Nicole Laughlin
Vacaville
I just graduated from Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville. I spent my last four years deeply devoted to my studies and, ultimately, my school. As I delivered a speech at the graduation ceremony on June 8, I couldn’t have been more proud of my classmates. We Wildcats have crossed a milestone.
The week before graduation, the entire senior class and faculty had a meeting regarding the rules of the ceremony. We were told by our principal, Mr. Cliff DeGraw, to promote utmost respect for our classmates at graduation. This entailed a formal dress code and an absence of beach balls (at least until the speeches were over). As a united class, we complied with the rules set fourth. We all agreed that respect was our top priority for the ceremony.
As the speeches and musical performances concluded, our first beach ball took flight. Mr. DeGraw approached the podium to congratulate the Class of 2012 for setting a record: 54 minutes without a beach ball. No speeches or performances were interrupted. The Will C. Wood class of 2012 radiated with respect at the graduation ceremony.