Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, June 04, 2009

Ryan ENGLAND was named valedictorian and Chelsea ENGLAND salutatorian when the Diagonal Community high school commencement ceremonies were held Friday night.

ENGLAND is the son of Mitch and Melinda ENGLAND of Diagonal and KILGORE is the daughter of Larry and Melody KILGORE of Diagonal.

The other graduates in a class of which over half had a 3.0 grade point average or better included Nora ANDREWS, Michael BENTLEY, Ricky GRACE, Cayanne KELLEY, Mallory NUTTING and Allison WILEY.

Awards and scholarships were presented and three commencement speeches were part of the evening for the class of 2009.

Diagonal Lions Club scholarships -- $250 each to Mike BRENTLY, Ryan ENGLAND, Mallory NUTTING and Allison WILEY.

Diagonal Education Association scholarships -- Michael BENTLEY and Ryan ENGLAND.

Ringgold County Farm Bureau scholarship and continuing $1,000 state Iowa Farm Bureau Federation scholarship -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Ringgold County Social Conservation Commissioners scholarship -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Sue Rychnovsky memorial scholarships -- Michael BENTLEY, Mallory NUTTING and Allison WILEY.

Great Western Bank scholarship -- Nora ANDREWS.

Community Grocers Inc. scholarship -- $500 to Ryan ENGLAND.

Sharon Sobotka Overholser memorial scholarship -- Michael BENTLEY.

Gordon Parker memorial scholarship awards -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Dollars for Scholars scholarship awards -- Cayanne KELLER, Chelsea KILGORE, Mallory NUTTING, Allison WILKEY, Ryan ENGLAND, Nora ANDREWS and Michael BENTLEY.

Bert Watson memorial scholarship -- $100 to Allison WILEY and Ryan ENGLAND.

Margaret Taylor memorial scholarship -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Bob Bennett memorial scholarship -- Nora ANDREWS.

DeBruce Ag scholarship -- $500 a year for two years to Ryan ENGLAND.

Iowa Rural Water Association -- $250 to Ryan ENGLAND.

Louise and BuckKessler memorial scholarship -- Michael BENTLEY and Ryan ENGLAND.

Dr. Michael Hopkins scholarships -- Nora ANDREWS, Michael BENTLEY, Ryan ENGLAND, Allison WILEY, Mallory NUTTING, Chelsea KILGORE and Cayanne KELLER.

Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Corporation -- $500 to Nora ANDREWS.

Southwestern Community College -- Alliant and Burling Northern Foundation awards of $150 each and trustee award for full tutition and fees for two years to Ryan ENGLAND.

A number of other awards that did not have cash value were also presented. They includeed:

Iowa State Bar Citizenship award -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Special Award -- Ricky Ray GRACE.

Bernie Saggau Award -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Sempr Fidelis musical excellence award -- Michael BENTLEY.

United States Marine Corps scholastic excellence award -- Ryan ENGLAND.

United States Marine Corps distinguished athlete award -- Ryan ENGLAND.

United States Marine Corps distinguished athlete award -- Allison WILEY.

National Scholar Athlete Award -- Nora ANDREWS.

National Scholar Athlete Award -- Ryan ENGLAND.

Guest speaker for the commencement ceremony was Abby STEPHENS, a 2002 graduate of Diagonal Community high school. STEPHENS is working on her Ph.D. degree in history after receiving her undergraduate and master's degrees at Northwest Missouri State Univeristy.

"Everything I Really Knew I Learned Playing Basketball" was the theme for STEPHENS' speech, where she listed 10 rules she learned playing basketball at Diagonal Community high school.

She broadened the subject to include other extracurricular activities that each similar lessons.

Whatever one does in life it takes preparatin, performance and perserverance to succeed, STEPHENS told the audience.

Her 10 rules included:

1. Practice in the off season.

2. Choose a position that serves you well.

3. Strong passing is the key to any offense.

4. Listen to referees and coaches.

5. Be on time, stand up straight, watch your language and tell the truth.

6. Watch the game film.

7. Balance is important.

8. Raise your hand when you foul and shake hands with the opponent at the end of the game.

9. Clean the floor, pick up the balls, shut off the lights and wash and hang up your uniform.

10. Sometimes last second shots go in.

In his valedictory address, Ryan ENGLAND talked about how the past could not be changed, but that the future could.

"Where will be be in five, 10 or 15 years from now?" he asked. "As we leave the halls of Diagonal high school, we need to live every moment for the future."

He talked about the role models who had been important guides to the class members as they came to graduation.

"Tomorrow is a mystery and today is a beginning," he said.

In her salutatorian address, Chelsea KILGORE noted that the years had flown by.

She called on her class to be brave and give of themselves as they moved out into the rest of their lives.

"When you slip, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again," she told the class. "You're smarter than you think."

She challenged the class to have fun, dig deep and stretch and to always remember to dream big.

The program also included music by Judy NEWTON and the song "You're Gonna Miss This" for handing out flowers to parents.

Superintendent Karleen STEPHENS introduced her daughter, Abby, as the commencement speaker. High school principal Larry TEPLY presented the class and school board president Phil MASON presented the diplomas.

Class motto was Winnie the Pooh's "You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think".

Class colors were maroon and metallic gold and the class flower was the maroon rose.

Photographs courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2012