Bucktail graduates 31 students Monday evening
By Christopher Miller
FARWELL, PA – Bucktail Area High School graduated 31 high school seniors Monday night in the 57th annual commencement exercises held on Dwyer Field in Farwell.
The theme of the evening was change: turning to a fresh, new page in the graduating seniors’ lives, coming to grips with the uncertainty of the future beyond high school, and reflections and celebrations on the past 18 years.
Class Valedictorian Kellie Bunsick brought up always being interested in “the concept of time.”
“Time seems to go slow when you want it to fast, and speeds up when you want it to last,” she said in her address. “Now that time has flown by, I wish I could clip its wings and make it stop; it never seems to stop buzzing, like a fly in my ear.”
Kellie expressed her curiosity about the world and being wrapped up in documentaries and books during the last few years of her high school career.
“Living in the moment appeared to be impossible, and the phrase “I can’t wait for this, and that” is something we are all guilty of uttering, but to be human is to live, so live in these moments,” she said.
Class Salutatorian Jeremy Zuback compared going to Bucktail High School to his favorite movie while growing up Cars.
“The town in the movie reminds me of our own town,” he said. “It’s true – life is a highway, with a beginning and a final destination, but with pit stops along the way.”
The pit stops Zuback referred to were those of elementary, middle, and high school, but he paused after middle school.
“We also took an unexpected pit stop for COVID-19,” he recalled, bringing up the many late nights (and early mornings) playing video games rather than resting for school.
Zuback closed his speech by mentioning that “high school shaped us into the individuals we are today and that after today our final destination has changed, we must all go on our own now, and we will all succeed at whatever we choose to do.”
Superintendent Dr. Francis Redmon celebrated his first official Bucktail Area High School graduation Monday evening, having come aboard to the school district in February.
“Your future is remarkably variable,” he stated. “Each person here is embarking on their own journey with many twists and turns: some anticipated, and many not.”
“Most choices allow for on and off ramps, what you decide after today will be a great learning experience but may not be the only path you walk,” he warned. “Your report card and GPA is only a small portion of what you have learned over the past decade,” and that the most important skill set developed is “building connections and relationships, problem solving, and that persisting through challenges shows more success than citing your sources in MLA format.”
“The mission of Bucktail Area High School is complete, you have the keys now – parents: thank you for sharing your most precious resource with us, your children, and please continue on your paths and continue to make us all KCSD proud,” Redmon proclaimed.
Principal James Poleto ended the speeches and acknowledgements Monday evening by celebrating the growth, resilience, and the character learned throughout the students’ time at BAHS.
“Go out and discover who you are, what you are passionate about, and what you are capable of achieving,” he said. “You learned integrity, teamwork, and perseverance here, the journey ahead may not always be easy and there will be moments of doubt and obstacles, but you have proven that you can take on the challenges, embrace change, and remain true to yourselves and your values.”
“You carry with you the hopes and dreams of your parents, teachers, and the community…the world needs your unique talents and voices.”
