by Heather Pyles
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — Another school year at Pulaski County High School has come to a close, and with that came the graduation of the 2010 senior class. Hundreds of parents, siblings, other family members and friends crowded into the PCHS gym Saturday morning to witness the 60th graduation ceremony at the school. 241 diplomas were given during the ceremony, which held a sense of finality for the seniors and their loved ones. And while changes are certainly in store for the graduating class, but the ceremony’s students speakers emphasized that those relationships and memories developed among the students don’t have to end with their last high school year. “This day isn’t a closing,” said PCHS class of 2010 Valedictorian Bryley Murphy during his address. “... Now it’s time for us to move on to bigger and better things.” Of the 241 presented Saturday, 15 of those were Commonwealth Diplomas, which are the most difficult high school diplomas to earn in the state of Kentucky. To receive a Commonwealth Diploma, a student must complete 24 credit hours in their high school career, they must complete a pre-college curriculum, and they must take a minimum of four college advanced placement courses in language arts, math/science, foreign language and an elective area. Students must also complete at least three advanced placement exams. Those students receiving the Commonwealth Diploma were Malcolm Adair, Jonathan Caron, Amber Cruey, Sarah Hansford, Jared Harper, Mackenzie Hatfield, Tyler Jenkins, Justin Jones, Kent Jones, Jedidiah Mounce, Bryley Murphy, Anthony Procter, Emily Stout, Jasmine Strunk and Caleb Williams. “The relationships, the times we’ve shared, the lessons we’ve learned have fashioned us for the journey ahead,” said 2010 PCHS Salutatorian Sarah Hansford. Hansford, taking a quote from former president Ronald Reagan, stated to her fellow students that “each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we’ve ever known.” PCHS guidance counselor James Powell recognized the several seniors who received scholarships — academic and athletic — and stated that the PCHS Class of 2010 scholarship fund amounted to $2,279,762. “If you don’t stand for something, you’re going to fall for anything,” Powell said in his closing remarks. “In a world full of deceit and trying times, you’ve got to stand for something if you’re going to make a difference, and I challenge you to make that difference.” The ceremony featured performances by the PCHS vocal ensemble and choir and senior Caleb Williams, who performed “Time of Our Lives.” The presentation of diplomas was met with applause from family and friends for each graduate, and some graduates took to celebrating their achievement with more than just a smile. One excited student nearly stepped off the stage during her impromptu celebration, but she recovered quickly and gracefully. With Pulaski County Board of Education Chairman Bill White’s confirmation, 241 students celebrated by throwing their graduate caps into the air — a well known and long-standing tradition among graduating classes. “The world out there awaiting us is something that’s beyond any of our wildest imaginations already,” Hansford stated in her speech to the class. “Each of you has something inside you that the world hasn’t seen yet. “The opportunities that await will only let that something grow into something that can change the world.”
