Sunday afternoon inside the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse, hundreds gathered to congratulate the accomplishments of the MHS Class of 2019 at the 144th annual commencement ceremony. A total of 320 students make up the graduating class. A figure of 295 was able to walk the stage and receive their diploma.

Greetings and some speeches were translated into other languages — showing the diversity of the student body and those in attendance.

“In our class, I see diversity. We have a variety of different backgrounds, cultures and values. I see different nationalities, originalities and personalities,” student speaker Olivia Stone said. “However, there is one commonality: hope. Hope for a brighter tomorrow and hope that every promise will come true. Hope that everything will turn out perfectly.”

However, Stone added that to be successful in life, one has to be prepared for disappointment and know tomorrow carries with it uncertainties. Resiliency is the key to success.

T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ - Hundreds of people gathered in the MHS Roundhouse Sunday afternoon to watch the students receive their high school diplomas, including these proud parents, friends and other loved ones.

“We’ve learned how to work with different people, other than just our friends, meeting deadlines and creating high-quality work. We’ve learned what it takes to keep a friendship, how to navigate different social situations and develop the ability to handle countless other circumstances,” Stone said.

Student speaker Phoebe Osgood joked with her classmates about how far they’d come from the start of their journey as freshmen navigating a large high school, new classes and new people, to a class that is unique to the millennium. “No 90s babies” anymore she noted.

“Go and create the rest of your story after graduation, and find joy in it, just as you all find joy today. As we close this chapter of our lives, always remember to turn the page and continue writing your awesome and amazing story,” Osgood said.

Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte, himself an MHS alumni, said passion and purpose are essential.

“Be passionate about pursuing your dreams, be purposeful in pursuing excellence in whatever life path you choose, and most importantly, take great pride in who you are, where you come from, what you’ve accomplished and what you set out to accomplish in your future,” Schutte said.

T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ - The exuberance was palpable when student speaker Carson Potter asked his fellow classmates to do the “roller coaster” dance one final time.

Carson Potter, another student speaker, told his classmates that sometimes people their age aren’t seen as ambitious or hardworking by people of older generations. However, he wanted to set the record straight.

“The Class of 2019 will surely push boundaries, break ceilings and challenge the status quo,” he said. “In this audience, I can see people that will make up tomorrow’s medical field, tomorrow’s politicians, tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, tomorrow’s military/law enforcement and tomorrow’s educators.”

MHS Principal Jacque Wyant formally presented the Class of 2019.

“It’s an exciting day to continue on. My future plans are to go to Western Michigan University and study graphic design,” graduate Adelaide Oberender said.

Despite obstacles and setbacks, these students have found success.

T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ - Student speaker Olivia Stone and MHS Principal Jacque Wyant share an embrace after Stone’s speech.

“It took a lot for me to graduate. I had a really hard time my junior year. My plans are to go to MCC for the first two years and I want to go on to a university and then get a masters. I want to study biology and then genetic counseling, which goes over genetics,” graduate Paige Monk said.

This graduating class is the first to graduate after Phase II renovations of the Roundhouse.