Grain Valley High School graduation

Even a thunderstorm couldn’t dampen the spirits of the 2008 graduating class of Grain Valley High School, as they made their final walk across the stage Saturday at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence.

After all, as Valedictorian Alexandria McCale reminded everyone in her speech, “Graduation is not the end, it is the beginning.”

This year’s graduating class of 151 students represents the 100th annual commencement for the high school.

“We have not yet begun to see what the world has to offer us,” McCale said. “We can follow our passions and discover who we are and where we want to be in life. There are no expectations set for you, you make those yourself. Each and every one of us is now crossing a threshold into a new stage of our lives where nothing is guaranteed. Life from now on is what you make of it.”

McCale is the recipient of the Governor’s Scholarship from Missouri State University in Springfield.

Valedictorian Kirby McLallen shared how in first grade, her dream was to stand before her senior graduating class as valedictorian and make a speech.

“We’ve grown together as a class, from getting caught with our hands in the cookie jar, to high school where we’re caught with more than just cookies in our hand,” she joked.

McLallen said high school offered many lessons, including personal growth.

“In the end, we found that it’s not about being the most popular, the best athlete or the best looking. We realized no matter who we are, we all have one thing in common, and that is that we belong to an inseparable class full of so many talented and different individuals. A class that has created more unforgettable memories and never-ending laughs together that we will all treasure for years to come.”

McLallen is the recipient of the University of Missouri-Columbia Curators Scholarship and Cornell Leadership award.

McCale also encouraged her fellow classmates to “dream big.”

“Doubting ourselves will get us nowhere. We can’t just settle for what’s easy but instead always aim for something better. This is our chance to make a difference and show the world what our generation has to offer.”

But McLallen was wistful.

“As you start over with new surroundings and new faces,” she said. “Always remember the good old Valley and the class you grew to love.”