Motivational speaker entertains seniors at Soroco commencement
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Soroco class of 2007 scholarships
The following are scholarships awarded to members of Soroco High School's Class of 2007. The students received about $150,000 in scholarships in total.
- 4-H Scholarships
Don and Eileen Lufkin Scholarship, Bryan Spaeth, $4,500
Marie Dunn Memorial Scholarship, Tack Louthan, $2,500
Jim Milligan Scholarship, Emily Hallenbeck, $1,000
- Booster Club - Jonathan De Costa, $500, and Toni Lombardi, $500.
- Booster Club Spirit Sportsmanship Award - Toni Lombardi and Steven Meade
- Masonic Lodge Education Grant - Tylor Kelly, $500 and Bryan Spaeth, $500
- Routt County Cattlewomen - Emily Hallenbeck, $1,500; Tack Louthan, $500; Bryan Luark, $1,500; Joel Schlegel, $500.
- Wes Milway Memorial Scholarship - Joel Schlegel, $500
- Friends of Soroco P.T.O - Chelsea Bonfiglio, $500; Rachel Elston, $500
- South Routt Economic Development Council Entrepreneur Scholarship - Joel Schlegel, $500
- Blue Eagle Halterman Memorial Scholarship - Tylor Kelly, $500; Joel Schlegel, $500; Martin Germain, $500
- Routt County Clerk and Recorder - Tylor Kelly, $606.10
- Louis and Wilma Rossi Family FFA Scholarship - Kensie Scott, $500; Tack Louthan, $500
- Steamboat Springs Chamber Ambassadors - Bryan Spaeth, $2,000; Bryan Luark, $2,000
- Doak Walker Scholarship - Joel Schlegel, $1,500; Toni Lombardi, $1,500
- Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors - Chelsea Bonfiglio, $750; Tack Louthan, $750; Tylor Kelly, $750; Rachel Elston, $750; Joel Schlegel, $750; Bryan Spaeth, $750; Bryan Luark, $750; Toni Lombardi, $750; Emily Hallenbeck, $750
- Hayden Station Employees Vocational Grant - Tack Louthan, $500
- Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. - Chelsea Bonfiglio, $3,000; Rachel Elston, $2,000; Bryan Luark, $2,000
- Rotary Club Scholarship - Joel Schlegel, $1,000; Bryan Spaeth, $2,000; Chelsea Bonfiglio, $2,000; Tylor Kelly, $2,000
- Routt County Conservation District and the Bud Werner Memorial Scholarship - Joel Schlegel, $500; Bryan Luark, $600
- Hope Scholarship Award for New Mexico Highlands University - Martin Germain, $3,076
- Otero Junior College - Emily Hallenbeck, $2,000
- L.L. "Monk" Chiles Scholarship and Dr. Donald W. Lamb Memorial Scholarship - Joel Schlegel, $1,000
- Steamboat Springs Christian Center - Lyall de la Mater, $1,000
- Fort Lewis College - Chelsea Bonfiglio, $8,000; Jennifer Block, $2,000
- Lamar Community College - Tack Louthan, $2,236
- Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design - Ryan Snyder, $24,000
- Mesa State College - Toni Lombardi, $7,000
- University of Colorado at Boulder First Generation - Brianna Price, $2,000
- Eagle County Cattlewomen and Eagle County 4-H - Kensie Scott, $2,000
- Colorado School of Mines - Aila Bereznak, $8,000
- University of Wyoming Peak Achievement - Emily Strait, $16,000
- Bryan Luark, $41,750, including Colorado State University Pre-veterinarian school, $12,000; American Quarter Horse Association, $8,000; Race for Education Thoroughbred Scholarship, $16,000; National Reining Horse Association, $1,600; Spirit of the West Scholarship, $1,000; Eagle County 4-H Scholarship, $1,500; National Honor Society Book Scholarship, $150; Young Farmers Education Association, $500; Harold and Sylvia Joy Scholarship, $1,000
Steamboat Springs — They laughed. They cried and they received a lot of advice.
The 39 members of Soroco High School's senior class could barely contain their laughter during Saturday's graduation as 88-year-old commencement speaker Earl Reum regaled them, and a packed gymnasium, with the most practical tidbits of wisdom they had heard all year.
"Don't trust a skinny chef. Don't take a diet from a fat doctor. Lock your car in small town America because the natives will fill it with zucchini. Don't flip off Hell's Angels on the highway. Don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry," Reum spouted.
"You'll get all kinds of advice the rest of your life, but remember that moms give it the best," he said. "You'll thank them when you're wearing clean underwear."
Reum, a professional motivational speaker, author and former educator, said graduations are his favorite events because they are full of hope, dreams and trust.
"Here is your diploma. Here is today," he said. "Pretend I said what you wish I would have. Hold this and for goodness sake, do something with it."
And it appears Soroco's Class of 2007 intends to do just that.
While most of Soroco's graduates have spent the past 13 years together, both in a classroom and outside of one, they are now preparing to disperse across the country to study journalism, art, music, business, nursing, mechanical engineering, aviation and biology.
One will join the U.S. Air Force; another, the Marines. One is running for a state FFA office. One wants to work at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
"I'm really proud of these guys and their accomplishments," said Soroco High School principal Dr. James Chamberlin. "They've left a lot of memories here, particularly with their school spirit. They were a very tight class, and I wouldn't be surprised if they get together next week to start planning their five-year reunion. They don't want to lose touch."
Chamberlin's advice for the graduates was simple - come home.
"Remember where you came from. Remember your roots. And remember, you're always welcome back at the doors of Soroco High School," he said.
Valedictorian Aila Bereznak choked up as she addressed her classmates.
"We know each other so well, it drives us crazy," she said. "We've always remained a solid class that has been loyal to one another."
Bereznak, like Chamberlin, encouraged her classmates to pursue their destinies with vigor and diligence.
"Wherever you go, whatever you do, do it with the pride that you grew up here, that you went to Soroco and that these were the people that influenced your life," she said.
Before walking out of the gymnasium, Reum left the graduates with one last profound bit of advice.
"Everything is possible - except squeezing toothpaste back into the tube and skiing through a revolving door. Don't fry bacon naked. The IRS doesn't have a sense of humor. Don't kick stuff that's bolted down. Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff. Don't eat standing up or you'll get fat legs," he said.
"It's valuable stuff. I hope you're taking notes."
-To reach Alexis DeLaCruz, call 871-4234
or e-mail adelacruz@steamboatpilot.com
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