Members of the Green Mountain-Garwin Class of 2024 toss their caps into the air outside the Secondary School in Garwin on Sunday, May 19, following commencement exercises which were held in the gymnasium beginning at 2 p.m. PHOTO COURTESY OF LYNNE JOSTEN BOVENMYER

GARWIN – Last Sunday afternoon, 31 seniors with the Green Mountain-Garwin Class of 2024 participated in commencement exercises held at the high school, taking the next step into adulthood, diploma now in hand.

During the May 13 school board meeting, board members approved as part of the consent agenda – pending completion of all graduation requirements – the GMG Graduating Class of 2024 list which includes 33 students total: Shelby Bovenmyer, Jona Ruth Gallo, Jabari Woodbury, Amelia Hutchinson, Alice Hunt, Abigail Parks, Riley Watts, Reese Dieleman, Maecyn Lewis, Jocee Mason, Lukas Soukhavong, Lillian Bru, Madison Edwards, Lesli Waltermire, Emilie Claussen, Anthony Waters, Kaleb Gill, Austin Pencil, Stella Betts, Matthew DeSchamp, Summer McGachey, Ethan Edwards, Mariah Wood, Slate Witte, Cannedy Unker, Arvin Asuncion, Trey Laffoon, Jordan Galloway, Olivia Zaruba, Savannah Witte, Jocelyn Wiese, Abigail Cobb, and Caleb Cox.

As part of the graduation ceremony held in the gymnasium on Sunday afternoon, featured speakers included this year’s valedictorian, Shelby Bovenmyer and salutatorian, Ruth Gallo.

The senior class also chose educators Ms. Tiya Montaño and Mrs. Kati Barnes to speak during the ceremony. Montaño’s duties include teaching English, directing both the fall play and spring musical, coaching speech, and acting as senior class sponsor, while Barnes teaches English and is an instructional coach for the district.

Both the high school choir and the band performed during the ceremony.

Members of the Green Mountain-Garwin Class of 2024 pictured visiting the elementary school in Green Mountain earlier in the week ahead of last Sunday’s commencement ceremony. PHOTO COURTESY OF GMG SCHOOLS

In one of his final official duties as principal of the secondary school before moving to Arizona to be near family, Jaimie Gargas conferred the Class of 2024 with their high school diplomas.

Junior class ushers this year included Jay Bru, Avery Duden, Lexi Vazquez, and Grady Dieleman.

Sun Courier note: The Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District also held commencement exercises on Sunday, May 19. The newspaper reached out to the district for photos but had not heard back in time for publication in this week’s paper.

Graduates celebrate in the gymnasium on Sunday, May 19, in the Secondary School gym in Garwin. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGIE LARSON