Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools — Transcript
Monday, June 8, 2026
Alternative Education and Student Success
Indigenous Land Acknowledgment and Community Relations
Student Resilience and Support Systems
Votes (3)
Opening Remarks, Vision, and Land Acknowledgment
Andrea Easter, representing the ELC, welcomed families, friends, and school officials to the graduation ceremony. She delivered a Dakota land acknowledgment, emphasizing District 196's location and commitment to indigenous communities. She then outlined the ELC's vision for a flexible and inclusive learning environment, highlighting the RISE acronym (Relationships, Inclusive, Support, Empower) as guiding principles for student success.
Student Commencement Address
Breanna Marshall, a recent graduate, shared a personal and reflective address on her journey through high school, highlighting that timelines are not always linear and real life presents unforeseen challenges. She emphasized the importance of resilience, learning self-strength, and the profound support received from ELC teachers and staff. Breanna encouraged her fellow graduates to embrace uncertainty, trust their capabilities, and recognize that progress doesn't always look conventional.
Presentation of the Class of 2026 Graduates
Michael Athorne, Assistant Administrator, expressed his honor in presenting the graduating class and thanked the community for welcoming him. He proceeded to call out the names of the Class of 2026 graduates from various attendance areas, formally recognizing their successful completion of graduation requirements by the authority vested in the school and the state of Minnesota.
Notable Quotes (9)
District 196 resides within Minnesota, the home of the Dakota, the homeland of the Dakota people, the Eastern Nation of the Oceti Sakowin Nation. This land has been the Dakota Nation's home every generation since their creation...
at the ELC, we believe in a flexible, inclusive learning environment where all students are valued for who they are, taught skills and habits in an alternative way, and we measure success through personal and academic growth.
The R stands for relationships, I is for inclusive, S is for support, and E is for empower.
But standing here now, I realize that wasn't falling behind. It was learning something different. Learning how to be strong in your own way. How to keep showing up when it would be easier not to.
The teachers who didn't just teach us, they loved us. The staff who checked in with me even when we said we were fine. The people who gave us grace when life felt overwhelming and pushed us to be here today.
You don't have to have everything figured out to move forward. You just have to be willing to try.
I will forever be grateful, especially to the grandfathers of this class, for welcoming me me into the school community. Allowing me to be part of your journey this past year.
by the authority vested in this school by the state of Minnesota and the school board, and upon the recommendation of faculty and administration, I recognize that you have successfully completed the requirements for graduation.
It is my honor and privilege to present to you the graduates of the Area Learning Center Class of 2026.