Friday Harbor Class 2014: ‘…with the help of friends and a little magic’

Published 12:16 pm Wednesday, June 11, 2014

If you thought that graduation was all about the graduates, think again.

For the Friday Harbor High School Class of 2014, it’s about you.

From the opening “Welcome” address by ASB President Erin McCauley, to concluding speeches by class co-valedictorians Emily Guard and Libby Snow, representatives of the Friday Harbor High School Class of 2014 made it clear that high school graduation is a collective cause, and that Saturday’s commencement ceremony was as much about family, friends, supporters, mentors, employers and well-wishers, as it was about those donned that evening in the customary cap-and-gown.

“When I ran for student body president I knew I have to give a speech and I knew what I wanted to say,” McCauley said. “But when it came time to write it got difficult. And all I really want to say is ‘Thank You.’ We couldn’t have gotten here without you.”

With a tip of the hat to the influence of Harry Potter on a generation that wholly embraced the mystical world conjured up in the blockbuster literary series about “The Boy Who Lived,” (the class motto is a line out of “Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire”), class co-valedictorian Snow noted that the graduates were able to ride the ups and downs of years’ past to get to where they are now in large part because of, “… the help of our friends and a little magic.”

And as in year’s past, the Friday Harbor community celebrated the achievements, accomplishments and the next-steps of the 60 graduating seniors with a resounding send-off.

Upwards of two dozen local civic groups, organizations and individuals together bestowed more than $300,000 in scholarships and financial awards upon the collective class, the majority of whom will pursue higher-education at an in-state college, university or technical school.

And, as class salutatorian Kate Fenley points out, it’s the spirit of a tight-knit, supportive community such as that of San Juan that the graduates will carry out into the larger world, and, regardless of where each may end up—big town or small—that will serve as a foundation that is certain to “benefit us in our lives.”

San Juan Island’s graduation season continues with Spring Street International School’s commencement, Saturday, June 14, at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, beginning at 2:30 p.m. This year’s ceremonies conclude Wednesday, June 18, with commencement at Skagit Valley College, beginning at 1:30 p.m., at San Juan Center.