'Take the world,' 'be grateful' graduates are told

Seventy-seven Libby High School graduates waited patiently to enter the 50-plus-year-old gym, quickly filling with friends and families meandering to their seats. As older family and friends shuffled to their their seats, children scrambled through the bleachers before the ceremony began.

After class of 2013 marched into the traditional tune of, “Pomp and Circumstance,” they sat facing the near thousand guests, assembled to honor their success Saturday afternoon at Ralph Tate Gymnasium.

Class President Joshua Broderick opened with a light speech, and introduced the speakers to come. 

Lauren Wepprecht spoke highly of her peers since moving to Libby four years ago. Finishing third in her class, Wepprecht received a great amount of community support through scholarships (more than $12,000). 

Salutatorian Makayla Cichosz-King was not present for the graduation ceremony, but gave her speech via video sent from New York City. In front of Carnegie Hall, she was, as the theme of this year’s ceremony pronounced, “Out to Take the World.”

Class valedictorian Jacob Reny took the stage at the apex of the ceremony, and quickly steered away from the conventional words of wisdom given during past graduations. Reny referred to Russian philosopher Leo Tolstoy. The underlying message was to love each other and do what you know is right.

“Years from now,” Reny said, “you won’t remember how big your truck was, but how big your heart was.”

Reny will attend Montana State University in Bozeman, to study engineering, hoping to someday own his own engineering firm. Later, after the ceremony, Reny expressd his pride in his peers’ perseverance spanning the past 12 years.

“We’ve been through a lot. Our class size started with about 150 students. We’re now down to half that size, and we stayed successful the entire time.”

The commencement speaker came after the senior choir, subtly, celebrated the end of their high school years with, “Hallelujah!” Beloved high school teacher, Sarah Barrick, shared a message she hoped her 77 students would take forward with the future, “Be thankful, be grateful.” 

“When life hands you lemons,” Barrick said, “get some water and sugar and make some money.”

Retiring Principal Rik Rewets and Ellen Johnston, Board of Trustees chairwoman, handed diplomas to graduates with a confident handshake and wishes for future success.

After the ceremony, Barrick spoke of the day’s importance to many community and family members. 

“We’re in a high-poverty area,” Barrick said, “where a lot of them can’t afford to go to college, but they are finding ways, which is really cool. I graduated here, from Libby, 30 years ago and let me tell you it’s a lot different than things are now.”

Barrick, an alumni from better economic times of the Libby Dam boom, said graduating class sizes are getting smaller while incoming classes are increasing in numbers. But as strains reach the students of this community, Barrick is clearly proud students becoming active members of the community, taking the world at pace to make a positive action a possibility for generations to come.

“I loved their class motto, ‘We may not have it all together, (but together we have it all)’ they didn’t, they’re a goofball class. But I loved them because they knew that, and they pulled together and made things happen. They’re a good group of kids.”