Kensington Woods Schools hosted its 2015 graduation ceremonies on Friday, June 5, at the Jane Tasch Theater in Pinckney.
Kensington Woods Schools honored 21 graduates during their Commencement ceremony. Students were honored for their academic achievements during the ceremony as well as their demonstration of character and service throughout high school. Honorees included: Sarah Craig, 2015 Valedictorian and WXYZ’s Brightest and the Best; Abigail Gamache, Salutatorian; Gunnar Damon, Congressional Medal of Merit; Sarah Craig, Abigail Gamache, Gunnar Damon, Morgan Sabuda, Bryanna Smith and Cameron Wicks, Michigan Competitive Scholarship; Danielle Anderson, Gabrielle Butler, Sarah Craig, Gunnar Damon, Abigail Gamache and Morgan Sabuda, graduating with honors.
Students also received a variety of scholarships to support their future college endeavors, totaling over $175,000. Patrick Tracy received a $64,000 scholarship from Otis College of Art and Design in California while Morgan Sabuda received a $40,000 scholarship from the Pratt Institute in New York and another $12,000 from Kendall School of Art and Design in Grand Rapids. Abigail Gamache was offered $36,000 in scholarships from various universities she applied to and will be accepting a $16,000 scholarship from Saginaw Valley State University. Sarah Craig received both the Presidential Scholarship of Excellence and the Alumni Legacy Award from Michigan Technological University, totaling almost $19,000. Aurora Anderson received the Sarah Jane Venerable Scholarship, a $1,000 competitive scholarship from the Lansing Art Gallery.
Kensington Woods High School proudly has a 100% college placement rate for all graduates and the Class of 2015 is no exception. The 21 graduates are heading to universities and colleges that include Michigan Technological University, Eastern Michigan University, Otis College of Art and Design (California), University of Michigan (Flint), Kendall School of Art and Design, Saginaw Valley State University, the Pratt Institute (New York), Washtenaw Community College, Lansing Community College and Oakland Community College to study fields including neuroscience, art education, nursing, pharmaceutical chemistry, music, communications, early childhood education, photography, occupational therapy, fine art and architecture.
In her Salutatorian speech, Abigail Gamache recognized the impact Kensington Woods had on her and her peers and encouraged her peers to find happiness in their lives by being themselves. “We couldn’t have made it here to this moment right now if it wasn’t for Kensington Woods. This school is more than just your average high school. The teachers, staff, and students form a small-knit community, in which everyone strives to achieve success in every way possible. These friendly, weird, abnormal, and caring people become part of your family. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from KWoods, it’s that you shouldn’t be afraid to be who you are…Whether you choose to continue to further your education, discover the world, start working full-time, or even take some time off… just remember to live your life the way YOU want to. It’s YOUR life, so don’t let anyone else control it for you. Be spontaneous! Be bold! Be courageous! Be independent! Be passionate! But most importantly… be YOU! I guarantee that you will always find happiness in your life if you are doing what you love to do.”
Valedictorian Sarah Craig had some advice for her classmates, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Don’t wait for the challenges that may come up in your life to pass by before you do something. Face them head on, you never know what might happen. You may just end up learning and experiencing some of the most important and amazing things in your life!”
Kensington Woods’ Commencement ceremony is also a special time because each student gets a chance to recognize those in their lives that helped make their success possible. Many students thanked teachers, family members and friends, sharing kind words and some inside jokes. The graduates were also addressed by Keynote Speaker Jeffrey Wheeler, parent Allan Honey and teacher Jessie Pratt.
For further information about Kensington Woods Schools, contact Principal Markus Muennix at 517.545.0828 or via email at info@kwoods.org. Kensington Woods Schools is located at 9501 Pettys Road, Lakeland, MI 48143.
