Tippecanoe Valley High School Celebrates Class Of 2021
June 7, 2021 at 11:59 a.m.
By Jackie Gorski-
“One of the most important things I’ve personally learned over my years at Valley is that the people you surround yourself with, the families you create, make the biggest names and impact on your life,” said salutatorian Hannah Engstrand. She quoted author Dave Willis by saying family isn’t only defined by blood or last name, it’s defined by commitment and love. “It means showing up when they need it most. It means having each other’s backs. It means choosing to love each other even on days when you struggle to like each other. It means never giving up on each other.”
As kids, Engstrand said the graduates all learned “Valley family, Valley pride, Valley strong,” but until the past four years, she said she didn’t completely understand that. She has seen more support from the community and staff and students towards each other through the good and the bad than she said she can process.
“Whether all notice or choose to acknowledge it, this school and these people have become a second family to so many,” Engstrand said. She said all the graduates were sitting at graduation Sunday because of the people that surrounded them, to support them, which included family members and school staff.
While they didn’t have the choice of who they grew up with, they did have the choice of whether to have each other’s back, Engstrand said. While there have been some great things that happened, she said they have also chosen to pick each other up after some tragedies.
“Some of these past four years have been the toughest in my life,” Engstrand said. However, they got through those tough times together, and that’s what family does.
Engstrand said as the graduates part ways, they get to choose who influences them and she said she hopes they choose people to support them in the highest and lowest part of their lives.
Valedictorian Mackenzie Costello said it is nice to look back on the friendships and memories they have had at TVHS. The class has experienced many wins and successes and have been able to support each other through them. More important, they have been
able to support each other through the losses and struggles.
The school allowed the graduates to make connections with the majority of its students and has allowed them to come together to bring them back up, Costello said. These past two years have been difficult due to some losses and the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Costello said the graduates had a student body and school administration to make school as positive and normal as possible.
TVHS Principal Brandon Kresca said each student that graduated Sunday is “talented in their own unique way.” They can go out into the world with their “own unique talents.”
Kresca thanked each graduating student for the permanent mark they left on Valley.
He said he was thankful to gather to celebrate the Class of 2021 and thanked everyone that gathered in the gymnasium for the ceremony or were watching it online.
He said some people needed to be thanked for getting the graduates to where they were, which included parents, guardians, grandparents and families, teachers, counselors and instructional assistants, custodians, kitchen staff and office staff.
Kresca said the Class of 2021 sat during Sunday’s ceremony as the graduating class that had the windiest road to graduation. He said they are likely the most resilient group of students to graduate from TVHS.
“You have been through a lot through these years and it’s made all of you stronger,” Kresca. He said the class seemed to live by the mantra: “When the tough gets going, the going gets tough.”
Kresca also said there is a kindness about the class and they’ve learned to be humble and kind. Each of them has a certain level of tenacity and shows the Viking spirit. He said he’s confident the graduates are equipped to deal with the challenges life will throw at them, wishing them to live life to the fullest.
During the graduating ceremony, three students were recognized for being enlisted in miliary services. They were Corey Fincher, Matthew Hodge and Mikayla McCord.
“One of the most important things I’ve personally learned over my years at Valley is that the people you surround yourself with, the families you create, make the biggest names and impact on your life,” said salutatorian Hannah Engstrand. She quoted author Dave Willis by saying family isn’t only defined by blood or last name, it’s defined by commitment and love. “It means showing up when they need it most. It means having each other’s backs. It means choosing to love each other even on days when you struggle to like each other. It means never giving up on each other.”
As kids, Engstrand said the graduates all learned “Valley family, Valley pride, Valley strong,” but until the past four years, she said she didn’t completely understand that. She has seen more support from the community and staff and students towards each other through the good and the bad than she said she can process.
“Whether all notice or choose to acknowledge it, this school and these people have become a second family to so many,” Engstrand said. She said all the graduates were sitting at graduation Sunday because of the people that surrounded them, to support them, which included family members and school staff.
While they didn’t have the choice of who they grew up with, they did have the choice of whether to have each other’s back, Engstrand said. While there have been some great things that happened, she said they have also chosen to pick each other up after some tragedies.
“Some of these past four years have been the toughest in my life,” Engstrand said. However, they got through those tough times together, and that’s what family does.
Engstrand said as the graduates part ways, they get to choose who influences them and she said she hopes they choose people to support them in the highest and lowest part of their lives.
Valedictorian Mackenzie Costello said it is nice to look back on the friendships and memories they have had at TVHS. The class has experienced many wins and successes and have been able to support each other through them. More important, they have been
able to support each other through the losses and struggles.
The school allowed the graduates to make connections with the majority of its students and has allowed them to come together to bring them back up, Costello said. These past two years have been difficult due to some losses and the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Costello said the graduates had a student body and school administration to make school as positive and normal as possible.
TVHS Principal Brandon Kresca said each student that graduated Sunday is “talented in their own unique way.” They can go out into the world with their “own unique talents.”
Kresca thanked each graduating student for the permanent mark they left on Valley.
He said he was thankful to gather to celebrate the Class of 2021 and thanked everyone that gathered in the gymnasium for the ceremony or were watching it online.
He said some people needed to be thanked for getting the graduates to where they were, which included parents, guardians, grandparents and families, teachers, counselors and instructional assistants, custodians, kitchen staff and office staff.
Kresca said the Class of 2021 sat during Sunday’s ceremony as the graduating class that had the windiest road to graduation. He said they are likely the most resilient group of students to graduate from TVHS.
“You have been through a lot through these years and it’s made all of you stronger,” Kresca. He said the class seemed to live by the mantra: “When the tough gets going, the going gets tough.”
Kresca also said there is a kindness about the class and they’ve learned to be humble and kind. Each of them has a certain level of tenacity and shows the Viking spirit. He said he’s confident the graduates are equipped to deal with the challenges life will throw at them, wishing them to live life to the fullest.
During the graduating ceremony, three students were recognized for being enlisted in miliary services. They were Corey Fincher, Matthew Hodge and Mikayla McCord.
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