Kolesar and K-12 Principal Denise Woodward spoke to their former students.
Woodward discussed the Class of 2017's scholastic and extracurricular activity, reading off all of the events the seniors had been involved in - joking at one point she was tired after simply reading everything they participated in.
She also recognized the role teachers and parents played in the students' success.
Kolesar and Board of Education President Steve Thomas then handed out diplomas.
Senior Class President Lillian Tiziani and Student Senate President Vanessa Nasi spoke to their peers, after which the class left the gym to begin the celebration with their families and friends.
