Portales students take next step

Portales High School saw 156 graduates off on Friday night at their graduation ceremony held at Greyhound Arena.

“We are not excited to see it end, but we are excited to see our hard work pay off,” PHS salutatorian McKenzie Bucksath said in her welcoming at the PHS graduation ceremony.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Portales High School valedictorian Hannah Evans gives her speech, encouraging classmates to be all they can be during Friday’s PHS graduation ceremony.

Hannah Evans, PHS valedictorian, delivered the farewell at the ceremony. Her speech encouraged graduates to not “play small” to prevent people around them from being insecure. She wanted them to work hard and do everything they could to succeed and be happy.

“You can’t let anything get in your way,” Evans said.

Bucksath stressed that the graduates are adults now, and that Portales schools had prepared them for this very moment.

“There’s no one to hold your hand, and no one to show us where to go,” she said.

Bucksath is going to the University of New Mexico (UNM) to work towards a doctorate in pediatric physical therapy.

Evans will also be attending UNM to study to become an orthopedic surgeon. Evans is the first Portales student to be accepted into a Baccalaureate Medical Degree program that ensures her a spot in the 2019 medical class at UNM.

“It’s the mark of a new journey,” Evans said.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Portales High School graduate Robert Teal rejoices after receiving his diploma during Friday’s PHS commencement.

Chelsea Lopez is going on to attend school in Oklahoma to become a pharmacist. While she is happy to graduate, Lopez said that she is scared of being away from her parents, even if it means getting to leave Portales.

“I am the most excited about getting to move on in my life,” Lopez said.

Brittani Montiel chose to attend Eastern New Mexico University to become a veterinarian. Montiel said that graduating was a huge relief and that she had to overcome staying up all night and have a lot of discipline to get here today.

Jeremy Blair had his low grades to overcome to earn his diploma. Towards the end of this year, he had slacked on his school work, but he said that he worked really hard to be able to pass. His whole family watched him graduate on Friday.

“I am just going to go home and celebrate with my family for now,” Blair said.

Maribel Youngerwolf’s extended family was unable to attend, but that did not stop her success from shining on them, Youngerwolf said.

“It honors not just my family but the work God is doing in my life,” she said.

Whether they are going home to celebrate with their family or on to medical programs at UNM, Melvin Nusser, the retiring principal of PHS, said he was impressed with their success this year.

Nusser said that this class is one of the most exceptional he has seen. He recalled talking about them four years ago, when they were freshman about how wonderful they would be, and they met his expectations, he said.

“This class sets the tone for the entire school,” Nusser said.

“This is a conclusion of so many events,” PHS graduate Kobi Shillings said. Kobi views this ceremony as a bridge into the graduates’ new lives as adults. Despite losing the freedom of being a kid, it is a bridge he is excited to cross.

“Everything we’ve worked so hard for is paying off, and we can go on to do great things, hopefully,” Shillings said.