MHHS Class of 2013 graduates

Commencement ceremonies ended with the traditional toss of the graduate's mortarboards into the air.

For the 200 students of the Class of 2013 that gathered at Tiger Field Friday for commencement ceremonies, the event marked the completion of countless challenges over the past four years that helped them unlock a doorway to the future.

In a time-honored ceremony Friday evening, the hard work invested by those students was rewarded as they stepped forward to earn their diplomas during this year's graduation ceremony. Hundreds of spectators packed into the grandstands to honor this year's seniors, who represented a significant number of firsts, according to Principal Jeff Johnson.

These students were the first to graduate under the national No Child Left Behind law and were also the first to complete the district's Reading First initiative, he said. In addition, the class faced additional challenges under state-mandated education reforms. Along with additional math and science requirements, and the requirement for every student to take the SATs, each student had to complete a senior project to graduate.

Meanwhile, the Class of 2013 was also the first to spend all four years after the district moved the ninth grade classrooms over to the high school at the start of the 2009 school year.

"It was often said that our class were the Guinea pigs of the school," said class president Mike Parkinson during his opening remarks at this year's commencement ceremony.

During his comments, Jeff Johnson, the principal of Mountain Home High School added that the students representing the Class of 2013 benefitted from the generosity of others in the form of local and national scholarships. To date, they had earned approximately $731,000 in scholarship support, including more than $130,000 from local businesses and agencies.

For more details pick up a copy of this week's Mountain Home News.