2012 MHS commencement Graduates challenged to achieve

• Kathleen Serie speaks

Mitchell High School commencement speaker Kathleen Serie delivers her speech, “The Prominence of Action,” on Sunday afternoon at the Corn Palace. (Chris Mueller/Republic)
• MHS choir

The Mitchell High School Senior Choir performs “For Good,” from the musical “Wicked,” Sunday at the Corn Palace during the 2012 MHS graduation ceremony. (Chris Mueller/Republic)

Talk about it

Mitchell High School seniors were told to “take the course of action” in their lives after graduation by speaker Kathleen Serie on Sunday during the 2012 Mitchell High School commencement ceremony at the Corn Palace.

Adorned in the familiar black robes, with gold tassels hanging off graduation caps, 185 Mitchell High School seniors made the walk across the stage to receive their diplomas in front of a Corn Palace filled with parents, family and friends. Sporadic cheers, uproarious applause and a lone air horn could be heard as audience members encouraged the graduates across the stage. But before those long walks were made, Serie and Tucker Volesky both addressed their classmates.

“Take the course of action, as opposed to inaction,” Serie urged her classmates. She said choosing to live a life of action instead of taking the “path of least resistance” would open doors for her fellow graduates.

“The world would not be what it is today if people simply rested on their ideas,” Serie said. “Life is about doing.”

She thanked Mitchell’s teachers, and shortly after warned mothers in the crowd to grab their tissues as she thanked the parents for the actions they took to help this year’s graduates. “It’s time to officially fly the nest and kiss the franchise goodbye,” she said with a smile, concluding her speech. In an address titled “Today’s Hope, Tomorrow’s Future,” Volesky told fellow graduates if they maintain their integrity and stick to their convictions, they can all make a difference in peoples’ lives “in the hope of a brighter future.”

He recalled his experiences, at a young age, going out on the campaign trail with his father, Ron Volesky, who was running for governor at the time. Volesky remembered seeing people on a reservation living in poverty, and told his classmates through determination and perseverance, they can bring opportunities to everyone, regardless of their background.

Volesky concluded by urging his audience to leave the world “a better place than you found it.”

Anna Catalano, Alison Day, Alexander Graves, Katherine Lazenby, Joshua Leland and Tara Palmer were awarded a gold hood and recognized when receiving their diplomas for achieving a 4.0 GPA during their entire high school career.

Music for the ceremony was provided by a song from the Senior Choir and featured duets by Taryn Van Gorp and Reed Muehler, and Day and Serie.

Tags: high school, life, updates, graduation, commencement, local, mitchell