Gillett grads embark on new journey

Salutatorian Brianna DeBauch encouraged her fellow Gillett graduates to drink in the events of the day.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” she said at their May 30 commencement ceremony. “Four years of friendship, laughter and hard work have led us here.”

Valedictorian Aubrey DeBauch used a quote from Olympic champion Wilma Rudolph as her touchstone: “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”

Aubrey DeBauch recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the class during the locked-down final months of their junior year, with social distancing and occasional virtual learning continuing to impact their senior year.

“In the end, we continued to work hard to make the most of this challenging and uncertain journey,” she said, encouraging her classmates as they move on to “be happy, be bold, be courageous … spread joy, love and kindness … and always strive to be the best version of yourself.”

Curt Angeli, elementary principal, introduced the winners of the Kenneth C. Dittman and Loraine M. Dittman Scholarships, which amount to $3,000 a year. Brianna DeBauch and Maibel Martinez received scholarships to two-year schools, and four-year scholarships were awarded to Aubrey DeBauch, Riley Engebretsen, Elizabeth Soper and Brandon Rodgers.