by Toby Cooper

Sounder contributor

The Orcas community gathered to cheer and hug and weep their way through the moment everyone wants to get through, but no one wants to end: graduation.

On June 17, to the familiar strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” each of the school’s three dozen seniors — smartly draped in Viking blue and white gowns and Oxford mortarboard hats — stepped through the back gym door to a visceral roar from the crowd. Before the day ended, the crowd would roar again and again.

The class of 2023 has its own backstory of inclusiveness and resilience. Some in the class have been together since grade school. In fact, Principal Kyle Freeman noted before the ceremony that they have been “amazingly welcoming and adaptive, given what they went through with COVID.”

Stories were shared with the Sounder anonymously. According to one parent, when the class was in sixth grade, a donor sponsored free student-designed sweatshirts for all, with a tree design showing each student’s name on a limb. The donor hoped to facilitate bonding. The gifting was prescient. During their high school years, six in the class lost a parent – some lost both parents – to untimely death.

More recently, another anonymous donor paid college application fees for anyone who could not afford them, greatly expanding the universe of applicants. The Orcas community’s locally-sourced 2023 scholarship awards totalled approximately $300,000.

In his turn at the podium, Class President Logan Jones spoke of COVID, which knocked out their sophomore year.

“It affected our output and our academic performance,” he said. But the class was able to see it as another hurdle in the transition to adulthood.

Salutatorian Isabella “Bella” Evans, on her way to Harvard in the fall, spoke movingly of being ready to leave her island home for new horizons, but rather suddenly discovered “I did not know how to say goodbye.” She brought it home with a message of love.

Valedictorian Roan Ontjes-DeGroot implored her classmates, on the eve of their departure to new destinations far and wide, to “embrace unpredictability, embrace the wild, embrace the weird, embrace the possibilities life has in store for every single one of you,” and in so doing, maximize the capacity to deal with uncertainty.

The commencement address from Kate Long, whose very presence in the room demonstrated how the Orcas community had worked together with the school to help this class and their families overcome challenges, became a study in practical advice that all could take home and savor.

All were invited to swivel their chairs toward the silver screen to enjoy the “Class of 2023 Slideshow,” a fast-paced romp montage of goofiness, spontaneity, sound bites – both clever and embarrassing – high fives, and slapstick, spliced together by Emily and Erin Bennett. Embedded in the slideshow was an endearing four-photo-per-classmate sequence — toothless babyhood to 2023 senior candid — ingeniously crafted by Samuel Gailey.

As each class member was summoned to the podium for their formal award, the “welcoming” class placed “individuality” on full display. Some chose the sincerity of a handshake. Some worked a little street cred. And some threw it down as only a slightly whacky Orcas kid who just crossed life’s first big, happy milestone can do.

In a final display of class togetherness, the proud graduates paraded through Eastsound, delighted to be behind a flashing Sheriff’s car, rather than in front. Congratulations, class of 2023!

Scholarships awards to Orcas Island School District students

American Legion Voyle B. Martin Post #93

Academic Scholarship in Memory of Roland Hachee: Shaye Spinner, $1,500

Claude A. Rubeling Academic Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $1,500

Claude A. Rubeling Academic Scholarship: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $1,500

Vocational Scholarship in Memory of Carole Speight: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $1,500

American Legion Leadership Award & Medallion: Gray Gailey, $250

American Legion Leadership Award & Medallion: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $250

Sons of the American Legion

Sons of the American Legion Scholarship: Roan Ontjes-DeGroot, $1,750

Allen Minnis Memorial Vo-Tech Scholarship: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $1,750

American Legion Auxiliary Unit #93

Sally Hart Memorial Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $1,500

Mid Flaherty Memorial Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $1,500

Lar Vern Keys Memorial Scholarship: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $1,500

Veterans Legacy Scholarship: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $1,500

Banner Bank

Banner Bank Scholarship: Mona Evans, $1,000

Curtis Family

Glen W. Monson Memorial Scholarship: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $1,500

Robert V. Curtis Memorial Scholarship: Carlie Rankin, $1,500

Fidelis Circle

Fidelis Circle Award: Coral Forbes, $200

Fidelis Circle Award: Roan Ontjes-DeGroot, $200

Fidelis Circle Award: Nisha Woolworth, $200

Funhouse Commons

Funhouse Commons College Scholarship. Funded by the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation (Scholarship is renewed every year for up to four years): Ryan Krisch-Derr, up to full-ride

Funhouse Commons College Scholarship Funded by the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation (Scholarship is renewed every year for up to four years): Paxton White, up to full-ride

Henigson Public School Student Fund Funded by the Henigson Family. (Scholarship is renewed every year for up to four years): Gray Gailey, $10,000

