Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Delano High School. We're going to begin our program in approximately 5 minutes. If you'd please find your seats and silence your cell phones and other devices. Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Please stand and gentlemen remove your hats. The color guard from Delano Post 377 will process the flag as we begin commencement exercises with the playing of our national anthem by our band under the direction of Mr. Jason Coots. >> Please be seated. Good afternoon, graduates, family, and special guests. My name is Barry Voight, and I have the privilege of serving as Delano High School Principal. On behalf of the faculty, administration, and staff, I welcome you to the 132nd annual commencement exercises for the class of 2026. Graduates, I am so happy that we are able to gather as a community to recognize your achievement, to celebrate you, and to send you off into your future with the full support of our amazing Delano family. Today is a recognition of you. Enjoy it. The empty row at the front of the class has been reserved for our honor five students. Being a member of the honor five signifies hard work and dedication, which places these students academically at the top of an extremely talented class. This is a significant honor at Delano High School. As the students' names are called, Mr. Schauberger will present them with their cord and certificate. In alphabetical order, the honor five students for the class of 2026 are Michael Atwood, son of Hue and Shannon and Barry Atwood. >> [applause] >> Emma Fix, daughter of Jessica and Kevin Fix. Luke Gilliland, son of Jennifer and William Gilliland. Eleanor Hages, son of Carol Krychowski and Stephen Hages. And Hayden Rue, son of Becca and Mitch Rue. Please join me again in recognizing the outstanding efforts of these fine scholars. Congratulations to our honor five. Our first student speaker is Ariana Langdon. Ariana is the daughter of Bobby Langdon and Chad Langdon. And this fall, Ariana will be attending Loyola University in Chicago to major in molecular biology. As Ariana comes to the stage, band members can take their places. Here is Ariana with the senior reflections speech. >> Thank you. Thank you. Hello, everyone. Before I begin, I want to thank my parents and family for always supporting me. Especially my mom for trying to get me to school on time. I'm sorry, Mom. I also want to thank my friends, my closest and most casual, for creating our collective school experience. I want to reflect on these most pivotal 14 years, and while I don't have the time for a highlight reel, and I can't explore every season of ourselves, I do get the opportunity to say, "Thank you." Not in a list, but in a bonafide love letter, because I love each person here for showing up and staying and growing together. Let's start with elementary school. Dear elementary school, there's a smell to the playground, rubber and sunlight and something we can't quite name, and every single time I get the downwind in the heat of summer, I think back to when I was 6 years old getting on track and field day or eating burgers with Mr. Schlepper and Mr. Schuler, building graham cracker houses out of milk cartons and discovering the art of architecture. Do you remember us as fourth graders, feeling enormously grown-up because we had our own kindergarten buddies to look after? Or showing our art at Dairy Queen, which remains the highest honor a child can receive. And we were here at recess or at the lunch line, walking up to a stranger and saying, "I really like your hair. Do you want to be friends?" And then keeping that commitment for the next 12 years. Because that's what we do. That's what love does. It makes a decision on a Tuesday afternoon, and it holds it for for Dear middle school, you slowed us down in the best way. I remember Mr. Bingay singing the folk songs, immersing and unifying us in history. The homesteading unit where we created ice cream from scratch, soap carved by hands, paper bags pressed into something that felt like leather but felt like history. And LLCC, that strange clarifying gift of no phones, no noise, just the woods and the realization that we were fine. And we actually really liked each other when there was no phones. Dear high school, thank you for the accidentally unmuted Zoom chaos. The specific intimacy of seeing everyone's childhood bedrooms. And somehow still showing up, kind of, still learning, and still finding ways to make each other laugh through a screen. The strange alliances formed during prison ball where social order dissolved and you found yourself talking with somebody you would never talk to outside of class, unified by the survival instinct of not getting hit in the face. The night before every big game, which also was the same night as the worst math test of your entire life. But we'll never be on the bus or in the gym again with that particular electric feeling of too much to do and not enough time to do it. And genuinely loving every second of it. Musical chairs, winning or almost winning He-Man volleyball in freshman year, the metal shop, the constant grind of the