By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Great Bend High School's 136th graduating class has crossed the stage. The weather was on its best behavior for Sunday evening's ceremony at Memorial Stadium. Principal Tim Friess, Superintendent Khris Thexton, and the USD 428 Board of Education said congratulations to 193 seniors from the Class of 2023.
Salutatorian Kevin Gonzalez spoke first, encouraging everyone to approach life with a little TLC: thankfulness, learning, and connection.
"It is important to remember that we not quit learning when the bell rang last Thursday," he told his classmates. "Life provides constant opportunities for learning. If I could give a piece advice to everybody here, including to myself, it would be to never stop questioning."
Valedictorian Gavin Hirsh used a quote from John F. Kennedy - We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard - to challenge his classmates to never be complacent.
"Comfort zones are our greatest threat as a civilization," he said. "Comfort zones allow us to sit back and relax while we watch our opportunities, and potentially vast futures, fade away in our hands."
While Sunday's graduation officially marked the end of the school year for the 193 seniors, school ends for the rest of USD 428 on Wednesday, May 24.
Find more photos of Sunday's commencement ceremony on the Great Bend Post Facebook page.