‘There’s always the next part of your life’

Homer High School celebrated the graduation of 69 students on Wednesday, May 21. Counselor Paul Story said during the commencement ceremony that the Class of 2025 earned a total of $3.6 million in post-secondary aid, including $117,800 in local, regional and state merit awards, $1.5 million in UA Scholar Awards and Alaska Performance Scholarship qualifiers, and $2 million in institutional aid from future schools.

Principal Douglas Waclawski presided over the event. He was joined onstage by KPBSD Superintendent Clayton Holland and KPBSD board member Tim Daugherty. Waclawski said he shared a lot in common with this year’s graduating class, considering it would be the last class he would preside over before retiring.

“Like many students, I’m figuring out what I want to do with my life after the ceremony,” Waclawski said. “I’m sad to leave this school and community that I’ve come to love and want to protect, but all the good things come to an end, and there’s always the next part of your life. This is true for both the graduates and myself.”

Waclawski said that as the graduates work to figure out what they want to do next, he hopes they will follow their hearts first and not be afraid of failure.

“There’s a saying that I use in basketball, when things are not going my way, I say; ‘I need to get the misses out of the way so I can start making them.’ Life isn’t a destination. It’s an adventure, a journey and a wondrous learning opportunity. So, take those shots, because you don’t make any shots you don’t take.”

Waclawski noted during his speech that in his 15 years at Homer High School he’s seen more than 1,000 students graduate, spent more than 2,000 mornings welcoming students into the school in various weather, and made staff sit through more than 300 PowerPoint presentations.

The commencement address for the evening was delivered by Tela O’Donnell-Bacher. O’Donnell-Bacher attended McNeil Canyon Elementary, Homer Middle School and Homer High School and is an Olympic wrestler, mother, advocate and wrestling coach.

Waclawski said in his introduction that it was fitting O’Donnell-Bacher was selected as the commencement speaker this year, as she was one of the first people he and his wife met when they moved to Homer. With her that day, many years ago, Waclawski said, was a baby: her son and graduating senior, Raiden Skorski-O’Donnell, who presented his mother with an honorary Homer High School diploma.

In his presentation speech, Skorski-O’Donnell said the honorary diploma was “in recognition of her three outstanding years as a Homer High School student before transferring and from her many subsequent years of dedicated service to student-athletes in our community.”

During her commencement address, O’Donnell-Bacher said she wanted to share a set of tools that served her well over the years, “a kind of multi-tool for life.”

One of the tools was positive thinking, the ability to remain optimistic in times of misfortune. O’Donnell-Bacher said many people may think of optimism as “the luxury of those who have had the easy life,” but said she would argue that optimism is “a defiant response to pain, to fear and timelessness.” She said she first learned about the power of optimism when she was 8 and her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“Learned optimism and neuroplasticity is a well-researched topic that shows that people can train positive thought patterns, resulting in decreased depression, decreased anxiety and increased physical health. But optimistic realism, not toxic optimism. This doesn’t mean that life will always feel good. You will experience failure and heartbreak. The world will sometimes be unjust, but optimistic realism is so you don’t get lost in the tough stuff.

“There will be highs and lows, but hardwire the good parts into your brain. Train yourself to remember the beauty, the joy and the happiness,” she said. “Those feelings will become easier to access.”

The valedictorian and salutatorian address was delivered by seniors Brightly Thoning and Beatrix McDonough. Thoning completed her time at Homer High with a GPA of 4.336 and McDonough with a GPA of 4.318, a merit earned through their completion of multiple Advanced Placement classes.

The students read a humorous speech detailing a list of playful hi-jinks the graduating class allegedly committed throughout the year, which Principal Waclawski endearingly joked he didn’t remember happening.

The valedictorian and salutatorian said other avenues they considered for their address were “performing a rap battle from ‘Hamilton’” or “staging a ‘Star Wars’ fight reenactment.”

Live music was performed throughout the ceremony by the Homer High School Concert and Swing choirs as well as the Homer High School Band. The Class of 2025 was sponsored by HHS staff members including Olivia Philpot, Lisa McCutcheon, Kyle Schneider and Paul Story.

Graduation in Homer marks the official end of the school year. Returning KPBSD students will begin school on Aug. 20.

Homer High School Class of 2025

Kylee Akee, Zachary Altringer, Jamen Anderson, McKenna Black, Ainsley Boss-Harmon, Reace Matthew Brothers, Caleb Brow, Grover Brown, Cassidy Carroll, Adgel Chandler, Carter Collins, Andrea Corey, Richard Doughty, Ethan Drake, Andrea Duncan, Spencer Dye, Jayden Eagleman, Rocco Flora, Gunner Froese, Raquel Goldman, Anthony Gonzalez, Jody Goodrich, Willem Hakala, Jake Hawkins, Espen Hennick, Ryan Holm, Tanner Houglum, Malliss Im, Marceline Johnson, Natalie Keintz, Walden Kraszeski, Fiona Linegar, Annabelle Lotscher-Franciscone, Channing Lowney, Jaela Marchbanks, Weston Marley, Katelyn Marroquin, Tiya Martushev, Beatrix McDonough, Lucas Minear, Paul Minke, Gracie Miotke, Einar Pederson, Graham Plumlee, Leto Rastopsoff, Michael Reutov, Elias Robinson, Caitlyn Rogers, Natalie Roy, Rebecca Rudy, Heather Shea, Raiden Skorski-O’Donnell, Mischa Slaughter, Jaydan Stanish, Preston Stanislaw, Eli Stodola, Kya Stokes, Rainey Sundheim, Juliann Techie, Cody Thomas, Brightly Thoning, Amanda Toci, Rebecca Trowbridge, Alexander Van Meter, Luke Vargas, Daisy Walker, Angelynn Webb, Henry Wedvik, Murphy Whaley.