Leyton Graduation a Family Affair

Family was the theme of Leyton High School's graduation Saturday, as speakers continually referred to class members not only as classmates, but members of a "family."

With 11 graduates, class members got close over the years. A couple who had been there, only a short time, felt they were drawn into the folds of a family.

For Co-Valedictorian Payge Ernest, her reflection of the class' lives together was that they weren't like the movies.

"The most disappointing thing is that our lives are not like 'High School Musical,'" Ernest said. "The best thing is that our lives are not like 'High School Musical.'"

Ernest said she and class members realize life won't be like the movies, "where every day there is a song and dance, and there's no little bird to help you get ready for your day," she said. "There is no fairy godmother."

Even so, Ernest feels class members will do okay.

"Our hard work will pay off," she said. "Even if there are bumps along the way. We know not every chapter will have a happy ending, but it's your life, and you can make something about it."

Co-Valedictorian Madison Widner was also reflective of the impact of graduation, which in her opening she called "the happiest day in our teachers' lives."

Building on the closeness of the class, Widner addressed each member with a fond memory, from those who brought forth a constant challenge of zaniness to each day, to heartfelt memories of others, closing with "thank you for being unforgettable."

In accepting scholarships, 26 went to the class, who have plans from entering the workforce right away, to others who plan on military service, becoming an electrician, and several who plan to train as teachers.

Class colors were maroon and white; class flower - white rose with maroon tips; class song - "Laugh Until We Cried," by Jason Aldean; and the class motto - "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny compared to what lies within us," by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Class members included: Taylor Borgess, Kort Dye, Payge Ernest, Jaydin Gartner, Triston Gartner-Hume, Rachel Gillespie, Victoria Johnson, Katherine McConnell,Sierra Nickel, Alyssa Powell, and Madison Widner.