By Chloe Nash, Editor-In-Chief
May 29, 2025
ROCKLAND- Graduation will be held on May 30 at 6:30 pm in the Rockland Memorial Stadium.
This year, there are 121 graduating seniors with approximately 100 scholarships that are given to the students.
There are many different scholarships, from ones strictly given based on the major the student is pursuing, others for top students, athletes, music, key club members, band, drama, and more.
Also, over the past years, some former teachers and students have passed away, which has led to new scholarships that their families have decided to honor them with a scholarship in their name for students.
Biology teacher Ms. Ashley Leighton will be speaking at the ceremony and is honored to have been chosen as a speaker, with the opportunity to celebrate the graduates and offer some advice.
Ms. Leighton is in her 9th year of teaching at RHS and loves helping students discover what they are passionate about and want to do for the rest of their lives.
“I always really enjoy hearing the future plans that are read aloud when each student graduates,” said Ms. Leighton.
In her speech, she has 2 themes of one being biology and another being “not letting fear and anxiety prevent you from doing something important that you want to do.”
In addition to Ms. Leighton, Superintendent Dr. Alan Cron and Principal Ms. Cheryl Schipper will be speaking at the ceremony, as well as valedictorian Emilee Dunham.
Being valedictorian has felt surreal for Dunham, and she says that it hasn’t hit her yet, but it will tomorrow during graduation.
Dunham is excited to give her speech and hopes that people hear what she has to say because “it’s very important advice that they hopefully all take.”
Juniors Cailey Kelleher and Hayden Hatch will be the marshals leading the seniors onto the field.