Front Row: Jamie Mosher, Ashlee TenHopen, Nicole Sheeley, Stephanie Ochodnicky, Autumn Thoma, Molly Stiehl, Brittney Leghorn. 2nd Row: Levi Price, Noah Cousar, James Farnsworth, Jesse Mansfield, Landon Eadie. 3rd Row: Josh Rouse, Cody Price, Tim Corwin, Matthew Marlatt. 4th Row: Enrique Cantu, Austin Breen, Garrett Evans, Cor’deil Boyce-Burden, Austin Mosher. 5th Row: Michael Shuff, Kody VanLangen, David VanEtten, Daniel Kearns, Jeffrey Knapp, Eddie Trout. Not Pictured: Bryce Kukla, Austin Hull, Shaman Osburn.

Thursday, May 24 New Beginnings High School held their Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2012. This was the largest Commencement Ceremony for New Beginnings High School with 32 graduates. Cedar Springs Public Schools has one of the most rigorous educational curriculums and these graduates persevered through it. Principal Dave Schlump was joined by Superintendent Ron McDermed, Board of Education President Brook Nichols, Board of Education Vice President Joe Marckini, Board Members Jeff Gust and Shannon Vanderhyde along with the New Beginnings High School Staff to recognize and celebrate the accomplishment these graduates.

Thank you to Band Director Adam Borst and the five members of the Cedar Springs High School Band, Jacob Gust, Jacob Ploeg, Andrea Metzger, Denver Satterwhite and Richard Moore, for their special music performance during the Commencement Ceremony.

A sincere thank you to the New Beginnings High School teachers Mrs. Helenius, Mrs. Wilcox, Mrs. Niederer, Mr. Jackson and to Principal Dave Schlump for all their hard work and late hours helping each of these students achieve this prestigious honor of graduation.

Congratulations Class of 2012!

Guest speaker, Rick Cooper

Creative Technologies Academy celebrated its 14th Commencement on Thursday, May 24 in the campus auditorium. Thirty-one graduates were presented their diplomas and seniors with honors and scholarships were recognized. Salutatorian Chelsea Coffman and Valedictorian Jacob Tow addressed their classmates and families.

Guest speaker, Rick Cooper, challenged the graduates with “Eight Words that Make You a Winner in Life!” Mr. Cooper is the Director of Marketing and play-by-play announcer with CCSN, a former broadcaster with the Marshall University Football Radio Network, and he has broadcasted 19 championship contests for the NCAA and NCCAA in 20+ years of broadcasting. Rick shared stories from his long career in sports broadcasting and interviews with stars like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, A.C. Green, Mark Price, Randy Moss, Orel Hershiser, Mike Singletary, and Bob Uecker. He encouraged the graduates to “Exhibit Character, Act Selflessly, Take Risks, and Press On.”