By LAURA HAMMACK, guest columnist
This is such a special time of year. I am always reminded by the redbuds that it will soon be time to send another class off into the world.
It is important to know, the Class of 2019, just like this spring’s redbuds, are particularly spectacular.
Our school district celebrates each graduating class with a variety of events that honor their achievements. We believe these traditions memorialize the very special moments in the life of a senior at Brown County High School. I thought the readers of this column might enjoy learning about some of the ways in which our graduates are celebrated during one of the most important times of their lives.
The Summa Cum Laude Banquet is one of my most favorite events of the school year. At this banquet, the students who satisfied the most rigorous academic achievement of summa cum laude gather with their parents/caregivers for a formal dinner at the Artist Colony Inn.
Students earning the status of summa cum laude must meet three stipulations: 1) complete at least 48 credits of approved coursework, 2) earn an Indiana Academic Honors or Technical Honors diploma, and 3) earn a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 or above.
This year, 11 students in the Class of 2019 met this level of distinction. What makes this banquet so special is that the student is not the only person who is recognized for their achievement; students invite a special educator from Brown County Schools to join their family at the banquet. Following the dinner, each student gives a speech about why they chose the educator to be their selected guest. In turn, the educator speaks about the qualities that make the student they were asked to join so extraordinary. As you can imagine, this is a very special evening.
Another exceptional event is Senior Awards Night. This program illustrates the way in which the community of Brown County plays a critical role in the development and advancement of our young people. During this event, the Brown County Community Foundation, local service groups, individual donors, trade unions and colleges/universities gather together to distribute awards and scholarships that support the transition of our seniors to their chosen post-secondary opportunity.
Are you surprised to know that nearly a million dollars in scholarships and awards were distributed to the Class of 2019 during this year’s Senior Awards Night? It’s incredible considering we have a graduating class of 132 students! This level of funding speaks to the incredible talent that we have in this graduating class and the extraordinary level of support from our community. I am moved to tears every time we gather for this very special evening. We can’t thank Brown County enough for your extremely generous support of our graduating class this year and every year.
We are looking forward to one final event that makes the experience of graduating from Brown County High School so unique. On the last day of school, our seniors will gather in groups according to the elementary school that they attended and will board a school bus to return back to the places where their education began. We call this event the Victory Tour. Our graduating seniors wear their caps and gowns and are celebrated in the schools that were a fundamental component in preparing them for the opportunity to graduate from Brown County High School. There are high fives, fist bumps and lots and lots of tears. This is a very special experience for all members of the Brown County Schools family.
All of these activities lead to the commencement exercises that take place on Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m. in the Larry C. Banks Memorial Gymnasium. Commencement, by definition, means the beginning or start of something. I hold sincere gratitude knowing that the graduates from Brown County High School are beginning the next chapter in their lives standing on the shoulders of a school community who cares so deeply about their success.
Thank you, community of Brown County. You can be very proud of the Class of 2019.
Laura Hammack is superintendent of Brown County schools. She can be reached at 812-988-6601 or [email protected].
