Silver State graduates learn to believe in themselves

It’s not about yourself, but belief in yourself. That was the theme as graduates from Silver State High School received their diplomas Wednesday at the school’s Performing Arts Center.

Salutatorian Noah Shek said his time at Silver State showed him what was important wasn’t about himself, but “about others and about how society works.”

He also said he learned to look at the big picture “and take each day as a learning lesson and everything isn’t about myself.”

Shek said he also learned “each challenge and each problem” was a chance to “become a victory.”

Silver State Executive Director Kit Kotler also touched upon a quote from Henry Ford, talking about why Silver State served an important purpose. Silver State came close to being shut down, but has been given a reprieve.

Kotler quoted Ford when she said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Kotler used that theme to explain “this is why I worked so hard to keep our school this year.”

She said the formula to success is “double your rate of failure. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Fall down seven times, get up eight.”

Kotler also quoted actor Will Smith when he talked about not to worry about what others think of you. “Hate in your heart will consume you, too,” said Kotler when quoting Smith on what happens when you let negative people get the best of you.

“You don’t have to be perfect,” she said. “Just be pretty darn good. That’s good enough.”

Going back to what Ford said, Kotler finished by saying, “you’re the only one who determines if you can or can’t.”

There were a listed 54 graduates in the class of 2016 for Silver State. Along with Shek, Kristyna Vosicka was listed as the class valedictorian.

Introduced at the ceremony as students who received the Silver Eagle Award for maintaining a 3.0 grad point average throughout their high school career were: Shyanne Adams, Devin Ames, Justin Benedict, Nathanial Dunkin, Sarah Goolsby, Victoria McKean, Angela Miller, Marie Pilant, McKayla Prentice-White, Nathaniel Shek and Noah Shek.

Listed as Millennial Scholarship winners were: Kendall Baker, Kasey Barreto, McKenna Condon, Heather Malson, Miller, Pilant, Prentice-White, Nathaniel Shek, Noah Shek and Vosicka.

Staff scholarships of $1,000 were awarded to Pilant and Baker and a $2,000 staff scholarship was awarded to Goolsby.