ceramics wheel, the choir room, the chemistry lab, the moment when the equation finally clicked and that specific private joy in that. We fell in love with things we didn't expect. We found versions of ourselves we hadn't met yet in heartbreaks or dances, scraping the bottom of the barrel for a test, or doing a meditation with Miss Ba right before the biology final. This is the part that I want you to hold on to. We evolved ourselves by evolving our relationships with each other. We understood ourselves in the contrast of others. The people in this room made me who I am. They pushed back. They showed up, and they stayed. The teachers were amazing. They taught us a lot, but we taught each other so much more. To live, to be friends. Iron sharpens iron, or so I've been told. And I am so I cannot express to you how grateful I am to be sharpened by you all. We share something that only belongs to us. A spirit and a culture of this particular time, this particular place. And now we can acknowledge what once was and smile. There's no need to explain it. We understand. I mean, we sat in the same desks that some of our teachers sat at 40-ish years ago. People who had no idea what was coming, and they had their own heartbreaks and their own version of a Thursday night math test. They loved something in these walls. And so did we. So, here is my love letter and what I want to say. Thank you for the smiles and the secrets, the soap carvings and the volleyball spikes, the accidentally unmuted chaos, and the lunch line friendships that turned into the realest thing we have. Thank you for being strange and loud and kind. Thank you for sharpening me. This place got into me. Like rubber and sunlight and a smell you can't name. >> Mr. Wyatt, if this is bad I can retake, right? Right? Okay. It's okay. Sorry. >> Congratulations, class. >> We did it! >> Now let's take everything that this place gave us. Every skill, every scar, every friendship, every late night, and go and become who we were always supposed to be. >> [applause and cheering] >> Our high school band will now perform selections from Up by Michael Giacchino and directed by Mr. Jason Coots. >> [music] [applause] >> Our second student student speaker today is Lauren Wittenabel, the daughter of Anne and Colin Wittenabel. Lauren will be attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth studying business. Please welcome Lauren and her senior perspective speech. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Mr. Voit, and congratulations, class of 2026. If you ask a 5-year-old what they want to be when they grow up, they have an answer ready. But if you ask a high school senior that same question, we usually just give a nervous laugh and a shrug. We've spent so much time obsessing over who are we supposed to become and who are we supposed to end up that we've already overlooked who we already are and what we've already been given. Today is the day the routine officially becomes the past. And we're forced to realize that the things we took for granted were actually the things that built us. For years, this has just been our everyday. Showing up, going to class, getting through the week. It's strange how something that once felt so routine can suddenly feel important the moment it's about to end. And now we're here at the point where everything starts to shift. Some of these years felt long, but standing here now, I think we can all agree that it went by way too fast. Now we've reached a milestone where everything ahead of us is unknown. Some of us will go to college, some of us will go straight to work. Some of us are still figuring it out. And for the first time in our lives, we are all going in completely different directions. That's exciting, but also kind of terrifying. For 18 years, our lives have been a series of next steps written by someone else. Now, for the first time, the pen is in our hands and the page is blank. There's no bell schedule telling us where to go next, no guarantee of what's to come. But before we step into that unknown, we have to recognize that we didn't get to this finish line alone. I want to take a moment to look into the stands. At the parents, grandparents, and the families. You stayed up late with us, pushed us when we wanted to quit, and believed in us when we didn't believe in ourselves. And to our teachers and mentors, you didn't just give us assignments, you gave us your time and our patience. Class of 2026, let's take a second to give a round of applause to the people who made today possible. Everything they've given us, the support, the late nights, the encouragement, leads to the one thing we all share today. We were given an education. It may not feel groundbreaking, and most of the time it probably felt like more of something we had to do, not something we got to do. We complained about assignments. We complained about waking up early. But the truth is, not everyone gets what we've had. Not everyone gets to sit in a classroom every day, to have access to teachers who care, or to learn in a safe place. There are people around the world who would give anything for the opportunity we are celebrating