Seniors Bid Farewell To Van High School

By Donna Limberger

The Van High School Class of 2008 walked across the graduation stage last Thursday night at Wagstaff Gym located on the campus of Tyler Junior College.

This year’s valedictorian was Lindsay McFarland and salutatorian was Carlos Lopez.

There were 145 graduates this year including 42 honor graduates.

McFarland addressed her fellow classmates saying that their lives had just begun and that they would always have the memories that they had made together.

Lopez reminded his classmates that "you only have one life, make it a good one,". He then serenaded the crowd with his version of "I will Survive".

Van High School Principal Keith Murphy said that he believed his campus was a better place due to the class of 2008.

"I don’t know if we will ever be perfect but as a campus we continue to improve. I think we have done that because of this senior class. You are a special group," said Murphy.

"You are a great class. You can look back and be proud," said Murphy.

Murphy stressed three important life issues to the graduates.

"I encourage you to build strong relationships, live life with integrity and enjoy the journey along the way," said Murphy.

This year’s graduates included honor graduates Rebekah Scott, Ryan Zandbergen, Alyssa Fisher, Bethany Hunt, Ashley Parish, Cortney Nichols, John Hobbs, Peyton Neill, Barbara McDade, Cassie Wiggins, Matthew Goode, Megan McInturff, Blade Healey, Kandice Tompkins, Yesika Guzman, Jason Bourque, Lesley Tuttle, Courtney Hollon, Justine Sliter, Ashton Johns, Kristina Powell, Kayleigh Fuller, Tommy Smith, Chyna Kesel, Justin Dalme, Brittany Stone, Blake Ross with the top ten percent of the class being made up of Joe Tobias, Hope Meadows, Emily Harwell, Shannon Hullum, Morgan Gilchrist, Kristen McCawley, Benjamin Ayers, Samuel Wineland, Logan Zandbergen, Jessica Lewis, Betsy Fowler, Victoria Gossett and Seleah Wilkinson.

Other graduates included Deanna Adams, Leticia Alvarez, Jennifer Anderson, Jedidiah Archuletta, Natalie Beaver, Jared Blackmon, Jared Brackenridge, Bradley Brown, Cameron Brown, Brittany Burns, Jermie Calhoun, Lashay Chancelor, Cassie Childs, Melanie Chitty, Katherine Coffey, Tory Combs, Rachel Cooke, Joseph Coon, Brooke Cutler, Jessica Davis, Megan Dickinson, Allan Dike Jr., Peyton Dike, Tyler English and Whitney Faber.

Also Robert Gable IV, Meagan Gabriel, Taralyn German, James Gilchrist, Jill Goodwin, Raymond Guzman, Britny Halbert, Christopher Hand, Kaley Hansen, Joshua Helms, Daniel Hernandez, Coylton Hogue, David Huffman, Allison Hukill, Melissa Hunter, Henry Johnson, Lauren Kellam, Lauren Koch, Luis Lara, Laura Leiser, Juan Lemus, Howard Love, Luke Lyness, Emily Maxwell, Cody Mayes, Justin McCarty, Tyler McCaslin, Shawn McLean, Joshua McMillan, Levita Mendoza, Kolton Monds, Williams Moore, Amanda Morse, Dylan Moseley, Kelsey Mullino and Terry Munn.

Also Heather Newell, Brittany Norman, Courtney Passman, Brandon Patterson, Lindsey Perkins, Amber Purkey, Sarah Rackow, Lauren Raglin, Ahsley Raugust, Cameron Ray, Monica Reaume, Vianka Rivas, Sirdirous Robinson, Jordan Rogers, Eleazar Salazar, Claudia Salinas, Brittany Seely, Monica Serna, Marissa Shelton, Michele Shires, Katherine Short, Rivers Shotwell, Cassandra Shumate, Lorin Skinner, Chaley Smith, Christopher Smith, William Smith, Amanda Sowell and Emilie Stancill.

Also Erica Stevens, Jeremy Stone, Nathan Stone, Aric Stroop, Michaela Syndergaard, Amanda Taylor, Jerrold Thacker, Clinton Walker, Arrykka Walt, Whitney Ward, Amber Welch, Jonathan Wheeler, Travis Wiggins, Sean Wilson, Jacob Womack and Angelina Wright.

The class motto was "Our tribulations are the weights that hold us down, but they are also the wings that let us fly".

The class flower was the cactus and song was "So Close Now" by Eli Young.