A total of 51 students will be graduated from high school programs in Ringgold county over the next two weeks.
There are eight students graduating from the Diagonal Community high school, 41 students from Mount Ayr Community high school and two from the South Central Academy, the alternative school program at MACHS.
This compares to a total of 60 graduates last year.
Diagonal graduation Friday
Diagonal Community high school seniors are preparing for their commencement ceremony Friday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in the south high school gymnasium.
The seniors will be given scholarships and awards and several speakers will talk at the ceremony where diplomas will be passed out.
Academic speakers from the class will include Brandi Goodale and Janelle Wortman. Graduation speaker will be Dick Stephens with the topic “Worthy Achievements.”
Students set to be graduated include Mariah Auten, Kelly Belt, Brandi Goodale, JoElla Goodman, Kendra Ruby, Chad Starlin, C. J. Stenbach and Janel Wortman.
The class colors are maroon and silver, the class flower is a silver tipped white rose and the class motto is a quote from Abraham Lincoln: “I do the very best I know how -- the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.”
MACHS graduation May 23
The week of graduation activities leading up to graduation on Sunday, May 23, for the 38 MACHS seniors begins next week.
The senior awards day will be held Tuesday, May 18, at 9 a.m. at the high school auditorium.
Scholarships and awards will be presented to the seniors at that ceremony.
The fall athletic awards program will be held Tuesday, May 18, at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium.
Baccalaureate services for the class of 2010 will be held Wednesday May 19, at 6:45 p.m. at the United Baptist-Presbyterian Church.
Students have helped plan the service coordinated by the Ringgold County Ministerial Association.
Thursday, May 20, will be the senior breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by the commencement practice at 9:30 a.m. in the high school gymnasium. This is the final day of classes for the senior class.
Seniors are to arrive at the high school auditorium at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, May 23 for the senior group picture at 1 p.m. Commencement activities begin at 2 p.m., with the class valedictorian and salutatorian giving the speeches.
Students set to graduate include Amelia Becker, Brandon Bishop, Erin Budach, Rodney Burton Jr., Michael Camacho, Courtnie Cox, Forest Cropper, Alicia Daniels, Tasha Drake, Sarah Dredge, Holly England, Mayumi Fernandez, Kelsey Glendenning, Ty Han, Tyler Hinz, Thomas Hosfield, Ariel Johnson, Matthew Jones, Karissa Karr, Erica Kemery, Karl Kerns, Dylan Lame, Katie McVey, Malcom Mercer, Matt Mercer, Jamie Novak, Jennifer Overholser, Samantha Paxson, Weston Pierschbacher, Russell Reynolds, Devin Richards, Adam Sickels, Maci Sickels, Maddilyn Stark, Brian Still, Brandon Thompson, Virginia Vasquez, Alex Wallace, Ashley Wickizer, Tiffany Wimer and Devin Winemiller.
The class colors are black, silver and red, the class flowers are red and white roses and the class motto is “Only as high as we reach can we grow, only as far as we seek we can go, only as deep as we look we can see, only as much as we dream we can be.”
Alternative school
There will be two graduates from the South Central Iowa Academy alternative school program this year.
They will take part in their school graduation ceremonies.
Graduates include Angela Clutter and Jeffrey O’Neil.