today. Because education isn't just about grades or tests or diplomas. It's about learning how to think, how to question, and how to understand the world and our place in it. So now that we're leaving Delano High School, the question isn't what did we learn? It's who are we going to be because of it? We don't have to change the world overnight. We don't have to have everything figured out. The future isn't a destination we reach. It's a reputation we build in the small moments. How we treat a stranger, how we handle a mistake, and how we choose to use the tools we've been given. And maybe that's what the future really is. Not one perfect plan, but a series of choices and how we use what we've been given to make an impact on our world. So, as we walk out the doors for one last time today, diploma in hand, into whatever comes next, I hope we don't take this for granted. I hope we remember that what felt normal was actually an extraordinary opportunity. And I hope we do something with it. Because at the end of the day, we were given an education. But what matters now is what we give back because of it. Congratulations, class of 2026. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Lauren, for sharing your message. The Delano High School Concert Choir will now present their performance of Omnia Sol by Z. Randall Stroop under the direction of Mr. Eric Conway. >> [music] >> I'm sorry. So that longing to be Let the footprints of the winter melt [music] into fields of spring. Let us embrace before >> [music] >> After tonight >> [music] [music] >> Save your soul and we might Oh, stay your The journey >> [music] >> And then >> [bell] >> and sorrow Remember remember your heart be >> [music] >> We shall We shall Our sanctity >> [music] >> may be >> [music] >> We shall We shall We shall We shall We shall We shall >> [music] >> We shall >> [music] [music] >> Our sanctity may be >> Amen. >> [music] [music] >> Amen. >> [music] >> Amen. Amen. >> [music] >> Amen. >> [music] >> Amen. >> [music] >> Amen. >> [music] [music] >> Amen. >> [music] >> Amen. >> [music] [music] >> Amen. >> [music] >> Amen. >> [music] [music] >> Amen. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Mr. Michael Haller, social studies teacher, has been elected by our seniors to give this year's faculty address. Mr. Haller has been teaching at Delano High School for the past 4 years. Please welcome Mr. Haller to the podium. Well, first off, I want to say I wish I would have been before Ari, Lauren, band, and choir cuz they did awesome. So, now I'm here. Uh So, thanks to everyone for coming. Parents, grandparents, it's great to see everyone here. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Michael Haller. I've been here for 4 years, but I just finished year 20 of education. Um some of you might just be surprised to see the bartender from Brick Side as a second job. Seniors, we've talked a lot about AI this year, not using AI. Promise you, didn't use AI. So, if this bombs, it's all me. Started here back in 2022. The fall of 2022 was the freshman year for this senior class, and I got to teach government. And I was surprised to see we taught government to freshmen cuz my old school was seniors. And I also was surprised to see my two sections had 32 each, 32 students each freshman taking government. So, I was a little nervous starting second semester. For those of you that were in those classes, thank you. You guys were awesome. So, that was my introduction to this class. For the next couple years, I didn't see a lot of them, but this year almost all of the seniors came through my room. Some to take the CIS classes, they wanted the college credits. Some cuz they had to take Econ to graduate, but they all came through. So, I was thinking about what to talk about for a few minutes here, and a psychology concept came into my head. We talked a lot about memory, and we specifically talked about encoding. Encoding means getting a memory in. And two things that prevent us from encoding, age and attention. Well, seniors, you don't have to worry about age. You're in the sweet spot. Pretty sure my senior year I could eat fast food twice a week and still lose weight. So, let's talk about attention. Talked a lot about attention this year. Things that can distract us. Phones, social media, AI. But I'm going to challenge us to pay attention for just a few more minutes, and then that's it for me. First, let's pay attention to everyone in this room. Take a minute and look around. Look at all the people here. It's standing room only. They're all here for you. They're here for what you accomplished. You need to feel pretty darn good about that. Second, look over to your left. Look at all those teachers sitting over there. Maybe for the last time, and I ask you to pay attention to them. All the years they spent teaching you, coaching you, working with you, staying late, maybe pushing you cuz they said you could get a little bit more out of you. Think about all them. I can promise you the teachers have been paying attention to you. Paying attention to all the things you've accomplished in the classroom, the band concerts, the choir concerts, the plays, all