Emotions high for graduates
JEFFERSON TWP — There were hugs, smiles, selfies and tears Friday night at Knoch High School graduation.
With 238 graduating seniors, it was the first class to attend its entire schooling career, from kindergarten through 12th grade, at the unified South Butler County School District campus structured several years ago.
The newly minted alums also amassed a combined $2.2 million in college scholarships.
“We're definitely ready. It's the end of an era,” said Kiley Hajek, 18, who will attend Grove City College in the fall to study marketing management.
Hajek has known many of her classmates for much of her life. She's been friends with Megan Czekalski since kindergarten, and Danielle Delzer since sixth grade. Both of those young women, along with Matt Zanella, spoke at commencement.
When reflecting on her time in school, Delzer struggled right away to come up with anecdotes to fit her speech theme “Yes I Remember.”
“The moments that seemed significant were inconsequential,” she said at graduation. “The little moments were the ones that mattered.”
She said memories, perhaps like rose-colored glasses, are like Instagram filters. The photo sharing app allows those to share photos that are enhanced through filters, through sharpness, brightness, contrast, among other customizations. Memories, too, are reflected through a lens, she said.
Delzer, 18, will attend Point Park University in the fall to study sports, arts and entertainment management.
Those joining the military were honored during commencement.
Chandler Krelow, 18, is among about a dozen graduating Knoch seniors who have committed to serve. She leaves for Air Force basic training in July. Afterward, she hopes to study operations intelligence.
“It's something I've always wanted to do,” she said. “I wrote a paper about it freshman year.”
At Knoch, she was involved with softball, swimming, history club and orchestra. Participating in a senator-for-a-day program and being part of a softball sectional champion team last year were some highlights of her high school career.However, Krelow is looking forward and is anxious to make a longtime dream of joining the Air Force a reality.Some students will leave the school with a lifelong impact, even if they've only attended for a few years.Alec Lindsey is among that group. Lindsey, 19, who suffers from deafness, began splitting his time at Knoch and at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in 10th grade. He attended Knoch full-time for his senior year.“I wanted to come here,” he said through an interpreter. “I wanted to learn and meet new kids from my community.”He added, “I've always been afraid to confront hearing people … This year, it was really nice.”The Knoch community was really welcoming for him. A sign language group was established so fellow students could learn and communicate with Lindsey.At the same time, Lindsey is learning to speak. He received a hearing aid implant in 10th grade that allows him to hear some, but still relies on sign language as his primary form of communication.“They learned to sign, and I learned to speak,” he said of the sign language club.He was involved with Drama Club and ASL Club during his senior year. Lindsey was also named Mr. Deaf Teen America last year. He will attend Butler County Community College in the fall with a yet-to-be-decided major.“I'm hoping to explore different options for that major that I find,” he said.
