Brandywine graduates more than 70 Bobcats

Published 9:04 am Monday, June 4, 2018

By Kelsey Hammon

NILES —  Thanks to the dedication of teachers and administrators, the hardest part of high school for Brandywine graduate Dalton Knapp was leaving.

Knapp and fellow valedictorian Erin Schimmel touched on this message while addressing more than 70 graduates at a commencement ceremony Sunday afternoon at the high school.

Prior to getting their diplomas, graduates also heard words of wisdom from Niles Mayor Nick Shelton, a 2004 Brandywine alum.

Before the graduates had a chance to speak, Shelton left the class of 2018 with a message: “There’s no such thing as ‘can’t.’”

Fourteen years after delivering the salutatorian speech on the same stage at Brandywine, the mayor reflected on his experience as a Bobcat and the years following, offering words of encouragement through his own life lessons of combating past weight issues, applying to 13 different jobs at Notre Dame before finally accepting a position in the Golden Dome, and earning 76 percent of the vote to become the youngest mayor in Niles history.

“Graduates of the Class of 2018, you can do anything you set your minds to,” Shelton told the class. “It’s OK to struggle. It’s OK to be afraid. It’s even OK to fail. You will face rejection. You may doubt yourselves at times, but don’t for one second ever accept the notion that you can’t do something.”

Shelton’s speech preceded addresses by valedictorians Taylor Derscha, Janki Devdhara, Dalton Knapp, Erin Schimmel and Wesley Watson, and one salutatorian, Elizabeth Hartz.

Knapp told the crowd that he had been at the Brandywine School District since kindergarten and when he first sat down to write his speech reflecting on his time since then, he had struggled to find the right words.

“Over the past couple months, I’ve been stressing out about this speech,” Knapp said. “I didn’t really want to even speak in the first place, so much even that I almost considered letting my grades slip so I wouldn’t be one of the valedictorians, but my mom wouldn’t let me do that, and believe me, you don’t want to be in the dog house with my mom.”

But as he thought about the efforts of teachers and staff who sought to make students’ experiences in school better, he said he knew what to write about.

“Throughout my education, there have been countless times where I’ve seen teachers going the extra mile, just to help the students,” Knapp said. “Teachers like Mrs. Hauck, who will stay after school any day, and most days of the week to help any student, regardless if you’re in her class or not, to study for a subject or prepare for a test.”

Schimmel shared a similar message in her speech.

“The never-ending support I’ve received from my family, my friends sitting back there with the band, and close teachers has brought me to where I am today,” she said.

Knapp also recognized longstanding principal Patrick Weckel, who has served the high school for nine years, the longest to ever serve in the role. He said Weckel’s dedication was evident in the fact that Brandywine had been awarded Best of the Best Public High School for every year from 2012 to 2017 and awarded one of America’s Best Public Schools in 2017.

Co-valedictorian Devdhara likened the high school experience to a roller coaster ride.

“High school definitely seemed like one that was four years too long, my friends, with no stops in sight,” she said. “There were many twists and turns and sudden drops, but here we are. We made it, but we didn’t do it alone.”

When it was his turn to speak, Watson encouraged his classmates to keep in touch with Brandywine, and continue celebrating its roots as Bobcats for years to come. He reminded his peers and the audience in the auditorium that the small, tight-knit community to which they belong is like a family, and urged them not remember that sense of belonging.

“Class of 2018, I challenge you to go out into this world and create your own community that builds off our already established Brandywine family,” Watson said. “Whether this community is just a small group of friends, or even a business, know that Brandywine has adequately taught us how to take part in this sense of connectedness.”

After thanking her family, friends, teachers and coaches, Derscha shared a special thanks with her fellow graduates.

“I am proud of our class and how far everyone has come. You all deserve to be where you are now and you should be proud of yourselves,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what all of the students in our graduating class will accomplish, and I’m honored I got to share this experience with you all.”

More Education

SMC Founders Day celebrates 60th anniversary

Teacher/Staff Spotlight: Dara Killarney, Dowagiac Union Schools Transportation

Brandywine board members discuss enrollment, student engagement, marching band

Brandywine to host annual Veterans Day breakfast

Print Article

SportsPlus