the athletic performances, the state tournaments. And from what I hear, we're not done. I guess it was a tough night in Orono last night. But, nice job, boys. We've got some track people who are still running as well. So, all the things you guys have accomplished. We've also paid attention to the those of you that don't show up on the athletic court or field, those of you that learned how to be welders, to wire a house, to fix a car, all the amazing talents you bring this school every day, we paid attention. Next, let's talk about the people, okay? You've been together for 13 years. Some of you have known each other since you were six or seven years old. Pay attention to that. That was for fourth hour. Pay attention to each other. This is probably the last time you're all going to be in the same room together as a class. Soak it in. I know they made you turn your phones off. Keep them off for a few more minutes after you throw your hats in the air. Talk to each other cuz once you walk out of here today, you're going to go like this, and that's great. Like Aryan Lauren both said, you've got your whole lives in front of you, but pay attention to each other. Pay attention to the reason we're here today, your high school diploma. This is a big deal. Don't let anybody tell you it isn't. Look around. All these people are here on a Sunday afternoon. This is a big deal. Lots of people around the world will never achieve this level of education, so feel good about that. Be proud of yourselves. Life can take a lot of things from you, but they can't take this. This is yours now. You earned it. Be proud. Now, back to age. Age will come, believe me. It will come fast. And as the years fly by, don't forget about each other. Show up at your reunions. Check in with each other even if you live far away. Listen to each other. Talk to each other. You may not always agree with each other, but remember we have a lot more in common than we have differences. And don't forget about us. Stop by and see your old teachers. Tell us about how great you're doing, the new car you just bought, the new house, all those things. Tell me where I was wrong in class, which I'm sure was never the case. Don't forget about each other, right? We are very, very proud of you, and remember this, you always have a place here at Delano. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> At this time I'd like to invite Mr. Matt Shayne, Superintendent of Delano Public Schools, to come forward and present the class of 2026. Mr. Shayne. >> First I would like to thank our school board members for their leadership and governance this past school year. Board Chair Susan Roser, Vice Chair Ryan Schaust, Clerk Sarah Baker, Treasurer Jim Gerkey, Director Corey Black, Director Rachel Deppa, and Director Jessica Orella. Let's give them a round of applause. >> [applause] >> It is my privilege to present to you the class of 2026 having met all state and local academic requirements to graduate from Delano High School. I hereby confer upon our graduating seniors your high school diploma with all the rights and responsibilities that accompany that diploma. On behalf of Delano Public Schools and the Minnesota Department of Education, congratulations. >> [applause] [applause] >> Now, we are honored to have Mr. Voit reading the names of the graduates. Mr. Voit, if you please. >> Ladies and gentlemen, we ask that you hold your applause until all names have been read. Michael Bradley Atwood Emma Claire Fix Luke William Gilliland Eleanor Yuleva Hages Hayden Mitchell Rue Alex Marie Ausby Vincent Patrick Anastasia Haley Marie Anderson Owen William Anderson Everett Alan Ball Johnny Brian Barcenas Aiden Jacob Baron Braylon Robert Leon Bayer Laney Mira Beeler >> My bad. >> Taylor Joe Berscheid Gina Barbara Blank Owen Luke Bormann Nora Ann Estelle Bredahl Weston Nathaniel Bridges Presley Ray Bright Connor Andrew Thor Brister Andrew Michael Brewitt Benjamin Gideon Bryant Aaron Edna Bunn Trent Michael Bunn Carley Marie Capellari Lillian Sophia Carlson Alexis McKenna Champoux Davin Jeffrey Claire Caden Michael Collins Noah Anderson Connor Avery Sadie Coppen Gavin Louise Corona Hayden David Cox Leland John Senkowski Claire Elizabeth Zeck Jacob Alan Zeck Kailyn Grace Deluge Kellen Gary Danielson Ruby Lee Danielson Evan Nestor de la Vega Isaiah Robert Deppa Bella May Dinger Kate Lynn Doctor Nathan John Donley Riley Jason Duspavic Elijah Endure Engasser Maxwell Lauren Entinger >> [screaming] >> Jada Ray Erickson Eric Efron Estrada Nunez Brin Margaret Fairborn Luciana Grace Feldman Riley Patrick Flanagan Philip Michael Franzen Alyssa Lynn Friedman Zachary William Frommelt Brody Dunn Geislinger Kaya Annabelle Georges Evan Joseph Guyan Jace Russell Gibbons Lakesha Komassa Gibson >> [screaming] >> Kennedy Gail Geis Koller Eli Steven Gillis >> [screaming] >> Luke William Gilliland Versavia Davie Gorlove Luke Philip Grocious Ava Marie Pamela Christine Hackenmiller Ryland Thomas Hagadorn Charlotte May Hallmy Sarah Lillian Hallmy Daniel John Hollinan Lincoln Thomas Hamm Hunter Alan Hansen Jack Matthew Haslawden Kayla Kathleen Haninan Isabella Arinal Henry Emily Rita Hitchings