Funhouse Commons/The Pichu Fund Funded by the Foster Family Pichu Fund: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $1,000

Funhouse Commons/Realtors of Orcas Island Funded by Orcas Island Realtors: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $3,000

Funhouse Commons/Realtors of Orcas Island Funded by Orcas Island Realtors: Meriel Griffith, $3,000

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope Scholarship: Pedro Guerra Banderas, $500

Kiwanis Club of Orcas Island

Kiwanis Leadership Award: Gray Gailey, $1,200

Kiwanis Leadership Award: Meriel Griffith, $1,200

Kiwanis Leadership Award: Justin Krisch-Derr, $1,200

Kiwanis Leadership Award: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $1,200

Kiwanis VoTech Award: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $500

Bill Marx Hat Draw Award: Jazmin Page, $400

Madrona Club

Madrona Club Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $2,000

Robin DiGeorgio Endowment Scholarship: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $2,000

Orcas Education Association

Orcas Education Association Scholarship: Carlie Rankin, $500

Orcas Island Booster Club

Orcas Island Booster Club Scholarship: Diego Lago, $500

Orcas Island Booster Club Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $500

Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival

Marilyn Anderson Young Musician’s Award: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $1,000

Marilyn Anderson Young Musician’s Award: Ella Weaver, $1,000

Orcas Island Education Foundation

OIEF Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $3,500

OIEF Scholarship: Roan Ontjes-DeGroot, $3,500

OIEF Scholarship: Paxton White, $3,500

OIEF Scholarship: Gray Gailey, $2,000

OIEF Scholarship: Celia Groeninger, $2,000

OIEF Scholarship: Justin Krisch-Derr, $2,000

OIEF Scholarship: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $2,000

OIEF Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $1,000

OIEF Scholarship: Samuel Wickstrand, $1,000

OIEF/Barker Family Vocational Education Scholarship: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $5,000

OIEF/Hobie Alter Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $2,000

OIEF/Hobie Alter Scholarship: Paxton White, $2,000

OIEF/Hobie Alter Scholarship: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $1,000

OIEF/Hobie Alter Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $1,000

OIEF/Marian A. Berdan Scholarship: Roan Ontjes-DeGroot, $1,000

OIEF/Thurman Bond Scholarship: Eava Wood, $2,500

OIEF/Thurman Bond Scholarship: Elijah Giampietro, $500

OIEF/Thurman Bond Scholarship: Nisha Woolworth, $500

Orcas Island Fire and Rescue Firefighter/EMT Association

OIVFF-EMT Association Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $1,000

Jeff Patty Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $2,000

Orcas Island Lions Club & Foundation

Abrahamsen Family Memorial Vocational Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $3,600

Joseph Bond Memorial Scholarship: Paxton White, $3,600

Jim Golithon Memorial Vocational Scholarship: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $3,600

Leonard Wellman Memorial Academic Scholarship: Justin Krisch-Derr, $3,600

Vic Hughes Memorial Scholarship: Aida Cruz Hernandez, $3,600

OI Lions Club Scholarship in Honor of Elizabeth Barth: Nisha Woolworth, $1,000

OI Lions Club Scholarship in Honor of Ida Rea McDonald: Roan Ontjes-DeGroot, $1,000

OI Lions Club Scholarship in Honor of Mac Trunkey: Meriel Griffith, $1,000

OI Lions Club Scholarship in Honor of Don Webster: Gray Gailey, $1,000

Orcas Odd Fellows

Orcas Odd Fellows Award: Mona Evans, $2,000

Orcas Odd Fellows Award: Carlie Rankin, $2,000

Orcas Online, Inc.

Orcas Online, Inc. Scholarship: Justin Krisch-Derr, $500

Terry Cairns Memorial Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $1,000

San Juan County Sheriff’s Guild

San Juan County Sheriff’s Guild Scholarship: Thomas Anderson-Cleveland, $500

San Juan County Sheriff’s Guild Scholarship: Shaye Spinner, $500

San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau

Hospitality/Business/Communications Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $1,000

San Juan Preservation Trust

Climate Leadership Scholarship: Justin Krisch-Derr, $4,000

Climate Leadership Scholarship: Roan Ontjes-DeGroot, $4,000

San Juan Masonic Lodge #175

San Juan Masonic Lodge #175 Scholarship: Meriel Griffith, $1,500

Steve Resch Memorial

Steve Resch Memorial Scholarship: Justin Krisch-Derr, $3,300

Steve Resch Memorial Scholarship: Ryan Krisch-Derr, $3,300

Evan Kulper photo.

Evan Kulper photo.

Evan Kulper photo.

Evan Kulper photo.

Evan Kulper photo.

Evan Kulper photo.