HPC grads: ‘Stop and look around once in a while’

Twenty-two High Plains Community seniors made sure to take extra time and look around Saturday afternoon, not wanting to miss the moment.
For the last time as students, the HPC Class of 2025 gathered in the Polk gym Saturday for graduation commencement to celebrate, reminisce and anticipate the future.
First-year Supt. Jason Brown welcomed those in attendance, noting that this group of graduating seniors had collected nearly $500,000 in scholarships.
“These kids will do anything for each other,” Brown shared, his oldest daughter Emma as one of the graduates. “I encourage you to expand your definition of success beyond achievements. As you set to embark on your next chapter, remember your class motto you selected. ‘Together we experienced life, separately we’ll pursue our dreams, forever our memories will remain.’ Congratulations to the Class of 2025.”
High Plains featured two co-salutatorians, Allie Howell and Gage Friesen with Howell the first to make remarks to the crowd.
Howell began by thanking those in attendance for showing up not just on Saturday, but on every other big moment or occasion.
She recalled back to a simpler time in preschool playing with guinea pigs, noting a large majority of the class remaining the same with a couple additions.
“Today is a day we have all anticipated for so long,” Howell said. “The time has gone by slowly in the moments, yet fast when you look back and see everything that has happened in such a few short years. The toughest part of senior year has been saying goodbye to things we love. This is our last big goodbye. From this moment on, everything will be full of new beginnings.”
Howell recalled several highlight moments from school, including her favorite trip to the national FFA convention her freshman year, which included heating leftover pizza with a hair straightener. 
She also shared one final memory the class made came just after graduation rehearsal, which included playing with the large parachute from elementary PE class.
“We shared our last laughs and created one more core memory as a class,” she said. 
Howell went on to thank those who helped the Class of 2025 get to this moment, including the administration and educators at HPC, the class sponsor, Lynn Hofmann, and most of all, their parents for the love and support over the years.
“We truly would not be who we are today without you,” Howell said. “I want to give a special thank you to my mom for always being there, showing up to every ball game, speech meet, band competition, FFA banquet and so many other activities. Your support and encouragement have helped push myself to be the best I can be.”
Before leaving, Howell addressed the underclassmen, noting their own graduation day was much closer than they may choose to believe.
“Take advantage of every moment,” she said. “Be friends with people who want to be friends with you. Do what you need for yourself and don’t rely on others to make you happy. Try new things. I’m happy I tried everything I did. I found small success in a few things and huge success in others. I’m glad I built my resume to what it is today by taking advantage of opportunities I was given.”
HPC’s other salutatorian, Gage Friesen, also shared his thoughts, including a huge list of accomplishments over time by the Class of 2025.
He noted the girls basketball team’s success over the past two seasons with district finals appearances, the football team qualifying and winning a playoff game last fall and a record-breaking 12 FFA members earning their state degrees.
“Everyone talks about time and how fast it went, like you can go back somehow and slow it down,” Friesen said. “In reality, time moves at the same speed no matter what. Nothing we do changes how long a school day last or a sports season. It’s what you do with that time that matters.”
Friesen added the Class of 2025 certainly made the most of its time the last four years and how much time they’ve spent with one another.
As teammates with Kaden Rieken, Caleb Sharman and Hudson Urkoski in multiple sports, Friesen noted he probably spent more time with them than his own family. 
He passed on some thank yous to the HPC teachers and staff for their efforts to mold them into great people, as well as all of his coaches throughout high school.
“I can confidently say I wouldn’t be half the person I am if I hadn’t had amazing coaches to help me every step of the way,” Friesen said. “I’ll always miss watching how much you guys cared for us, like coach (Darius) Williams seeing how far he could get on the field during football games without getting called for a flag, or coach (Martin) Phillips ending up halfway across the mat during our wrestling matches.”
After an emotional slideshow video and plenty of hugs, kisses and tears during a flower presentation, HPC’s valedictorian Caleb Sharman addressed the crowd, recognizing an iconic quote from Ferris Bueller about life moving pretty fast. 
“If you don’t stop around to look around once in a while, you could miss it,” Sharman recited. 
Sharman recalled moving into high school four years ago and just how quickly things flew by. For him, he just wanted to graduate quickly after getting beat up as a freshman in football and wrestling.
“When I started my senior year, I didn’t believe my mom when she reminded me that senior year would be my busiest year yet and go by even faster,” he said. 
Sharman is disappointed he won’t be able to play high school sports any more, noting that being a three-sport athlete for the Storm was one of the great perks of attending a smaller school.
He mentioned coach Wood showing him how to be a leader, coach Phillips that it is in fact possible to be five minutes late to everything and coach Williams for showing that a little bit of effort goes a long way.
Sharman also added that no matter what the HPC Class of 2025 pursues, they’re all going to be successful.
“I’d like to thank our incredible teachers for their dedication to our education,” Sharman said. “All of the families who came to support our class and also my classmates for always being there for each other. The Class of 2025 wouldn’t be nearly as successful if we didn’t have all of your support throughout our time in high school.”
From there, 22 HPC seniors were awarded their diplomas, turned their tassels and tossed their hats, signaling a new chapter in their lives.