Jacob Cole Hippner McKay Christopher Hogland Oscar Dean Hogland Natalie Nicole Holmer Eva Vivian Hootery Rockwell Jeffrey John Hootery Caleb Henry Jacobson Isaac Ray Yannick Daniel Thomas Johnson Ileigh Elizabeth Jubery Addison Grace Kultoff Haley Nicole Kultoff Brady James Kangas Drew Allen Kangas Tori Stephanie Keen Zane Roger Kessner Tanner Joseph Ketchum Wyatt Michael Kimball Addison Claire Kirchman Charles Andrew Kiddock Jamon Devion Kiddock Avery Grace Klopatek Emery Faith Klopatek Samuel Harland Kodesh Deegan Cameron Kollick Kira Marie Korba Jocelyn Ann Kramer Brin Marie Krueger Alex David Cruz Wyatt Jeffrey Kwasnica Dylan Joseph Laqua Marks Everett James Lambright Ariana Rose Charlene Langdon Daniel Rudy Ledesma Benjamin Michael Lerum Luke Robert Logan Maxwell Dylan Malk Kaylin Marie McIntyre Colby Raymond Merz Aidan Robert Metz Mark John Milburn Annette Ellen Miller Isaac Ray Miller Allison Margaret Moen Danielle Grace Molstead Allie Jane Morsching Hannah Marie Murdock >> [cheering] >> Brody Stephen Myers Thomas Richard Myerwald Alaina Barbara Narlock Sergio Enrique Navarrete >> [cheering] >> Blake Edward Nemec Paige Erica Newman Nathan Howard Nielsen Connor James Oja Evelyn Marie Oberding Addison Katherine Olson Grace E. Pavlac Finn D. Peckary Colton Avery Mika Perkins Jacob Robert Perlick Kent Robert Peterson Nicholas Douglas Peterson Elena Ruth Pettit Evan Grant Phillips Abby Lynn Pietila Sydney Michael Pink Miley Ellen Pinonemi Owen Mark Pleasey Grayson Lee Poplar Oliver James Purkey Isabella Maggie P. Quast Livia May Quast Sadie May Quinnell Brynn Elaine Rasmussen Bree Margaret Radiola Marybeth Suzanne Redinger Abigail Marie Reed Samuel Irving Revere Colt McLean Richardson Brady Allen James Raithel Jeffrey Carl Ritter Lucas James Robertson Charlie Joseph Roars Parker Benjamin Rescoviak Kate Violet Rosu Miley Nicole Russell Anya Lynn Scandrett Keegan Michael Schmaltz Cole Samuel Schmidt Emily Michelle Schmitz Elena Ann Shipkey Aidan Henry Shrine Jaden Thomas Severson Braden Timothy Sonic Bryn Caroline Spagnola Olivia K Stalkey Colby Gene Stankey Wyatt Grayson Stenbeck Bjorn McAllister Stewart Jake Patrick Studer Amy Elizabeth Sullivan Mallory Ray Suska Lauren Elizabeth Taylor Benjamin Vernon Tellers Luke Matthew Tharp Aidan Edward Thompson Marshall John Thorstead Elijah Jeremiah Topol Caitlin Joan Tormanen Alexa Grace Underdahl Osvaldo Valen Gomez Carter Matthew Van Buskirk Sophie Elizabeth Van Lith Mason Ambrose Vander Linden Isaac Robert Glenn Verway Isabella Ruth Vosper Cassie Jean Wegman Noel Ruth Weiler Peter Joseph Weiss Ian Russell Werder Logan McKenna Wermager Ava May Werner Maya Danielle Werner Lauren Rae Whitnable Kailyn Marie Whitwer Jaden May Workman Ashlyn Alden Worth. Hiroshi Zhang. Kailyn James Young. Let's have a round of applause for our graduates. >> [cheering and applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause and cheering] [applause] >> The aforementioned students have not only achieved the minimum requirements to graduate from Delano High School, but like other classes before them, they have gone above and beyond the call of duty. This year's seniors have dedicated approximately 3,179 hours towards community service just through the National Honor Society. This class is responsible for a scoring a three or higher on more than 164 advanced placement tests. And perhaps the most impressive, this group of seniors will leave Delano High School with 1,670 college credits earned through our college in the schools program. I'd especially like to commend three of our students who deserve recognition as having committed to our nation's military. There is no better definition of going above and beyond. So, please stand and be recognized. Evan De La Vega, Air Force. >> [applause] >> Tanner Ketchum, Air Force. >> [applause] [applause] >> And Zane Kessner, Navy. >> [cheering] [applause] >> Graduates, you all have learned so much here at Delano High School. We thank you for entrusting us with entrusting us with your learning and allowing us to become part of your story. Upon conclusion of my remarks, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize several people whose assistance in the preparation of this program was invaluable. First, thank you to the color guard from American Legion Post 377. And thank you to the custodial staff and the high school office staff for helping to prepare such a wonderful event today. Lastly, on behalf of the graduates and the entire Delano Public School staff and students, a special thank you to our entire Delano community. Without your support, our educational system would not be the success that it is today. Will the graduates please rise and raise your caps high. It is my honor to introduce you to the class of 2026. >> [cheering] [applause] [applause] >> As you return your caps to your heads, you may move your tassel from the right side of your mortarboard to the left to signify the completion of your high school career. >> [cheering] [applause] [music] [music] >> Seniors, now's the time to throw caps. On the count of three. 1 2 3 >> [cheering] >> Parents and guests are welcome to join their graduate on the floor.